China's Chang'e 7 lunar mission will host international instruments
Thursday, 25 April 2024 16:21
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China's upcoming Chang'e 7 lunar exploration mission is set to include six scientific instruments from six different countries and one international organization, as announced by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) during the recent China Space Day celebration in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
Scheduled for launch in 2026, the Chang'e 7 mission will focus on investigating the lunar sout China expands Space Station Program to include international astronauts
Thursday, 25 April 2024 16:21 Write a comment
China has announced its intention to expand the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourists in missions to its space station, emphasizing inclusivity and cooperation in its space endeavors. According to Lin Xiqiang, spokesman for the Shenzhou XVIII mission, this initiative aims to diversify the backgrounds of those participating in upcoming space station flights.
Three groups of The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup
Thursday, 25 April 2024 15:30 Write a comment
A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this decade to 2040.
The mission would be the first to try to return rock samples from Mars to Earth so scientists can analyze them for signs of past life.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a press conference on April 15, 2024, that the mission as currently conceived is too expensive and too slow. NASA gave private companies a month to submit proposals for bringing the samples back in a quicker and more affordable way.
As an astronomer who studies cosmology and has written a book about early missions to Mars, I've been watching the sample return saga play out.
China launches 3-member crew to its space station as it seeks to put astronauts on the moon by 2030
Thursday, 25 April 2024 15:09 Write a comment
China launched a three-member crew to its orbiting space station on Thursday as part of its ambitious program that aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030.
The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China atop a Long March 2-F rocket at 8:59 p.m. (1259 GMT).
The spacecraft's three-member crew will relieve the Shenzhou-17 team, which has been staffing China's Tiangong space station since last October.
First Ariane 6 booster gets lift to launch zone
Thursday, 25 April 2024 13:17 Write a comment
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First Ariane 6 booster gets lift to launch zone Young Professionals’ YPSat headed to Ariane 6
Thursday, 25 April 2024 12:38 Write a comment
ESA’s YPSat has been shipped to Arianespace. Following a series of successful tests confirming its readiness for deployment, the payload is now headed to Europe’s Launch Site in French Guiana. The goal of YPSat is to capture all the key phases of Ariane 6's inaugural flight.
Nicaragua signs up to China’s ILRS moon program
Thursday, 25 April 2024 10:43
NASA planning September launch of Mars smallsat mission on first New Glenn
Thursday, 25 April 2024 10:34
Russia vetoes U.N. resolution on nuclear weapons in space
Thursday, 25 April 2024 09:46
ESA opens ideas factory to boost space innovation in Austria
Thursday, 25 April 2024 06:00 Write a comment
A centre to innovate the design and manufacture of space hardware has today opened in Vienna. Driving commercialisation in space, it is the first of its kind of ESA-backed disruptive innovation centres outside ESA’s own premises.
Hera asteroid mission’s side-trip to Mars
Thursday, 25 April 2024 04:37 Write a comment
ESA’s Hera asteroid mission for planetary defence will make a swingby of Mars next March, borrowing speed to help reach its target Didymos binary asteroid system.
Japan Moon probe survives 3rd lunar night
Wednesday, 24 April 2024 20:47 Write a comment
Japan's Moon lander woke up for a third time after its main functions survived another frigid two-week lunar night, the country's space agency said Wednesday.
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), dubbed the "Moon Sniper" for its landing precision, touched down in January - making Japan only the fifth nation to achieve a soft lunar landing.
But the unmanned lightweight spacecr China emphasizes commitment to peaceful space activities
Wednesday, 24 April 2024 20:47 Write a comment
China has reaffirmed its dedication to the peaceful use of space, according to a recent statement by the Ministry of National Defense. The declaration was made last Friday, emphasizing the role of China's Aerospace Force.
"The space domain is humanity's communal asset, and ensuring its security is vital for both national and societal progression," stated Wu Qian, the ministry's spokesperso Kratos and SES showcase new virtualized SATCOM system for US Army
Wednesday, 24 April 2024 20:47 Write a comment
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS) and SES have successfully conducted a demonstration of a fully virtualized satellite communications (SATCOM) ground system for the U.S. Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command. The demonstration illustrated a flexible network architecture that allows for multiple simultaneous communication pathways, enhancing the resilience of SAT