US leaders have been warned to focus on GPS and PNT to protect the nation
Wednesday, 28 August 2024 12:00SpaceX delays Polaris Dawn launch again with no new date set
Wednesday, 28 August 2024 11:07Billionaire Jared Isaacman's return trip to space on the Polaris Dawn mission is having to wait a little longer after a launch pad issue forced one delay and now the weather has taken the next two launch opportunities off the board.
First, a helium leak on the launch pad Monday night forced SpaceX to hold off a planned overnight launch attempt of Isaacman and three crewmates aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience atop a Falcon 9 rocket from KSC's Launch Pad 39-A. Then SpaceX said weather in the recovery area would take off both early Wednesday and early Thursday morning opportunities.
"Due to unfavorable weather forecast in Dragon's splashdown areas off the coast of Florida, we are now standing down from tonight and tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch opportunities of Polaris Dawn," SpaceX posted on X late Tuesday. "Teams will continue to monitor weather for favorable launch and return conditions."
It's uncertain if SpaceX would try for an early Friday morning launch opportunity.
"The ascent corridor is go, it's the splashdown locations day 5 that are not favorable," Isaacman posted late Tuesday to X.
Falcon 9 booster lost in rare unsuccessful landing
Wednesday, 28 August 2024 10:26Media invitation: Sentinel-2C pre-launch media briefings
Wednesday, 28 August 2024 07:22Media invitation: Sentinel-2C pre-launch media briefings
SpaceX to launch historic mission featuring first private spacewalk
Wednesday, 28 August 2024 07:10SpaceX is poised for another attempt at launching a daring orbital expedition featuring an all-civilian crew that is aiming to carry out the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens. The Polaris Dawn mission, organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman is now set to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a four-hour window beginning on Wednesday at 3:38 am loca
NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars begins steep climb to rim of a crater
Wednesday, 28 August 2024 04:46NASA's Perseverance rover is tackling a steep new challenge on Mars.
The six-wheeled rover has spent the last 3 1/2 years roaming around the bottom of a crater. On Tuesday, it began climbing to the top.
The rover will go up 1,000 feet (305 meters) to the rim of Jezero Crater to dig up rock samples. Since landing on the red planet in 2021, Perseverance has collected 22 rock core samples from the floor of the crater, which was once filled with water.
Experts warn U.S. falling behind in satellite imaging race: ‘We’ve gone backwards’
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 22:20Valve problem blamed for Peregrine lunar lander failure
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:31SpaceX Polaris Dawn launch pushed back after helium leak
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:04SpaceX on Monday pushed back the historic launch of an all-civilian crew on an orbital expedition set to mark a new chapter in space exploration with the first spacewalk by private citizens. The Polaris Dawn mission, organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, was set to lift off early Tuesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, but is now targeting early Wednesday after a late techn
NASA advances solar sail deployment efforts after initial delay
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:04NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) has initiated deployment operations for its innovative solar sail. However, during the initial attempt to unfurl the sail, the process was paused when an onboard power monitor detected higher-than-expected motor currents. Despite this, communications, power, and attitude control for the spacecraft all remain normal. Mission managers are now focu
Cluster concludes with controlled reentry over South Pacific
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:04On September 8, 2024, the first of four satellites from ESA's long-running Cluster mission will reenter Earth's atmosphere, descending over the South Pacific Ocean's Uninhabited Area. This event marks the conclusion of the 24-year mission, which has significantly advanced our understanding of Earth's magnetic environment. Although the remaining three satellites will no longer conduct scientific
LEO satellites enhance GPS accuracy through ground station integration
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:04Ensuring precise Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) orbit and clock data is vital for various critical applications. A new method that integrates data from regional ground stations with measurements from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites has been shown to significantly improve the accuracy of GNSS orbits, advancing precision from meters to centimeters. This development is particularly bene
SETI launches low-frequency search for extraterrestrial technology in distant galaxies
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:04The SETI Institute, in collaboration with the Berkeley SETI Research Center and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, has initiated a pioneering study using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Western Australia. Led by Dr. Chenoa Tremblay of the SETI Institute and Prof. Steven Tingay of Curtin University, this research marks the first search for alien technology in galaxies b
Salsa Satellite's reentry to be observed live from the sky
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:04On September 8, 2024, the first of the four Cluster satellites, known as Salsa, will reenter Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled "targeted reentry" over a remote area in the South Pacific Ocean. This event marks a significant moment in reentry observation as scientists seek to gather valuable data on satellite disintegration. In the nearly seven decades of space exploration, approximatel
NASA's EXCITE mission prepared for scientific balloon flight
Tuesday, 27 August 2024 16:04Scientists and engineers are ready to fly an infrared mission called EXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope) to the edge of space. EXCITE is designed to study atmospheres around exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, during circumpolar long-duration scientific balloon flights. But first, it must complete a test flight during NASA's fall 2024 scientific ballooning campaign fr