ESA to set target for first Ariane 6 launch after upcoming tests
Monday, 04 September 2023 16:23
DoD satellites in low Earth orbit promise more connectivity for military users
Monday, 04 September 2023 15:49
Trial by fire for the Ariane 6 upper stage
Monday, 04 September 2023 15:18
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Validation testing continues for ESA's all-new Ariane 6 launch vehicle, with firing of its two upper stage engines to simulate the way they will have to operate together during a flight.
The test of the full upper stage—including the new Vinci engine and a smaller Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)—took place on a purpose-built test bench at German Aerospace Center DLR's engine test center in Lampoldshausen, Germany.
Chinese scientist proposes solar system-wide resource utilization roadmap
Monday, 04 September 2023 13:05
ESA Open Day at ESTEC 2023: Registration now open
Monday, 04 September 2023 12:02 Write a comment
Take your chance to meet astronauts, view spacecraft and peer behind the scenes of Europe’s space adventure at our ESA Open Day at ESTEC in the Netherlands on Sunday 8 October. Registration is now open.
Ariane 6 media briefing – September 2023
Monday, 04 September 2023 10:55 Write a comment
Video:
01:00:57
Watch the replay of the media briefing and the question-and-answer session outlining the progress achieved and the upcoming steps in the Ariane 6 development test campaign. Updates are given on tests conducted at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, and at the German Aerospace Center DLR’s technical centre in Lampoldshausen, Germany.
The briefing was held on 4 September 2023 from ESA’s Headquarters in Paris, France. Participants included:
Josef Aschbacher, Director General, ESA
Martin Sion, CEO, ArianeGroup
Philippe Baptiste, Chairman and CEO, CNES
Stéphane Israël, CEO, Arianespace
Toni Tolker-Nielsen, Director of Space Transportation, ESA
Carine Leveau, Director of Space Transportation, CNES
Stefan Schlechtriem, Director of Lampoldshausen,
India’s moon lander set for nighttime as solar mission soars
Monday, 04 September 2023 10:38
SpaceX sends 22 new Starlink satellites into orbit in 60th launch of 2023
Monday, 04 September 2023 10:35 Write a comment
Twenty-two new Starlink Internet satellites started orbiting the Earth after a successful launch by SpaceX late Thursday night from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The satellites, part of the constellation being created by SpaceX to provide Internet access even in the most remote locations on the globe, were taken into space by the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket at 10:21 p.m. EDT.
In Lockheed Martin's Transport Layer satellites launch as part SDA's Tranche 0
Monday, 04 September 2023 10:35 Write a comment
Ten Lockheed Martin-built (NYSE: LMT) satellites have been deployed into low-Earth orbit (LEO) in support of the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 0 Transport Layer (T0TL) mission. SDA's T0TL is a proliferated LEO constellation that will demonstrate low-latency communication and provide a resilient network of integrated capabilities.
The small satellites launched aboard a SpaceX Fal Firefly and Millennium stand ready for Responsive mission for Space Force
Monday, 04 September 2023 10:35 Write a comment
Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, and Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) small satellite constellation prime, have entered the hot standby phase for VICTUS NOX, a Tactically Responsive Space mission led by Space Systems Command's (SSC) Space Safari Program Office. The team stands ready for the 24-hour callup and orbit requirements to complete Ariane 6 joint update report, 4 September 2023
Monday, 04 September 2023 10:30 Write a comment
The Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force consists of top management at ESA, the overall Ariane 6 procuring entity and launch system architect, launch base prime contractor and French space agency CNES, launcher system prime contractor ArianeGroup and launch service provider Arianespace. This group reports regularly on progress being made towards inaugural flight of the new Ariane 6 launcher.
The next update is expected in October.
Next major X-ray mission set to launch
Monday, 04 September 2023 07:00 Write a comment
*Update: The new launch date for XRISM is 08:42 JST / 00:42 BST / 01:42 CEST on 7 September 2023*
The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) is ready to launch on 7 September 2023 to observe the most energetic objects and events in the cosmos. In doing so, it will unveil the evolution of the Universe and the structure of spacetime.
XRISM is a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA, with significant participation from ESA. The launch will be streamed live in Japanese and English on JAXA’s YouTube channel.
Four astronauts return to Earth in SpaceX capsule to wrap up six-month station mission
Monday, 04 September 2023 06:50 Write a comment
NASA's LRO observes crater likely from Luna 25 impact
Sunday, 03 September 2023 10:50 Write a comment
NASA's LRO - the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - spacecraft imaged a new crater on the Moon's surface that is likely the impact site of Russia's Luna 25 mission. During its descent, Luna 25 experienced an anomaly that caused it to impact the surface of the Moon on Aug. 19.
Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, published an estimate of the impact point on Aug. 21. The LROC (short for LRO Camera)