Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 20, 2024
Welcome to the 2024 holiday plan for Curiosity! This year we're spanning 14 sols to last us through the Earth new year. And this is my fourth year operating Mastcam during the holidays (throwback to 2023 Marsmas!). I already knew to expect a long day, so I got my lunch prepared - blew Mars a kiss in the pre-dawn sky - and headed to work at 0600 Pacific time to start planning prep. Luckily my tea

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 31, 2024
SpaceX successfully completed its final launch of a record-breaking year early Tuesday morning, deploying 21 Starlink satellites into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 12:39 a.m. EST, marking the company's 134th orbital mission in 2024. "This is the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, BlueBird-1, USSF-124, mPOWER-B, and 11 Starlink missions," SpaceX noted.

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 31, 2024
China's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, part of the China National Space Administration, has approved its eighth batch of lunar sample research applications. These applications allow scientists to borrow lunar material collected during the Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions. A total of 8,550.4 milligrams of lunar samples will be distributed among 18 researchers representing 1

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 20, 2024
Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a leading global provider of satellite communications, has been chosen by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to supply resilient networking solutions for the Replicator initiative. This program is focused on delivering autonomous systems designed to support warfighter operations with advanced command and control (C2) capabilities. The initiative is a key part of the U

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 20, 2024
York Space Systems (York), a Denver-based aerospace company specializing in delivering complete space mission solutions, continues to establish itself as a leading provider for both government and commercial clients. Over the past several weeks, the company has achieved multiple engineering and operational milestones across two critical programs, showcasing its ability to scale production and en

Fairbanks AK (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
Newly published results from a 2021 experiment led by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist have begun to reveal the particle-level processes that create the type of auroras that dance rapidly across the sky. The Kinetic-scale Energy and momentum Transport experiment - KiNET-X - lifted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on May 16, 2021, in the final minutes of the fin

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 27, 2024
Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) has announced the successful launch and deployment of HawkEye 360's Cluster 11, marking a significant milestone in its collaboration with the Virginia-based company. The three-satellite cluster, developed under SFL's Flex Production Program, was integrated by HawkEye 360 at its facility and launched into sun-synchronous orbit on December 21, 2024, from Vandenberg Sp

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 23, 2024
X-Bow Systems Inc. (X-Bow), a key innovator in solid rocket motor (SRM) production and defense technology, has announced an expansion of its U.S. Department of Defense contract to supply large SRMs to the U.S. Navy and Army. This development further positions X-Bow as a critical supplier in bolstering the national defense supply chain during a strategically important time for the United States.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 27, 2024
True Anomaly Inc., a leading defense technology company specializing in advanced space superiority systems, has confirmed the successful launch and operational control of its Jackal spacecraft. This milestone marks a significant step forward for the company, coming nine months after the inaugural flight test of the Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle (AOV). The spacecraft was deployed into orbit d

Washington DC (UPI) Dec 30, 2024
In what is expected to be SpaceX's final launch in a record-breaking 2024, the company announced it had delayed its newest deployment of Starlink satellites to New Year's Eve. The launch, which was slated for early Monday, was scrubbed and rescheduled for Tuesday at 12:34 a.m. EST from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX said the launch window would be open until 1:28 a.m.