Mars helicopter Ingenuity could usher in new era of exploration
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53
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NASA's plan to fly a helicopter on Mars for the first time in a few weeks could start a new era of interplanetary exploration like the space agency's little Sojourner rover did in the 1990s, according to several experts.
The Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, will be dropped from the Perseverance rover soon, but NASA hasn't determined the exact date. The rover ejected a shield that covered the FAA streamlined launch and reentry rule takes effect
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53 Write a comment
The United States is leading the way to a new era of commercial space transportation with a final rule that streamlines the licensing process for private sector launch and reentry operations.
"Innovation in commercial space transportation is increasing dramatically, and policy needs to keep up. This rule will help us to prepare for future U.S. leadership in commercial space transportation All 38 satellites launched on Russia's Soyuz reach orbit: Roscosmos
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53 Write a comment
Russia's Fregat upper stage has placed all the 38 satellites in target orbits after the launch of the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos, said on Monday.
"Separation of 33 satellites has taken place," Rogozin said, adding that five satellites were placed in orbit earlier.
The rocket was launched from the Baikonur space India wants to win share of in Heavy Lift market from SpaceX
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53 Write a comment
The ISRO has been keen on roping in the domestic private sector to finance the rocket manufacturing and satellite launch business so that it can itself focus on research and the heavy satellite launch market. Hoping to get a share of the global satellite launch business, India allocated a $1.4 billion fund for NewSpace India Ltd.
India's state owned NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) has prepared t Keeping track of spacecraft as Earth's water alters its spin
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53 Write a comment
External gravitational forces, predominantly from the Sun and Moon, are constantly and predictably acting on our planet. While the Sun's enormous gravity keeps Earth in orbit, the gentle tug of the Moon has, over billions of years, quite dramatically slowed its spin, increasing the length of a day on Earth.
When the Earth first formed, a day was somewhere between six and eight hours long a Soyuz launch campaign for 2 Galileo satellites postponed Until November
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53 Write a comment
The launch of a Russian Soyuz-ST carrier rocket with two Galileo satellites from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana has been put off from September until November, two space industry sources told Sputnik.
"The launch of the Soyuz-ST-B rocket with the Fregat-MT booster with two Galileo satellites from the Guiana space center has been postponed until November," one of the sources said. UK space sector gets funding boost to support international innovation
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53 Write a comment
Projects to remotely probe ice on Mars to help explorers find life below the surface, a system to warn of impacts of flood risks to infrastructure based on research in India and a scheme to design UK imaging technology for a space telescope are among the new international initiatives to receive backing from the UK Space Agency's National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP).
The funding will Eutelsat selects Airbus for key orbital slot with EUTELSAT 36D satellite
Monday, 22 March 2021 06:53 Write a comment
Airbus has been selected by Eutelsat, one of the world's leading satellites operators, to build EUTELSAT 36D, a new generation multi-mission geostationary telecommunications satellite.
The EUTELSAT 36D spacecraft will replace and enhance capacity at 36 East, a key orbital slot for Eutelsat for TV broadcasting (DTH) and government services over Africa, Russia, and Europe.
It will be t Rocket Lab launches smallsat rideshare mission
Monday, 22 March 2021 00:48 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab launched six smallsats for a variety of commercial and government customers March 22 on a mission also intended to demonstrate the performance of its own smallsat bus.
The company’s Electron rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 1 at Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, at 6:30 p.m.
Rogers feeling optimistic about Space Force procurement efforts
Sunday, 21 March 2021 20:07 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said the Space Force is making progress in the organization of its acquisition office and expects to see new proposals to accelerate acquisition programs.
Download the March 15th issue of SpaceNews Magazine
Sunday, 21 March 2021 19:56 Write a comment
Inside the March 15th issue:
* The State of Space Finance
* SPAC – Can you still spell space without SPAC
* M&A Space merger boom appears right on time
Download the March 15 issue of SpaceNews Magazine
Sunday, 21 March 2021 19:56 Write a comment
* The State of Space Finance
* M&A Space merger boom appears right on time
* Is there still space for export credit agencies?
Keeping track of spacecraft as Earth’s water alters its spin
Sunday, 21 March 2021 16:00 Write a comment
- Mass is constantly being redistributed around our planet, as Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and other bodies of water on and under the surface melt, shift and stir.
- This mass redistribution alters Earth’s centre of gravity, which in turn speeds up and slows down the planet's spin – and so the length of the day – as well as changing the orientation of its 'spin axis'.
- These changes to Earth’s spin and orientation occur over relatively short timescales of days and weeks, and threaten communication between ground stations and missions in orbit and across the Solar System.
- ESA is working
Tunisia engineers reach for stars with satellite launch
Sunday, 21 March 2021 15:34 Write a comment
Tunisia celebrated the launch Monday of its first domestically made satellite, hoping it would inspire young engineers to reach for the stars at home rather than join those emigrating overseas.
Challenge-1, built by a team from telecommunications giant TelNet, blasted off along with 37 other satellites aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday.
That made Tunisia the sixth African country to manufacture its own satellite and see it reach space.
"It's a source of pride to have taken part in this project," said Khalil Chiha, 27, who trained at Tunisia's National Engineering School in the central city of Sfax.
"Working in the aeronautical or aerospace sector is a dream."
Tunisia had been struck by an economic crisis and skyrocketing unemployment even before the coronavirus pandemic, and recent months have seen growing anti-government protests.
Russia puts 38 foreign satellites into orbit
Sunday, 21 March 2021 15:27 Write a comment
Russia on Monday put 38 foreign satellites into orbit after a succesful launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan following delays due to technical issues.
Video published by the Russian space agency Roscosmos showed its Soyuz rocket launching against grey and cloudy skies at 0607 GMT.
"The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and 38 spacecraft from 18 countries took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome," Roscosmos said on its Twitter account.
Later Monday, Roscosmos said in a statement that the rocket had successfully placed into orbit the 38 satellites from more than a dozen countries, including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and Brazil.
Among them was the Challenge-1, the first satellite made completely in Tunisia, which was created by the Telnet telecommunications group.
The launch was twice postponed from Saturday after a surge in voltage was detected.