China's five-star red flag flies proudly on red planet
Tuesday, 20 July 2021 06:07
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Four photos of Mars taken by the Tianwen 1 probe were unveiled in China last month, but the excitement generated by humanity's next great step in space exploration was shared around the world.
Just as eye-catching as images of the Martian surface itself was the Chinese national flag on the Zhurong rover's landing platform.
After the historic landing on May 15, the flag was slowly unr ExoMars orbiter continues hunt for key signs of life on Mars
Tuesday, 20 July 2021 06:00 Write a comment
The ESA-Roscosmos Trace Gas Orbiter has set new upper limits on how much methane, ethane, ethylene and phosphine is in the martian atmosphere – four so-called ‘biomarker’ gases that are potential signs of life.
ESA Highlights 2020: interactive format now available!
Tuesday, 20 July 2021 05:50 Write a comment
ESA Highlights 2020: interactive format now available!
Lynk books SpaceX flight for direct-to-cellphone satellites
Monday, 19 July 2021 21:47 Write a comment
TAMPA, Fla. — Lynk aims to launch multiple operational satellites on a SpaceX ride-share mission in December, ahead of plans to provide connectivity services with the constellation directly to unmodified cellphones next year.
The Virginia-based startup booked a place on a SpaceX transporter mission through ride-share service provider Spaceflight, Lynk CEO Charles Miller told SpaceNews.
Investors drop out of Momentus SPAC deal
Monday, 19 July 2021 21:40 Write a comment
EL PASO, Texas — Investors accounting for more than half the money in a funding round concurrent with in-space transportation company Momentus’s merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) dropped out of the deal when given the opportunity by a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Rocket Lab identifies cause of Electron failure
Monday, 19 July 2021 20:22 Write a comment
EL PASO, Texas — Rocket Lab said July 19 that it has identified the cause of an Electron launch failure more than two months ago and that the vehicle is ready to return to flight.
Air Force satellite completes two-year experiment to study the medium Earth orbit environment
Monday, 19 July 2021 17:16 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory announced July 19 it has completed a two-year experiment that will help better understand the effects of radiation on space hardware in medium Earth orbit.
Known as the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) mission, the spacecraft was one of 24 payloads launched June 25, 2019, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rideshare.
Freeze drying, oral health experiments make speedy return from space station aboard SpaceX Dragon
Monday, 19 July 2021 16:27 Write a comment
A suite of International Space Station scientific experiments soon journey back to Earth aboard the 22nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission for NASA. Scientists on the ground look forward to having their experiments back within hours, an advantage that could provide better results. Dragon undocks from the space station July 7.
The combination of a spacecraft redesign allowing for faster unloading of research and the splashdown location near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida makes it possible to return time-sensitive experiments to scientists much faster. In addition, Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility is home to world-class laboratories offering tools and workspace to collect data and analyze samples.
Tail without a comet: The dusty remains of Comet ATLAS
Monday, 19 July 2021 16:16
Galileo Second Generation proof-of-concept testing begins
Monday, 19 July 2021 13:56 Write a comment
The first Galileo Second Generation hardware has begun testing, with test versions of the satellites’ navigation payloads undergoing evaluation by Airbus Defence and Space at their Ottobrunn facility in Germany and by Thales Alenia Space at ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands.
Rescuing the Integral spacecraft: No thrust? No problem
Monday, 19 July 2021 11:57 Write a comment
A year ago tomorrow, a failure on the Integral spacecraft meant it fired its thrusters for likely the last time. In the days since, the spacecraft in Earth orbit has continued to shed light on the violent gamma ray universe, and it should soon be working even more efficiently than before, as mission control teams implement an ingenious new way to control the 18-year-old spacecraft.
Environmental concerns grow as space tourism lifts off
Monday, 19 July 2021 06:02 Write a comment
After years of waiting, Richard Branson's journey to space this month on a Virgin Galactic vessel was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming. Instead, the jaunt attracted significant criticism - about its carbon footprint.
With Jeff Bezos set to launch on a Blue Origin rocket on July 20, and Elon Musk's SpaceX planning an all-civilian orbital mission in September, the nascent space tourism A European Robotic Arm to handle the Space Station
Sunday, 18 July 2021 21:16 Write a comment
The European Robotic Arm (ERA) is set for launch on a Proton rocket to the International Space Station on 21 July at 16:58 CEST. The first robot that can ‘walk’ around the Russian part of the orbital complex will be launched with the new Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan.
Earth's richest man Bezos to blast off into space
Sunday, 18 July 2021 18:38 Write a comment
Jeff Bezos, the richest person in the world, is set to join the astronaut club Tuesday on the first crewed launch by Blue Origin, another key moment in a big month for the fledgling space tourism industry.
The mission comes days after Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson crossed the final frontier, narrowly besting the Amazon magnate in their battle of the billionaires.
Blue Origin's sights are, however, set higher: both literally in terms of the altitude to which its reusable New Shepard craft will ascend compared to Virgin's spaceplane, but also in its future ambitions.
How can you become a space tourist?
Sunday, 18 July 2021 18:38 Write a comment
Thrill-seekers might soon be able to get their adrenaline kicks—and envy-inducing Instagram snaps—from the final frontier, as space tourism finally lifts off.
All you'll need is a bit of patience. And a lot of money.
Here's a rundown of where things stand.
Who's offering spaceflights?
Two companies are offering short "suborbital" hops of a few minutes: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, founded by Richard Branson.
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket takes off vertically and the crew capsule detaches and crosses the Karman line (62 miles, or 100 kilometers, in altitude), before falling back to Earth with three parachutes.
Virgin Galactic uses a massive carrier plane, which takes off from a horizontal runway then drops a rocket-powered spaceplane. This in turn soars to over 50 miles altitude before gliding back.
In both cases, up to six passengers are able to unbuckle from their seats to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and take in the view of Earth from space.