SpaceX launches first expendable Falcon Heavy rocket
Monday, 01 May 2023 00:36![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Space Coast FL (SPX) May 01, 2023
After severe weather and technical delays, the ViaSat-3 Americas satellite and two smaller communications satellites, Arcturus and GS-1, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39-A (LC-39A), Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 8:26 p.m. EDT (00:26 UTC) on Thursday, April 30, 2023.
The satellites will be placed in a circular orbit near a geostationary altitude of mor
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/spacex-falcon-heavy-viasat-3-americas-launch-night-montage-bg.jpg)
Ensuring robotic arm safety during abrasions
Monday, 01 May 2023 00:36![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 28, 2023
This past week, the Perseverance rover has driven to a rock outcrop called Echo Creek, situating itself just west of the Belva crater rim peppered with large flagstone rocks suitable for its next task: abrasion.
Although successfully executed countless times over the past two years, abrading and sampling are still non-deterministic activities. Rocks may fracture or reorient during preload
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/mars-perseverance-navcam-sol-770-bg.jpg)
China's Mars rover finds signs of recent water in sand dunes
Sunday, 30 April 2023 13:10![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![This Aug. 26, 2003, image made available by NASA shows Mars as it lines up with the Sun and the Earth. A new study suggests water on Mars may be more widespread and recent than previously thought. Scientists reported the finding from China's Mars rover in Science Advances on Friday, April 28, 2023. Credit: NASA/J. Bell - Cornell U./M. Wolff - SSI via AP, File China's Mars rover finds signs of recent water in sand dunes](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/chinas-mars-rover-find.jpg)
Russia to stay on International Space Station through 2028
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 28, 2023
Russia has committed it will remain on the International Space Station until 2028, backing away from a plan to leave the low-Earth orbiting laboratory next year, according to NASA.
NASA on Wednesday announced Russia would "support continued station operations" for another five years, while the United States, Japan, Canada and participating countries of the European Space Agency offered
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/iss-exp-47-soyuz-hud-bg.jpg)
ShadowCam images Lunar south polar region
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Washington DC (SPX) May 01, 2023
With the success of NASA's Artemis I mission and the agency recently naming the Artemis II crew, progress towards humanity's first-ever journey to the lunar South Pole region during Artemis III is well underway.
To prepare, NASA scientists and engineers are learning as much as possible about this shadowy region that promises to yield scientific discoveries that can help us learn about our
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/shadowcam-shackleton-crater-bg.jpg)
China's International Lunar Research Station advances
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Beijing, China (SPX) May 01, 2023
China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) Sign Joint Statement on International Lunar Research Station Cooperation
On April 25, the first International Conference on Deep Space Exploration (Tiandu), themed "Flying to Deep Space through Win-win Cooperation," commenced in Hefei, Anhui. During the opening ceremony, the China National Sp
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/chang-e-5-robotic-probe-plants-china-national-flag-moon-lunar-surface-bg.jpg)
Around the world in 10 Days
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Washington DC (SPX) May 01, 2023
NASA's football-stadium-sized scientific super pressure balloon crossed the 169.24 east longitude line at about 11:32 p.m. EDT, April 25, officially completing its first mid-latitude circumnavigation after launch April 15 (U.S. Eastern time) from Wanaka Airport, New Zealand.
NASA achieved the milestone just 10 days, 3 hours, and 50 minutes after launch. Th
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/superbit-balloon-telescope-mid-latitude-circumnavigation-2023-bg.jpg)
Latest two O3b mPOWER satellites successfully launched for SES
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) May 28, 2023
Two additional O3b mPOWER satellites were successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States, at 6:12 pm local time, SES announced Friday.
The second pair of O3b mPOWER satellites will join the first two satellites launched in December 2022, which have arrived at their target medium earth orbit (MEO) and are currently undergo
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/o3b-networks-constellation-bg.jpg)
Astra announces spacecraft engine contract with Apex
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Alameda CA (SPX) May 01, 2023
Astra Space (Nasdaq: ASTR) and Apex Technology, Inc. have announced a contract for Astra to initially provide 5 Spacecraft Propulsion Kits for Apex's satellite bus platform. Astra is expected to begin delivering the Spacecraft Propulsion Kits in 2023.
The Spacecraft Propulsion Kit disaggregates the four subsystems of the Astra Spacecraft Engine module: (1) thruster, (2) power processing un
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/astra-space-logo-marker-bg.jpg)
Exo-Space hardware delivered to Sidus Space for LizzieSat
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) May 01, 2023
Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIDU) reports that Exo-Space has delivered its hardware for integration and testing in preparation for launch aboard LizzieSat.
As previously announced, Sidus Space will integrate Exo-Space's FeatherEdge Data Processing Platform into its hybrid 3D printed satellite, LizzieSat. Through collaboration on data processing and storage technology in space, on-orbit testi
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/sidus-space-constellation-lizziesat-bg.jpg)
USSPACECOM forum discusses need for space-savvy medical personnel
Sunday, 30 April 2023 08:44![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Colorado Springs CO (SPX) May 01, 2023
US Space Command's office of the Command Surgeon hosted the 2nd USSPACECOM Joint Space Medicine Forum April 18-19, at the Catalyst Campus in Colorado Springs, Colo. The two-day event brought together 37 medical leaders from combatant commands, service components, academia and NASA. This year's event emphasized a growing need for medical personnel to be "space savvy," placing a greater focus on d
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/usspacecom-combined-space-operations-center-bg.jpg)
Musk predicts next Starship launch in a “couple months”
Sunday, 30 April 2023 00:37![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Starship ascent](https://i0.wp.com/spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/starship-1stflight-horizascent.jpg?fit=300%2C223&ssl=1)
SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said the first integrated test flight of his company's Starship vehicle met his expectations despite a cascading series of engine failures and other malfunctions that eventually caused the rocket to lose control.
A second pair of SES' O3b mPower satellites launched on a SpaceX rocket
Saturday, 29 April 2023 02:43![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
Space Coast FL (SPX) Apr 29, 2023
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched two communication satellites, O3b mPower 3 and 4, and is now just one launch away from launching SES' next-generation broadband constellation in medium Earth orbit (MEO).
Falcon 9 lifted off Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40), at 6:12 p.m. EDT (2212 GMT) on Friday.
O3b is an acronym that stands for "Other 3 Billio
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/spacex-falcon-9-grey-afternoon-inflight-candj-bg.jpg)
SpaceX launches second pair of O3b mPower satellites
Saturday, 29 April 2023 00:19![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://i0.wp.com/spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SES-Press-Release_O3b_mPOWER_Launch_SpaceX-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1)
SpaceX launched a second pair of O3b mPower satellites April 28 for SES, which is now just one launch away from bringing its next-generation broadband constellation in medium Earth orbit online.
Key radar antenna stuck on Europe's Jupiter-bound spacecraft
Friday, 28 April 2023 21:08![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![In this undated photo provided by the European Space Agency, a 1:18 scale model of the Juice mission's RIME antenna – Radar for Icy Moons Exploration, mounted on top of a simplified spacecraft model during tests in the Hertz facility at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. The European Space Agency said Friday, April 28, 2023, that the 52-foot radar antenna on its Juice spacecraft unfolded only one-third of the way following liftoff. Credit: European Space Agency via AP Key radar antenna stuck on Europe's Jupiter-bound spacecraft](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/key-radar-antenna-stuc.jpg)