Back on the Job: Sol 3715
Wednesday, 18 January 2023 07:38Curiosity's science and engineering team members were back at it today after a holiday long weekend, while Curiosity itself was ready and waiting after its own soliday weekend. With the data from the holiday-soliday plan in hand, Curiosity's team was faced with the decision whether or not to drill our current location, and, if so, where. The Marker Band has proven elusive to drill. Curiosi
To the Marker Band again: Sols 3712-3714
Wednesday, 18 January 2023 07:38We received the data that we had been missing during Wednesday's planning, so we hit the ground running today, ready to plan for contact science and our drive onto the Marker Band in this new location! Early in planning the Geology and Mineralogy science theme group selected two targets in our workspace that will be brushed and examined with MAHLI and APXS named "Paredao" and "Curupira." C
Newly discovered green comet expected to whiz by Earth
Wednesday, 18 January 2023 07:38A rare, recently discovered comet with a greenish tint is expected to whiz by Earth over the next few weeks, but sky gazers may need binoculars or a small telescope to see it. "It will be going past the constellation Corona Borealis just before sunrise here in Toronto with Feb. 1st being the best day to view it," says York University Assistant Professor Elaina Hyde, director of the Allan I
China powers up satellite payloads for gamma-ray burst observation
Wednesday, 18 January 2023 07:38The four payloads on three satellites that were sent into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi province on Jan 15 have been powered up for preliminary testing, according to Tsinghua University on Monday. The four payloads, GRID-05B, GRID-06B, GRID-07 and GRID-08B, will carry out networked joint observations with those satellites in orbit to analyze gamma-r
Inmarsat announces trans-Atlantic 'stepping stone' trip for latest British satellite
Wednesday, 18 January 2023 07:38Inmarsat has agreed with Airbus Defence and Space to deliver its I-6 F2 satellite via a series of 'stepping stones' across the Atlantic using Airbus' A300-600ST (Super Transporter). The aircraft is better known as Beluga, thanks to its striking similarity with the species of whale. The journey will see the satellite leave its testing facility in Toulouse and make several stops for refuelli
Amazonas Nexus at Cape Canaveral for final processing
Wednesday, 18 January 2023 07:38The Amazonas Nexus, the new satellite of Redeia's operator HISPASAT, is now in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of its targeted launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 next month. The fleet's new satellite has been transferred from the installations of Thales Alenia Space in Cannes (France), where it was manufactured before being transported to the space centre on board of an Antonov cargo plane. The satellite
Flashes on the Sun could help scientists predict solar flares
Wednesday, 18 January 2023 07:38In the blazing upper atmosphere of the Sun, a team of scientists have found new clues that could help predict when and where the Sun's next flare might explode. Using data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, researchers from NorthWest Research Associates, or NWRA, identified small signals in the upper layers of the solar atmosphere, the corona, that can help identify which regi
Rocket Lab cautiously optimistic about Neutron’s future in national security launch
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 22:23Rocket Lab sees the U.S. military as a potential customer of the company’s future medium-lift rocket, Neutron
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Spanish startup to upgrade tiny satellites to take on global IoT market
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 20:30Spanish startup Fossa Systems, which operates a constellation for connecting low-power monitoring devices, hopes to move pilot projects to full-blown commercial services this year by adding more capable satellites to its fleet.
Raytheon to develop planning software for military cargo missions that would fly on space rockets
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 19:27Raytheon won a $8.7 million contract to develop mission planning software for the U.S. Air Force rocket cargo program.
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U.S. delivers first of two space sensors to be hosted on Japanese satellites
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 17:22The U.S. Space Force announced Jan. 17 it has delivered the first of two space sensor payloads scheduled to fly on Japan’s navigation satellites.
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Space Shuttle Columbia launched for the last time 20 years ago in mission that ended in tragedy
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 17:10It was a cool Thursday morning in Cape Canaveral as the nation's first space shuttle was about to make its last ever trip into space.
Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off at 10:39 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 16, 2003, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A with a crew of seven.
"The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful day here," mission commander Rick Husband said over the radio just before liftoff. "We appreciate all of the hard work everyone has put into this, and we are ready to go."
Husband's crew were shuttle pilot William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon, who was the first Israeli to go into space.
All seven died 16 days later when the shuttle disintegrated on re-entry, the result of a chunk of insulating foam that had broken off from the external fuel tank and hit the left wing of the orbiter during the launch. The damage was fatal as the extreme heat would be the vessel's demise as it streaked across the skies over Texas.
Columbia's final mission was the orbiter's 28th overall, the 113th mission for the shuttle program.
China launch plans more than 70 launches in 2023
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 13:08China’s state-owned and commercial space sector actors are planning a total of more than 70 launches across 2023 as the country's space activities continue to expand.
2023 Copernicus Sentinels calendar
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 12:20Download the 2023 Sentinels calendar
Sweden opens orbital launch site looking for users
Tuesday, 17 January 2023 12:10Swedish and European officials inaugurated what they called mainland Europe’s first orbital launch site Jan. 13, but it’s unclear who will launch from the facility and when.
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