NASA Calls for Industry Input on Lunar Logistics and Mobility Systems
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
NASA is set to launch a new solicitation under its Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2) initiative, inviting industry to propose studies that will enhance logistics and mobility systems on the lunar surface. This call for proposals is part of NASA's ongoing efforts to develop the necessary infrastructure for long-term human and robotic exploration of the Moon and e Western researchers help identify origins of Martian meteorites
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
An international research team has identified the specific origins of most of the Martian meteorites that are now on Earth. They've traced the meteorites to five craters where they were launched off Mars after impact. The craters are located within two volcanic regions on the red planet called Tharsis (the region containing Olympus Mons, the largest shield volcano in the solar system) and Elysiu Astronomers Disprove Long-Held Belief About Galaxy Density
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
An international team of astronomers has overturned a longstanding belief that stars and dark matter interact in a mysterious way to create uniform density structures across different galaxies. This finding, published in 'Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS)', challenges a theory that had perplexed scientists for 25 years.
The research team, which includes scientists f Exolaunch Reaches 30th Launch Milestone with Successful Deployment of 42 Satellites on SpaceX Transporter-11
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
Exolaunch, a global leader in launch mission management and satellite deployment services, has successfully deployed 42 customer satellites aboard the Transporter-11 Rideshare mission with SpaceX. The launch took place on Friday, August 16 at 11:56 PDT from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This mission is particularly significant for Exolaunch as it marks the company's 30th launc Sateliot Advances Towards Commercialization Following Launch of Four New Satellites
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
Sateliot, the company spearheading the first low-Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellite constellation utilizing 5G NB-IoT NTN standards, has successfully added four more satellites to its constellation. This launch, part of the company's 5G NB-IoT NTN initiative, is set to enhance global coverage for Mobile Telecom Operators. The satellites were launched on Friday, August 16, at 20:18 CET, aboard a Spa US Air Force working with SandboxAQ to enhance AQNav GPS protection
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
SandboxAQ has secured an SBIR Phase 2B Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to advance its AQNav magnetic navigation (MagNav) system. This funding will allow SandboxAQ and its partner, AFWERX, to explore new configurations of the AQNav system, such as a pod-based version, for broader deployment across various aircraft platforms, including unmanned aerial systems. Tyvak Secures $254 Million Contract to Build Satellites for Space Development Agency's T2TL Gamma
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP) based in Irvine, California, has been awarded a $254 million prototype agreement by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to manufacture 10 satellites for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) Gamma contract.
Under this contract, Terran Orbital will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of the 10 T2TL York Space Systems Secures Contract for 10 Satellites in SDA's Tranche 2 Transport Layer Gamma
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
York Space Systems (York), a Denver-based aerospace company known for its rapid deployment of comprehensive space mission solutions, has been awarded a new contract by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to develop and deliver 10 satellites for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer Gamma (T2TL-Gamma) of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). These satellites, scheduled for launch in 2027, HawkEye 360 and SFL Successfully Deploy Cluster 10 Satellites to Enhance RF Monitoring Network
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
HawkEye 360 Inc., a leader in space-based radio frequency (RF) data analytics, has successfully launched its Cluster 10 satellites into orbit, expanding its constellation to 31 satellites. The deployment was achieved through the collaboration with Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) and was part of SpaceX's Transporter-11 Rideshare mission, coordinated by launch integrator Exolaunch. The mission was l Sentinel-2C Satellite Prepared for September 4 Launch
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:52
The Copernicus Sentinel-2C satellite is now fully fueled and pressurized, ready for its upcoming launch on 4 September from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The satellite has been loaded with 133 kg of hydrazine, and its tanks have been pressurized with helium to 21 bars.
Sentinel-2C arrived at the Spaceport on 22 July, where it has undergone final preparations for its journey aboard a SpaceX rolls out new booster for Cape Canaveral launch
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 20:13
SpaceX launches lately have been pushing the record envelope for booster reflight, but a Starlink launch Tuesday morning rolled out a brand new first stage.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 of the company's internet satellites lifted off at 9:20 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40.
Shiny and white, the booster was missing the telltale signs of having been flown before, as boosters are normally covered with black carbon scoring. This was the first launch of the booster, which is targeted to be used to support the Crew-9 human spaceflight next month for launch No. 2.
It made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.
The company has four boosters that have completed at least 20 launches and landings, and is in the midst of a certification process to get them up to 40 each.
This was the 59th launch from the Space Coast from all providers in 2024. SpaceX has been responsible for all but four, with 39 coming from SpaceX from Canaveral and the other 16 from SpaceX from neighboring KSC.
NASA CubeSats launch as commercial rideshares
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 15:47
A pair of CubeSats from NASA's Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator, or PTD, series lifted off on SpaceX's Transporter-11 rideshare mission at 11:56 a.m. PDT Friday, August 16, from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California.
The two small satellites, PTD-4 and PTD-R, will help advance NASA's efforts to validate novel technologies and increase small spacecraft capabilities in order to shape the future of space exploration and technology.
PTD-4 will demonstrate a high-power, low-volume deployable solar array with an integrated antenna, while PTD-R will focus on testing simultaneous ultraviolet and short-wave infrared optical sensing from space for the first time via two 85-mm aperture monolithic telescopes mounted side-by-side.
A European lander could return an ice core for a fraction of the cost of Europa Clipper
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 13:50
Cost is a major driving factor in the development of space exploration missions. Any new technology or trick that could lower the cost of a mission makes it much more appealing for mission planners. Therefore, much of NASA's research goes into those technologies that enable cheaper missions.
For example, a few years ago, NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) supported a project by Michael VanWoerkom of ExoTerra Resource to develop a lander mission that could support a sample return from Europa. Let's examine what made that mission different from other Europa mission architectures.
The Nano Icy Moons Propellant Harvester (NIMPH) mission relies on three main advancements for one significant result: a 10x reduction in the overall mission cost. That reduced cost comes mainly from a single fact—the mission's weight has dropped below the threshold where it can be launched by an Atlas V rather than the SLS, as similar missions would require.
Chinese spacecraft appear to reach lunar orbit despite launch setback
Tuesday, 20 August 2024 08:10
