SpaceX's Transporter 5 launches with remains of 47 people for 'space burial'
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51SpaceX launched its 22nd rocket of the year on Wednesday, the Transporter-5 rideshare mission, which included carrying 47 people's cremated remains for a burial in space. The send off, designed by the company Celestis, marks the 18th time the company has launched space burial flights - which have increased in recent years at least partially because of commercial space companies like SpaceX
NanoAvionics and Gama to set sails in space
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Gama, a French space startup, has contracted mission integrator NanoAvionics for a demonstration of Gama's solar sails propulsion system in low Earth orbit (LEO). Under the mission agreement, NanoAvionics will provide its 6U nanosatellite bus, payload integration services, a satellite testing campaign, launch services and satellite operations. The launch of the "Alpha" nanosatellite is scheduled
LeoLabs to support Japan Air Self Defense Force with Commercial Space Domain Awareness
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51LeoLabs, Inc., the world's leading commercial provider of low Earth orbit (LEO) mapping and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services, has announced a multimillion-dollar award to provide data and services for the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF). The agreement offers Japan access to the largest set of actionable insights in existence for tracking satellites and orbital debris in low Earth
Spaceflight Inc. debuts its latest OTV, Sherpa-AC
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Spaceflight Inc., the leading global launch services provider, today announced it has contacted its Sherpa-AC vehicle and confirmed the vehicle is operating nominally. This is the debut launch of Sherpa-AC, the latest variation in the company's Sherpa orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) portfolio. The Transporter 5 rideshare mission on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral on M
US Govt awards Planet EOCL contract
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a leading provider of daily data and insights about Earth, today announced that the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has selected Planet Labs Federal, Inc. (Planet Federal), Planet's wholly owned subsidiary, for an award to the Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) contract. EOCL is the U.S. government's industry-defining procurement vehicle for unclassifi
Momentus Launches First Demonstration Flight on SpaceX Falcon 9
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) has launched its first demonstration flight of the Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle to low-earth orbit aboard the SpaceX Transporter-5 mission. Momentus also announced that it has placed its first customer satellite in orbit and plans to conduct more deployments of customer payloads in the coming days. The versatile Vigoride spacecraft, designed to support a r
NRO awards Maxar 10-year deal under the Electro-Optical Commercial Layer Acquisition program
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Maxar Technologies (NYSE:MAXR) reports it has been awarded an Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) contract by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). EOCL, a five-year base contract with five additional years of options through 2032, represents the largest ever commercial imagery acquisition contract awarded by the NRO. Under the award agreement, Maxar will continue to provide h
ICEYE completes its largest satellite launch ever with SpaceX
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51ICEYE, the global leader in persistent monitoring with radar satellite imaging and an expert in flood and natural catastrophe (NatCat) solutions, has successfully launched five new SAR satellites. All spacecraft were launched on SpaceX's Falcon 9 smallsat rideshare mission via EXOLAUNCH from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Communication has successfully been established with each spacecraft. ICEY
Fleet Space reports launch of Centauri 5 satellite
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Fleet Space Technologies announces today that it successfully launched its next-generation Centauri 5 satellite on the Space X Falcon 9 Transporter-5 mission. The launch took place at 03:57AM ACST. This was the company's third launch with SpaceX, following the successful deployment of Centauri 4 on the Transporter-2 mission in June 2021. Centauri 5 will be placed in low earth orbit (
Dutch researchers teleport quantum information across rudimentary quantum network
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Researchers in Delft have succeeded in teleporting quantum information across a rudimentary network. This first of its kind is an important step towards a future quantum Internet. This breakthrough was made possible by a greatly improved quantum memory and enhanced quality of the quantum links between the three nodes of the network. The researchers, working at QuTech-a collaboration between Delf
Upper Stage Propulsion System for future Artemis mission reaches major milestone
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51While the Artemis I team prepares for its upcoming mission, NASA and contractor teams are already building rockets to support future Artemis Moon missions. In United Launch Alliance's (ULA) factory in Decatur, Alabama, major components have been completed for the Artemis III interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) that will provide the power to send astronauts to the Moon. The ICPS, whic
Unistellar and SETI Institute expand Worldwide Citizen-Science Astronomy Network
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51The number of citizen scientists surveying the night sky is about to soar, thanks to grants by the Lounsbery Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to Unistellar and the SETI Institute. A pioneer of New Astronomy, Unistellar is the company behind a new category of telescopes, the eVscopes, the world's most powerful and simple-to-operate smart telescopes. In just a few years,
NASA's Perseverance rover's playlist like no other on Mars
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:51Since NASA's Perseverance rover landed on Mars, its two microphones have recorded hours of audio that provide valuable information about the Martian atmosphere. Baptiste Chide, of Los Alamos National Lab, will discuss the importance of this acoustical information in the presentation, "Mars soundscape: Review of the first sounds recorded by the Perseverance microphones," at the 182nd Meetin
Putting the future in FutureEO
Thursday, 26 May 2022 09:45With scientific excellence at the very heart of ESA’s FutureEO programme, participants at this week’s Living Planet Symposium have been making it clear that new research missions to advance Earth science must continue to be realised in the future.
Boeing capsule lands back on Earth after space shakedown
Thursday, 26 May 2022 06:23Boeing's crew taxi returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Wednesday, completing a repeat test flight before NASA astronauts climb aboard.
It was a quick trip back: The Starliner capsule parachuted into the New Mexico desert just four hours after leaving the orbiting lab, with airbags attached to cushion the landing. Only a mannequin was buckled in.
Aside from thruster failures and cooling system snags, Starliner appeared to clinch its high-stakes shakedown cruise, 2 1/2 years after its botched first try. Flight controllers in Houston applauded and cheered the bull's-eye touchdown.
"It's great to have this incredible test flight behind us," said Steve Stich, director of NASA's commercial crew program. He described the demo as "extremely successful," with all objectives met.