Firefly Aerospace scrubs launch after rocket engine shuts down
Monday, 03 October 2022 10:11
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Firefly Aerospace aborted an attempted launch Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California after an unexpected engine shutdown.
An Alpha rocket was scheduled to blast off into space and perform tests in orbit, but shortly after ignition, an engine shut down, leaving the rocket on the launch pad without any ostensible damage.
"The vehicle went into auto-abort after igniti Juno probe takes detailed photo of Jupiter's moon, Europa
Monday, 03 October 2022 10:11 Write a comment
NASA's Juno space probe captured detailed images during a close flyby of Europa, Jupiter's largest moon.
The probe came within 219 miles of the ice-covered celestial body, one of the closest approaches by any spacecraft.
The first image taken by the probe's Junocam was released Thursday. It shows the icy and rugged surface of an area close to Europa's equator, known as the Annwn NRO awards commercial RF Capabilities Contract to Kleos Space
Monday, 03 October 2022 10:11 Write a comment
Kleos Space Inc, a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider, has been awarded a first stage contract, from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement (SCE BAA) Framework.
The NRO is responsible for maintaining global vigilance in times of peace and HawkEye 360 awarded radio frequency contract by NRO
Monday, 03 October 2022 10:11 Write a comment
HawkEye 360 Inc., the world's leading commercial provider of space-based radio frequency (RF) data and analytics, reports it has been awarded a contract from the NRO's Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO). The contract will assess, mature, integrate, and operationalize commercial RF intelligence into the NRO's integrated overhead architecture to support warfighters, the intelligence communit Raytheon and Northrop Grumman to deliver hypersonic air-breathing missile to USSF
Monday, 03 October 2022 10:11 Write a comment
Raytheon Missiles and Defense, a Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) business, in partnership with Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), has been selected to develop the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). HACM is a first-of-its-kind weapon developed in conjunction with the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE), a U.S. and Australia p New Curtin-led research discovers the heart of our evolution
Monday, 03 October 2022 10:11 Write a comment
Researchers have discovered a 380-million-year-old heart - the oldest ever found - alongside a separate fossilised stomach, intestine and liver in an ancient jawed fish, shedding new light on the evolution of our own bodies.
The new research, published in Science, found that the position of the organs in the body of arthrodires - an extinct class of armoured fishes that flourished through Trackem Launches New GPS Business Tracking Platform
Monday, 03 October 2022 10:11 Write a comment
Trackem GPS has officially launched its latest version of its client facing GPS tracking platform. The software launch has been 18 months in the making, for the 18-year-old business GPS fleet tracking company. The tall task of client migration has begun and is expected to be ongoing for a number of months ahead.
Trackem's new software platform was built to deliver on three main principles, Wanted: firms to connect and guide Moon missions
Monday, 03 October 2022 08:27 Write a comment
Are you ready to join ESA’s initiative to support European space companies to create a constellation of lunar satellites that connect and guide missions to the Moon?
NASA pushes back Artemis 1 launch to November
Sunday, 02 October 2022 23:43 Write a comment
NASA will wait until at least the middle of November before attempting another launch of the Space Launch System on the Artemis 1 mission, citing the impacts from Hurricane Ian.
The post NASA pushes back Artemis 1 launch to November appeared first on SpaceNews.
Firefly Aerospace reaches orbit with new Alpha rocket
Sunday, 02 October 2022 09:05 Write a comment
A new aerospace company reached orbit with its second rocket launch and deployed multiple small satellites on Saturday.
Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in early morning darkness and arced over the Pacific.
"100% mission success," Firefly tweeted later.
A day earlier, an attempt to launch abruptly ended when the countdown reached zero. The first-stage engines ignited but the rocket automatically aborted the liftoff.
The rocket's payload included multiple small satellites designed for a variety of technology experiments and demonstrations, as well as educational purposes.
The mission, dubbed "To The Black," was the company's second demonstration flight of its entry into the market for small satellite launchers.
The first Alpha was launched from Vandenberg on Sept. 2, 2021, but did not reach orbit.
One of the four first-stage engines shut down prematurely but the rocket continued upward on three engines into the supersonic realm where it tumbled out of control.
The rocket was then intentionally destroyed by an explosive flight termination system.
Firefly Aerospace said the premature shutdown was traced to an electrical issue, but that the rocket had otherwise performed well and useful data was obtained during the nearly 2 1/2 minutes of flight.
Space Development Agency is now officially part of the Space Force
Saturday, 01 October 2022 21:13 Write a comment
The Space Development Agency was officially transferred to the U.S. Space Force, Oct. 1.
The post Space Development Agency is now officially part of the Space Force appeared first on SpaceNews.
Firefly, Millennium Space selected for U.S. Space Force rapid-launch demonstration
Saturday, 01 October 2022 16:21 Write a comment
The U.S. Space Systems Command announced Sept. 30 it selected Firefly Space Transport Services and Millennium Space Systems to conduct a demonstration of a rapid-response space mission to low Earth orbit in 2023.
Firefly’s Alpha rocket reaches orbit on second launch
Saturday, 01 October 2022 13:52 Write a comment
Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha launch vehicle reached orbit on its second launch Oct. 1, more than a year after the vehicle’s first launch failed.
The post Firefly’s Alpha rocket reaches orbit on second launch appeared first on SpaceNews.
Connecting the Countryside
Saturday, 01 October 2022 09:14 Write a comment
Because most people live in cities and suburbs, broadband and mobile service tend to be good there. But not everyone everywhere has the same opportunities.
The post Connecting the Countryside appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA eyes November for launch attempt of Moon rocket
Saturday, 01 October 2022 05:31 Write a comment
The US space agency, which was forced to postpone its latest liftoff attempt due to massive Hurricane Ian which hammered Florida this week, announced it was preparing its next launch window for between November 12 and November 27.
"Over the coming days," NASA said in a blog post, the team will assess conditions and necessary work and "identify a specific date for the next launch attempt."
Officials had so far refused to completely shut the door on an earlier attempt in October.
The SLS rocket, the most powerful ever designed by NASA, had to be returned to its storage hangar at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday in order to shelter it from the approach of Hurricane Ian.
The storm devastated parts of Florida but the rocket itself suffered no damage, NASA said.
Planning efforts for the November launch window will allow "time for employees at Kennedy to address the needs of their families and homes after the storm" and in the run up to the next mission attempt.