Washington DC (UPI) Jan 6, 2021
NASA is setting up a high-tech simulator, made by Lockheed Martin, to teach astronauts how to operate the Orion capsule during planned moon missions. Weak funding from Congress has cast doubt over the schedule for such lunar missions, but NASA is moving forward with preparations, officials have said. Lockheed delivered the Orion simulator to Johnson Space Center in mid-December,

Dulles VA (SPX) Jan 07, 2021
Northrop Grumman reports that the company has completed the first phase of its 14th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Mission (CRS-2) contract. Cygnus was released by the station's robotic arm at 10:11 a.m. ET, carrying more than 4,000 pounds of disposable cargo and will remain in orbit for approximately two weeks for the secondary phase o

Providence RI (SPX) Jan 07, 2021
After performing valiantly for two-and-a-half years in the extreme environment of low Earth orbit, a small satellite designed and built by Brown University undergraduates re-entered the atmosphere on Saturday, Dec. 26, burning up after one final pass over North America. Amateur radio operators in Michigan and New Jersey picked up the last two transmissions from the satellite, called EQUiSa

Beijing (XNA) Jan 06, 2021
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the leading force of the country's space industry, has released a plan for more than 40 space launches for 2021, a new high following the already busy and fruitful 2020. The construction of China's space station, the key space mission in the year, will enter a crucial stage, according to the CASC. The country plans to lau

Luxembourg (SPX) Jan 07, 2021
Kleos Space S.A., a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS) company, continues to strengthen its global senior leadership team, appointing seasoned industry executive Eric von Eckartsberg as its Chief Revenue Officer. US-based Eric von Eckartsberg is a highly qualified business executive with an extensive background leading rapid growth in international sales and bu

Salt Lake City UT (SPX) Jan 07, 2021
Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory announced that it has successfully completed the Key Decision Point (KDP) C for NASA's Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE). KDP-C provides NASA approval for the project to begin final design and fabrication, known as Phase C, and establishes baselines for its official schedule and budget. Planned to be ready for launch to the International S

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jan 07, 2021
With only about 50 million miles (80 million kilometers) left to go in its 293-million-mile (471-million-kilometer) journey, NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is nearing its new planetary home. The spacecraft has begun its approach to the Red Planet and in 43 days, on Feb. 18, 2021, Perseverance will blaze through Mars' atmosphere at about 12,100 mph (19,500 kph), touching down gently on the s

WASHINGTON — China is developing satellites with robotic arms that could be deployed as space weapons. To prepare for the possibility that U.S. satellites might be targeted, the Space Force needs tools to identify whether a satellite is hostile or benign, a senior official said Jan.

WASHINGTON — NASA plans to complete the Green Run test campaign for the Space Launch System core stage with a hotfire test scheduled for mid-January.

NASA announced Jan. 5 that it has scheduled the static-fire test, where the core stage’s four RS-25 engines are fired for a full-duration burn of 493 seconds, for no earlier than Jan.

Washington DC (UPI) Jan 4, 2021
SpaceX has won a $150 million contract to launch the U.S. Department of Defense's first batch of hypersonic missile defense satellites, the second contract - for roughly the same amount - that has been awarded for their development. SpaceX and Florida-based defense firm L3Harris Technologies are competing and collaborating on the project, which is designed for the rapid development of