SpaceX shuttles science, holiday treats to astronauts Space Coast launch
Friday, 10 November 2023 15:25
SpaceX launched another rocket from Florida's Space Coast on Thursday night sending thousands of pounds of cargo to the International Space Station while also bringing back a booster that sent a sonic boom across Central Florida.
A Falcon 9 with an uncrewed cargo Dragon on the CRS-29 mission blasted off at 8:28 p.m. Eastern time from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A.
It was the second flight for the rocket's first-stage booster having back in August launched Crew-7, the crew of which are still on the ISS. Its recovery landing came not at seas, but back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Landing Zone 1, bringing the signature double sonic boom across parts of the Space Coast and Central Florida.
Orbiting the ISS are seven crew from the U.S., Japan, Denmark and Russia, and they'll get a fresh food kit including oranges, apples, cherry tomatoes and carrots as well as two specialty cheese kits.
"And because we're in the holiday season we've got some fun holiday treats for the crew like chocolate, pumpkin spice cappuccino, rice cakes, turkey, duck, quail, seafood, cranberry sauce and mochi," said Dana Weigel, NASA's deputy program manager for the International Space Station Program on Wednesday during a press conference to discuss the mission's Launch Readiness Review.
Week in images: 06-10 November 2023
Friday, 10 November 2023 13:10
Week in images: 06-10 November 2023
Discover our week through the lens
Mini mass spectrometer ready for Moon mission
Friday, 10 November 2023 13:00
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The Astrobotic Peregrine lunar lander, due to launch to the Moon later this year, carrying the PITMS instrument on the payload deck on its left side.
PITMS stands for Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer, and it is a device that will sniff out molecules close to the Moon's surface to chart the composition of the lunar exosphere, the particles buzzing around its surface that don't quite make up an atmosphere.
The Peregrine lander is aiming for a lunar touchdown in Sinus Viscositatis near the Gruithuisen volcanic domes, on the northern lunar hemisphere. It is the first time that a spacecraft will land
Hera asteroid mission hears the noise
Friday, 10 November 2023 11:28
ESA’s Hera asteroid mission has completed acoustic testing, confirming the spacecraft can withstand the sound of its own lift-off into orbit. Testing took place within the Agency’s Large European Acoustic Facility at the ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands. This is Europe’s largest and most powerful sound system, fitted with a quartet of noise horns that can generate more than 154 decibels of extreme noise.
Nourishing commercial growth in Earth observation
Friday, 10 November 2023 11:17
Hot on the heels of the first Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum, now is a good time to take a look at the all-embracing support that ESA gives to the commercial sector in Europe. With funding programmes, business guidance for companies, and multiyear contracts, ESA provides a vital springboard for continued growth in commercial Earth observation.
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PANGAEA VR training tool 
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JIVE 
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Human Inspirator (HICE) Gateway Review And Virtual Interior Tools for Astronaut Systems
Friday, 10 November 2023 09:38
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Gateway Review And Virtual Interior Tools for Astronaut Systems (GRAVITAS) NASA sends holiday treats and a laser communication system to the Space Station
Friday, 10 November 2023 08:31
For the first time in three years, SpaceX returned the Falcon 9 booster supporting a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission back onto Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The boosters for nineteen out of twenty-nine CRS launches landed on a drone ship offshore, which brought the rocket back to Florida for refurbishment and reuse. This mission marks the tenth C ESA Embracing Commercial Space Stations with Airbus and Voyager Space Partnership
Friday, 10 November 2023 08:31
In a significant step toward ensuring Europe's continued presence in low Earth orbit, the European Space Agency (ESA), in partnership with aerospace titan Airbus and space infrastructure pioneer Voyager Space, has penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of the Starlab space station. This collaboration was spotlighted during ESA's Space Summit in Seville, Spain, marking a p Iridium Set to Directly Partner with OEMs Following Qualcomm Agreement Termination
Friday, 10 November 2023 08:31
In a strategic shift that underscores the evolving landscape of global satellite communications, Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM), has announced an update to its partnership with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of QUALCOMM Incorporated.
The announcement comes in the wake of a previous agreement wherein Iridium and Qualcomm aimed to integrate satellite messaging and emer Momentus and RIDE! Space collaborate to connect SmallSat operators for In-Space Services
Friday, 10 November 2023 08:31
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS), a pioneer in the space transport sector, has announced a significant partnership with the Paris-based New Space company, RIDE! Space, aiming to streamline satellite launch services. This collaboration is set to include the deployment of Gaindesat and Djibouti payloads scheduled for a joint mission in 2024.
Since its inception in 2020, RIDE! Space has committed Northrop Grumman Finalizes Key Trials for Arctic Communications Satellites
Friday, 10 November 2023 08:31
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully completed a series of pivotal Thermal Vacuum tests on the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), paving the way for enhanced broadband communications in the strategically significant Northern polar region. This two-satellite constellation is an integral component of a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Space Force and Space Norwa