Xi calls on Wenchang to build world-class spaceport
Friday, 15 April 2022 21:46
President Xi Jinping has called on the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southern island province of Hainan to build itself into a world-class spaceport.
Xi made the remark on Tuesday afternoon as he visited the launch complex, the newest and southernmost of its kind in China.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Ce NASA and Space Force cooperate on near Earth object data
Friday, 15 April 2022 19:29
NASA has hailed an agreement with the Space Force to share information on near Earth object impacts as a key step forward in planetary defense, even as the agency defers work on a mission it says is critical to tracking such objects.
NASA releases equity action plan to make space more accessible to all
Friday, 15 April 2022 16:10
In support of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to advance racial equity in the federal government, NASA has released its first-ever Equity Action Plan. The plan establishes key focus areas that will allow the agency to track progress toward improved diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility both internally and externally to NASA.
"At NASA, all of our missions depend on our steadfast commitment to equal opportunity," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "The Equity Action plan deepens our commitment to further identify and remove the barriers that limit opportunity in underserved and underrepresented communities. This framework anchors fairness as a core component in every NASA mission to make the work we do in space and beyond more accessible to all."
The four focus areas the plan addresses are:
- Increasing integration and utilization of contractors and businesses from underserved communities and expanding equity in NASA's procurement process
- Enhancing grants and cooperative agreements to advance opportunities, access, and representation for underserved communities
- Leveraging Earth Science and socioeconomic data to help mitigate environmental challenges in underserved communities
- Advancing external civil rights compliance and expanding access to limited English proficient populations within underserved communities
NASA will lean into the focus areas by further analyzing and assessing feedback received from an initial request for information.
Video: Ariane 6 cryo-arms test mimics liftoff
Friday, 15 April 2022 14:14
Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana is preparing for the arrival of Ariane 6, ESA's new heavy-lift rocket. The latest round of testing aims to validate the system of fuel lines and mechanical supporting arms that will keep Ariane 6 topped up with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the critical moments before liftoff. This work is part of the final preparations of the new Ariane 6 launch complex and all the systems necessary for a launch.
With the mobile gantry fully retracted—as for a launch—two articulated arms attached to the upper part of the Ariane 6 mast on the launch pad were separated and retracted while filled with hydrogen that is cooled to its liquid state at cryogenic temperatures. This maneuver mimics the seconds before liftoff.
The "cryo-arms" are part of the fluidic connection system which connects to Ariane 6 in the final countdown to launch. They support the upper umbilicals which supply cryogenic top-up fuel, maintain the correct pressurization of the tanks, cool the engines before ignition and generally keep the upper stage in an optimal condition right up to the point of liftoff.
Chinese Shiyan-10 satellite reappears in new Molniya orbit months after launch anomaly
Friday, 15 April 2022 13:27
Classified Chinese Shiyan-10 has been tracked operating in a specialized orbit, six months after an anomaly during launch appeared to leave it stranded in an initial transfer orbit.
Week in images: 11-15 April 2022
Friday, 15 April 2022 12:05
Week in images: 11-15 April 2022
Discover our week through the lens
Foust Forward | Don’t mess with Texas space startups
Friday, 15 April 2022 12:00
At South by Southwest in Austin, space had a surprisingly large presence, with parallel conference sessions and other events on a wide range of topics. That included panel sessions where companies argued that both Austin and Houston were growing hubs of the space economy.
Earth from Space: Scandinavian Peninsula
Friday, 15 April 2022 07:00
The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission captured this impressive shot of the almost cloud-free Scandinavian Peninsula on 20 March.
NASA halts third attempt at SLS practice countdown
Thursday, 14 April 2022 20:36
NASA cut short a third attempt to load propellants onto the Space Launch System for a countdown rehearsal April 14 after encountering several problems, including a hydrogen leak.
The post NASA halts third attempt at SLS practice countdown appeared first on SpaceNews.
Fuel leak thwarts NASA's dress rehearsal for moon rocket
Thursday, 14 April 2022 20:22
NASA's latest attempt to fuel its huge moon rocket for a countdown test was thwarted Thursday by a hazardous hydrogen leak, the latest in a series of vexing equipment trouble.
Divide and conquer: Mars rovers could be superseded by swarms of two-wheeled robots
Thursday, 14 April 2022 20:12
Skoltech scientists have proposed a concept for a modular Mars exploration rover. Leveraging the power of cooperative robotics, the new system first described in an Acta Astronautica paper consists of four two-wheeled robots that can operate independently or combine in various constellations. According to the study, that approach will enable longer exploration missions that gather more information about the planet's history, potential habitability, and possible traces of surface water or prior life.
Since NASA's Pathfinder, the first successful Mars rover, landed on the Red Planet in 1997, researchers have used the same basic design: a six-wheeled autonomous exploratory vehicle carrying a set of scientific instruments on board. Nowadays, researchers suggest that a Mars mission could accomplish more in the same timespan if it consists of several variously equipped robots simultaneously carrying out separate tasks at different locations and occasionally coming together for more challenging tasks.
"This is basically an optimization problem: How do you maximize exploration time and distance covered without driving the cost of the mission through the roof?" Skoltech Ph.D.
Astranis eyes U.S. military customers for its small geostationary satellites
Thursday, 14 April 2022 19:32
Small GEO satellite operator Astranis sees an opportunity to break into the defense market as the military seeks to diversify its communications architecture
The post Astranis eyes U.S. military customers for its small geostationary satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
Avanti sheds $550 million of debt to free up growth plan
Thursday, 14 April 2022 18:51
British satellite operator Avanti said April 13 it has cut its $810 million debt pile by two-thirds after investors agreed to swap debt for equity.
The post Avanti sheds $550 million of debt to free up growth plan appeared first on SpaceNews.
Plasma ejections from the sun could cause damage on Earth, scientists say
Thursday, 14 April 2022 17:53
An unusual magnetic storm from the sun will aim at the Earth soon, possibly beginning Thursday, and experts say it has the potential to cause some noticeable damage here on our planet.
Scientists say that the solar activity - called a geomagnetic storm - will produce a magnetic discharge and send it in the direction toward Earth. In other words, essentially, that means that increased Space domain awareness: A secret weapon against shadowy threats in orbit
Thursday, 14 April 2022 17:00
KBR, a Defense Department and NASA contractor with $6 billion in annual sales, paid $800 million in 2020 to acquire Centauri, a company focused on space sensors and satellite tracking. The acquisition gave KBR an entry into the business of “space domain awareness,” a military term for the capability to track objects in space and predict potential threats.