Mounting the first human mission to the Lunar South Pole
Sunday, 15 January 2023 10:51![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/artemis-3-mission-map-marker-bg.jpg)
The world in grains of interstellar dust
Sunday, 15 January 2023 10:51![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/transmission-electron-micrograph-interstellar-dust-bg.jpg)
China launches 3 new satellites
Sunday, 15 January 2023 10:51![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/china-long-march-lm-2d-bg.jpg)
Carrier rockets place four satellites into orbit
Sunday, 15 January 2023 10:51![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/long-march-2c-carrier-rocket-xichang-satellite-launch-center-bg.jpg)
China launches 14 new satellites
Sunday, 15 January 2023 10:51![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://www.spxdaily.com/images-bg/long-march-2d-carrier-rocket-shiyan-13-taiyuan-bg.jpg)
NASA studying thruster problem with lunar cubesat
Saturday, 14 January 2023 21:52![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Lunar Flashlight](https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/lunar-flashlight-300x169.jpg)
Engineers are troubleshooting thruster problems on a cubesat launched last month to search for water ice at the moon, the latest in a series of technical issues among small satellites recently launched to the moon and beyond.
On National Security | Analyzing intelligence in the age of ChatGPT
Saturday, 14 January 2023 14:00![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Brian_Applications_in_national_security_and_space_are_poised_to_23e57483-7f70-4098-bc38-f952bdbccaa6-300x300.jpg)
Artificial intelligence had a huge moment in 2022. The chatbot ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, gained notoriety for its ability to engage in seemingly human-like conversations, sparking curiosity and serious conversations about where this technology is headed.
NorthStar using Axelspace’s Earth-imaging satellites to monitor orbits
Friday, 13 January 2023 20:35![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/northstar-axelspace-orbits-300x169.jpg)
Five Earth observation satellites from Japan’s Axelspace are helping NorthStar Earth and Space keep tabs on orbits ahead of the Canadian firm’s proposed Space Situational Awareness constellation.
The post NorthStar using Axelspace’s Earth-imaging satellites to monitor orbits appeared first on SpaceNews.
Space Force weighing new approach for selecting national security launch providers
Friday, 13 January 2023 19:22![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![](https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FmIYIWQaMAISKFu-300x200.jpeg)
An option under consideration for NSSL Phase 3 is to create “on ramps” to allow emerging launch providers to compete
The post Space Force weighing new approach for selecting national security launch providers appeared first on SpaceNews.
Stratospheric ballooning company World View to go public in SPAC deal
Friday, 13 January 2023 17:26![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Explorer Space Capsule](https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/worldview-capsule-300x169.jpg)
World View, a company that is developing stratospheric balloon platforms as an alternative to spacecraft for research and tourism, announced Jan. 13 it will go public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger.
NASA is continuing to build the Titan Dragonfly helicopter, with a focus on its rotors
Friday, 13 January 2023 17:10![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Researchers looking at the rotors under test at TDT. Credit: NASA / Harlen Caplen NASA is Continuing to Build the Titan Dragonfly Helicopter. Here are its Rotors](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/nasa-is-continuing-to.jpg)
Ingenuity, the helicopter assisting NASA's Mars Perseverance rover on its mission, has been a huge success. It gathered the achievement of the first controlled flight on another heavenly body, has performed spectacularly over its 28 flights and holds records for both speed and distance. But it might not for long, as a much bigger, more capable helicopter is currently under development. And when it eventually explores Titan in the next decade, it has an excellent chance to smash many of Ingenuity's records.
That helicopter, known as Dragonfly, is currently still in development on Earth. But, it achieved a significant milestone recently by completing the testing of its rotor blades at a unique testing chamber located at NASA's Langley Research Center.
The Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) differs from a standard wind tunnel in several ways. Most helpful in this case is its ability to use gases other than just Earth-normal air.
EU inaugurates first mainland satellite launch port
Friday, 13 January 2023 15:00![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![From left, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Sweden's King Carl Gustaf at the inauguration of Esrange's new satellite launch ramp, Spaceport Esrange outside Kiruna Sweden, Friday Jan. 13, 2023. The European Commission and the Swedish government met in Sweden's northernmost city Kiruna and nearby Jukkasjarvi on Jan. 12-13, the first meeting since Swedish took over the EU presidency on Jan. 1, 2023. Credit: Jonas Ekströme/TT News Agency via AP EU inaugurates first mainland satellite launch port](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/eu-inaugurates-first-m.jpg)
NASA's Lunar Flashlight team assessing spacecraft's propulsion system
Friday, 13 January 2023 14:56![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![This illustration shows NASA’s Lunar Flashlight carrying out a trajectory correction maneuver with the Moon and Earth in the background. Powered by the small satellite’s four thrusters, the maneuver is needed to reach lunar orbit. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA's Lunar Flashlight team assessing spacecraft's propulsion system](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/nasas-lunar-flashlight.jpg)
NASA's Lunar Flashlight mission successfully launched on Dec. 11, 2022, to begin its four-month journey to the moon, where the small satellite, or SmallSat, will test several new technologies with a goal of looking for hidden surface ice at the lunar South Pole. The mission is characterizing its new "green" propulsion system and developing a modified plan for the briefcase-size satellite's journey to the moon.
While the SmallSat is largely healthy and communicating with NASA's Deep Space Network, the mission operations team has discovered that three of its four thrusters are underperforming.
Week in images: 09-13 January 2023
Friday, 13 January 2023 13:14![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Webb inspects NGC 346](https://one.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2023/01/webb_inspects_ngc_346/24674315-1-eng-GB/Webb_inspects_NGC_346_card_full.jpg)
Week in images: 09-13 January 2023
Discover our week through the lens
SpaceX edges closer to first Starship orbital launch attempt
Friday, 13 January 2023 12:05![](/plugins/content/jlexcomment/assets/icon.png)
![Starship full stack](https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/starship-fullstack-jan23-300x166.jpg)
SpaceX and its chief executive, Elon Musk, say the first orbital launch attempt of its Starship vehicle is approaching, but the company must first overcome both technical and regulatory obstacles.
The post SpaceX edges closer to first Starship orbital launch attempt appeared first on SpaceNews.