STPSat-6 safely arrives in Florida
Monday, 17 May 2021 04:20The U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Test Program Satellite - 6 space vehicle arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, on May 6, 2021. STPSat-6 is the primary space vehicle on the Space Test Program - 3 mission, and was safely transported by Northrop Grumman from their facility in Dulles, Virginia where STPSat-6 was built and tested. STPSat-6 is on s
On-time delivery top priority at Space Development Agency
Monday, 17 May 2021 04:20Cost, performance and delivery drive acquisition across the Defense Department, typically in equal measure. But the Space Development Agency has prioritized delivery above all else in its effort to get satellites into space that will deliver non-line-of-sight targeting to warfighters across the globe. "The key thing is always to focus on getting these capabilities up and operational as rap
SBIRS GEO-5 encapsulated ahead of upcoming launch
Monday, 17 May 2021 04:20The United States Space Force's Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO-5 satellite was encapsulated on April 30 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) Florida. The satellite's encapsulation within the United Launch Alliance's payload fairing represents completion of the final major testing milestone before launch, as well as a key protective measure for the satellite in preparation
Tianzhou 2, carrier rocket transported to launchpad for liftoff
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01China's Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft and its carrier rocket - a Long March 7 - were moved to the launchpad on Sunday morning, undergoing final tests before their planned launch in the coming days, according to the China Manned Space Agency. Preparation work before the launch has begun at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southernmost island province of Hainan, the agency said in a bri
SpaceX launches 52 Starlink satellites, two other payloads
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01SpaceX has launched 52 more Starlink satellites, plus payloads for two other firms, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch at 6:56 p.m. Saturday was successful, SpaceX said, with all satellites released into orbit about an hour after liftoff. This brings the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to more than 1,600, according to astronomers. The roc
NASA Invests $105 Million in US Small Business Technology Development
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01NASA has a long history of supporting America's entrepreneurs as they develop technologies from ideas to commercial readiness. The agency's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is furthering that legacy with 140 new Phase II awards to 127 U.S. small businesses that will help them move their innovations to market. The awards to these small businesses, located across 34 states a
Project Examines How to Water Plants in Space
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01Ensuring that plants receive the nourishment they need through proper irrigation is an age-old challenge for farmers here on Earth. It is also a challenge in space. NASA is one step closer to determining the most effective way to provide adequate hydration and aeration for plants to grow in space after completing NASA Glenn's Plant Water Management (PWM) project. This project is part of on
Researchers one step closer to developing Canada's next space telescope
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01Researchers at Western University and Bishop's University are the recipients of a $1.1 million contract from the Canadian Space Agency to develop what could become Canada's next space telescope mission. The contract will support the development of a telescope prototype by Stanimir Metchev, Canada Research Chair in Extrasolar Planets at Western's Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, a
Charting the expansion history of the universe with supernovae
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01An international research team analyzed a database of more than 1000 supernova explosions and found that models for the expansion of the Universe best match the data when a new time dependent variation is introduced. If proven correct with future, higher-quality data from the Subaru Telescope and other observatories, these results could indicate still unknown physics working on the cosmic scale.
SEAKR Engineering uses AdaCore technologies to develop software for spacecraft systems
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01When SEAKR Engineering decided to upgrade its mission-critical space data recorder applications to a new hardware platform, they kept their software in Ada. SEAKR Engineering is a leading supplier of state-of-the-art spacecraft electronics and a pioneer in the development of solid-state data recorders for satellites. SEAKR's products are on the International Space Station, on satellites or
Beidou has grown into world-class navigation system
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01After decades of planning and construction, China possesses one of the world's major navigation satellite systems - the Beidou Navigation Satellite System. Beidou is currently the country's largest space-based system and one of four global navigation networks, along with the United States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. "Beidou is the fruit of the determinati
China's small-satellite smart manufacturing facility starts operations
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01China's first smart manufacturing facility for small satellites in the central city of Wuhan is ready for official production operations, with the first satellite rolling off the production line on Thursday. The first satellite is a typical product for mass production self-developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, Ltd. (CASIC). This new development demonstrates t
CATALYST Develops Automated Workflow for South African National Space Agency
Sunday, 16 May 2021 23:01CATALYST, a PCI Geomatics brand, has delivered an automated workflow for the South African National Space Agency's (SANSA) Earth Observation Department to convert decades of SPOT satellite imagery to CARD4L Analysis Ready Data (ARD). The scalable workflow enables SANSA to prepare its entire SPOT archive for immediate analysis using the Open Data Cube, machine learning, and AI models. CATAL
Rocket Lab's satellite launch from New Zealand site fails
Sunday, 16 May 2021 07:52California-based Rocket Lab said a launch of satellites from its facility in New Zealand failed Saturday.
The problem occurred during ignition of the Electron rocket's second stage, the company said in a statement.
The rocket was carrying two Earth-observation satellites for BlackSky, a global monitoring company.
"Today's anomaly occurred after 17 successful orbital launches of the Electron launch vehicle. With multiple launch vehicles currently in production, Rocket Lab is prepared for a rapid return to flight as soon as investigations are complete and any required corrective actions are in place," the statement said.
Rocket Lab said the rocket's first stage successfully parachuted into the ocean and crews were working to recover it. The company is trying to develop a capability to recover and reuse Electron first stages.
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SpaceX launches Starlink satellites and rideshare payloads
Saturday, 15 May 2021 23:53WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched another group of Starlink satellites May 15 on a mission that included two rideshare payloads.
The Falcon 9 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A at 6:56 p.m.