Washington DC (UPI) Jul 15, 2021
Engineers at NASA have identified the potential cause of a payload computer problem that has sidelined the Hubble Space Telescope for more than a month. The agency said Thursday it would start a process to switch to a backup system, and that the telescope could be back to normal operations within a few days. The payload computer, part of Hubble's Science Instrument Command and Da

Moscow (Sputnik) Jul 15, 2021
During the Cold War, the US tested a slew of anti-satellite weapons, including detonating a nuclear weapon in space, which damaged a Soviet satellite. However, only recently has Washington worried that space was becoming militarized - now that other nations are developing similar capabilities. On Tuesday, Germany became the latest NATO power to inaugurate a separate space command, followin

Washington DC (UPI) Jul 15, 2021
Lockheed Martin opened a new spacecraft facility Thursday to help build NASA's Orion lunar capsules near Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Lockheed Martin says the new STAR Center in Titusville is now a "digitally transformed factory of the future" that will help produce spacecraft to take astronauts to the moon. STAR stands for Spacecraft Test, Assembly and Resource. "This repres

Washington DC (Sputnik) Jul 16, 2021
The massive launch tower for the Starship spacecraft at a SpaceX site in Texas may be demolished based on the results of an ongoing environmental review, CNBC reported, citing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). "The company is building the tower at its own risk", a FAA official told CNBC. The source in the agency also noted that the review might recommend demolishing the laun

Washington DC (SPX) Jul 16, 2021
As any seasoned road-tripper knows, to get the most out of an adventure, a good map helps. It's no different for NASA's first lunar robotic rover planned for delivery to the Moon in late 2023 to search for ice and other resources on and below the lunar surface. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, is part of the agency's Artemis program. Without a Moon travel guide, VIP

Titusville FL (SPX) Jul 16, 2021
Lockheed Martin has opened its Spacecraft Test, Assembly and Resource (STAR) Center. The STAR Center features business and digital transformation innovations that will expand manufacturing, assembly and testing capacity for NASA's Orion spacecraft program and ultimately, future space exploration. Lockheed Martin currently assembles the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I and II Moon mission

WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee passed a spending bill July 15 that leaves intact overall funding for NASA but tweaks language regarding the Human Landing System and nuclear thermal propulsion.

The committee voted 33–26 to advance the commerce, justice and science (CJS) appropriations bill to the full House.

ESA’s first Earth observation mission dedicated to understanding our planet, the European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS-1), was launched into orbit on 17 July 1991 – almost 30 years ago today. At the time of its launch, the ERS satellite was one of the most sophisticated spacecraft ever developed and launched by Europe, paving the way for satellite technology in the areas of atmosphere, land, ocean and ice monitoring. Today, we look back at some of the mission’s key accomplishments.

Lima, the capital and largest city of Peru, is featured in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image.

WASHINGTON — An 18-year-old Dutch man will fly on Blue Origin’s first crewed New Shepard suborbital flight, taking the place of the unidentified winner of an auction last month for the seat.

Blue Origin announced July 15 that Oliver Daemen will be the fourth and final member of the crew of the New Shepard flight launching July 20 from the company’s West Texas spaceport.