Heavy payload balloon lifted to near-space heights
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 13:51
A high-altitude scientific balloon containing 1.2-ton payloads was lifted into the sky and reached an altitude of 30km in a demonstration test that helped validate the payload capacity of a near-space balloon platform.
The flight test was conducted in northwestern China's Qinghai Province on September 30, 2022, by a research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), marking a further step in the development of China's high-altitude balloon platform.
Delivering payloads from the ground to the stratospheric region known as "near-space," the balloon platform can carry tons of scientific instruments, especially large-sized ones such as unmanned air vehicles over aerial-based launches.
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The balloon is ascending into the sky. Credit: AIR -
The balloon is inflated.
Surviving space: Extreme plant adaptation
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 13:47
Which plants have the best chances for survival in space?
That's the question being addressed by Principal Investigators Anna-Lisa Paul and Robert Ferl in the Epigenetic Adaptation to the Spaceflight Environment—Accumulated Genomic Change Induced by Generations in Space (Plant Habitat-03) investigation, which will soon launch to the International Space Station aboard Northrop Grumman's 18th commercial resupply services mission for NASA.
From one generation to the next?
This investigation will take advantage of the unique environment aboard the space station to study an intriguing phenomenon.
Japanese lunar lander, with NASA rideshare, to launch this month
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:40
Japanese lunar lander developer ispace is in the final phases of preparations for the launch of its first lunar lander mission, a flight that will include a NASA lunar cubesat mission as a secondary payload.
The post Japanese lunar lander, with NASA rideshare, to launch this month appeared first on SpaceNews.
Arianespace and Space Machines sign MOU to study last-mile services
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
Last week, during the French Space Tour organized by Business France in Australia, Arianespace and Space Machines Company announced the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to define the terms and conditions of possible future cooperation.
Arianespace works on several opportunities with customers looking for direct GEO injection or specific LEO/MEO orbits. In order to provide t Largest potentially hazardous asteroid detected in eight years
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
Twilight observations with the US Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF's NOIRLab, have enabled astronomers to spot three near-Earth asteroids (NEA) hiding in the glare of the Sun. These NEAs are part of an elusive population that lurks inside the orbits of Earth and Venus. One of the asteroids is the largest obje CAPSTONE 2 weeks from lunar arrival
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
Advanced Space LLC., a leading space tech solutions company with breakthrough navigation technology, completed its fourth trajectory correction maneuver (TCM) for CAPSTONE on Thursday. TCM-4 was the fourth of six planned maneuvers en route to the Moon, targeting the precise orbit for the CAPSTONE demonstration. This follows the restoration of the spacecraft's capabilities as it has recovered fro AFWERX AFVentures enhances SBIR/STTR program to increase tech transition
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
AFWERX AFVentures began the new fiscal year with multiple enhancements to the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer, or SBIR/STTR, Program after Congress reauthorized the program, Sept. 30, 2022. These improvements aim to further encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Air Force and Space Force research and development with potential for commercialization 18 SDS, France's COSMOS integrate SDA knowledge during 'Operator Exchange'
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
The 18th Space Defense Squadron (18 SDS) hosted five French space operators from the Operational Center for Military Surveillance of Space Objects (COSMOS) to integrate Space Domain Awareness (SDA) expertise during an 'Operator Exchange' here Oct. 3-6, 2022.
The 4-day event, facilitated by the 18 SDS's Space Situational Awareness Partnership and Coalition Engagement (SPACE) office, aimed t Let the Detour Begin - To Gediz Vallis Ridge We Go: Sols 3637-3638
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
This is a two sol weekend plan, as Saturday is a soliday. On the first sol, we characterize the workspace in front of us and then drive on the second sol to a new workspace. We are now officially on our detour, a short round trip to image and capture geochemistry of the "Gediz Vallis ridge" up on the pediment, before coming back down to the "Marker Band valley" and rejoining the MSAR (Mount Shar NASA laser project benefits animal researchers, UW scientists show
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
Scientists researching forest carnivores such as martens, foxes and coyotes spend hours clambering through rugged terrain, sometimes in deep snow, placing and baiting camera traps to learn about animals' behavior in relation to their habitat.
In recent years, this on-the-ground work has received a big boost from what might seem to be an unlikely source: NASA.
In a new scholarly paper USSPACECOM Deputy Commander discusses deep space exploration
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. John Shaw, U.S. Space Command deputy commander, participated in the Accelerating Sustainable Deep Space Exploration panel, alongside Mr. Jim Free, NASA Exploration Development Systems Mission Directorate associate administrator at ASCEND's 2022 Conference in Las Vegas, Oct. 24, 2022.
The session aimed to "outline the challenges of deep space, review similar histor BlackSky wins $10M follow-on contract for high-frequency imagery services with Asian government ally
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:38
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) was awarded a one-year $10 million contract to provide on-demand, real-time high-resolution imagery services to an international ministry of defense customer in Asia.
"BlackSky's growing traction in international markets reflects strong global demand for high-frequency, dawn-to-dusk imagery and analytics," said BlackSky Vice President of International New guidance from Space Force acquisition boss: ‘The traditional ways must be reformed’
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 10:15
In an Oct. 31 memo, Calvelli laid out nine “space acquisition tenets” intended to drive change in the procurement of space systems
The post New guidance from Space Force acquisition boss: ‘The traditional ways must be reformed’ appeared first on SpaceNews.
Final module docks at China's Tiangong space station
Tuesday, 01 November 2022 07:51
The final module of China's Tiangong space station successfully docked with the core structure on Tuesday, state media said—a key step in its completion by year's end and a landmark moment in the country's space ambitions.
Tiangong is one of the crown jewels in Beijing's well-funded programme—which has landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon, and made the country only the third to put humans in orbit—as it looks to catch up with major spacefaring powers like the United States and Russia.
China has been excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) since 2011, when Washington banned NASA from engaging with Beijing.
Tiangong's completion would signal "China is now an equal player in space with the United States, Russia and Europe", analyst Chen Lan told AFP.
"In terms of scientific and commercial aspects, it is always good to see new players coming.... Competition will always speed up innovation," he added.
Arianespace partners with Australian space tug startup
Monday, 31 October 2022 21:17
Arianespace is exploring the compatibility of its rockets with orbital transfer vehicles being developed by Space Machines Company, an Australian startup.
The post Arianespace partners with Australian space tug startup appeared first on SpaceNews.