SpaceX launches billionaire to conduct the first private spacewalk
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 12:24
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A daredevil billionaire rocketed back into orbit Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than anyone since NASA's Apollo moonshots.
Unlike his previous chartered flight, tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman shared the cost with SpaceX this time around, which included developing and testing brand new spacesuits to see how they'll hold up in the harsh vacuum.
If all goes as planned, it will be the first time private citizens conduct a spacewalk, but they won't venture away from the capsule. Considered one of the riskiest parts of spaceflight, spacewalks have been the sole realm of professional astronauts since the former Soviet Union popped open the hatch in 1965, closely followed by the U.S.
A look back at Sentinel-2C's ride into space on Vega
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 12:15 Write a comment
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The third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, Sentinel-2C, has launched aboard the last Vega rocket, flight VV24, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 5 September at 03:50 CEST (4 September 22:50 local time).
Sentinel-2C will provide high-resolution data that is essential to Copernicus – the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme. Developed, built and operated by ESA, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission provides high-resolution optical imagery for a wide range of applications including land, water and atmospheric monitoring.
The mission is based on a constellation of two identical satellites flying in the
In Slingshot, a mission to Titan goes off course
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 12:00
Rosetta's legacy: how were you inspired?
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 11:35 Write a comment
From inspiring a love for the stars to making a life-changing career move, we want to know how ESA’s Rosetta mission has shaped your life.
Space Team Europe for Vega: final liftoff
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 11:00 Write a comment
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Interviews with personnel that worked on the last Vega rocket, flight VV24, with Sentinel-2C onboard.
The third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana aboard the final Vega rocket on 5 September at 03:50 CEST (4 September 22:50 local time).
After a successful launch, Sentinel-2C separated from its Vega rocket at approximately 04:48 CEST. Around 14 minutes later, at 05:02 CEST, ESA’s ESOC mission operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany, received the all-important first signals from the satellite indicating that it had safely arrived in orbit.
Giovanna Manca, Vega launch complex operations manager for Avio, Fulvio Spaziani Brunella, Site manager for Avio,
Crew Dragon launches on Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 09:47
Chang’e-6 orbiter turns up at Sun-Earth Lagrange point after moon sampling mission
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 08:36
A smooth start to life in orbit for Sentinel-2C
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 08:00 Write a comment
Sentinel-2C has completed its important first few days in space, which saw teams on the ground working around the clock to ensure the spacecraft is ready to begin its mission.
The 2024 Global Methane Budget reveals alarming trends
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 08:00 Write a comment
The Global Methane Budget 2024 paints a troubling picture of the current state of global methane emissions. The new report reveals that human activities are now responsible for at least two-thirds of global methane emissions.
This marks a significant increase in human-produced methane sources over the past two decades, with emissions rising by 20%, with the fastest rise occurring over the last five years.
Juice confirms that Earth is habitable
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 08:00 Write a comment
During its flyby of Earth on 20 August, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) found ingredients for life in Earth’s atmosphere.
SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission aiming for history with first private spacewalk
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 07:23 Write a comment
The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, a daring multiday orbital expedition that will feature the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens, is targeting liftoff early Tuesday, though weather could play spoilsport.
A four-member crew, led by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Iscaacman, is also aiming to fly deeper into space than any other manned mission in more than half a century, reaching a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers).
"SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, September 10 at 3:38 am ET (0738 GMT) for Falcon 9's launch of Polaris Dawn to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida," SpaceX said in a news release.
SpaceX launches all-civilian crew for first private spacewalk
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 07:23 Write a comment
SpaceX launched its historic Polaris Dawn mission on Tuesday—an audacious orbital expedition that will catapult civilians into a high-radiation region of space and see them attempt the first-ever spacewalk by non-professional astronauts.
Led by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, the four-member crew aims to journey farther into the cosmos than any other manned mission in more than half a century, since the end of the Apollo era.
On the mission's first day, they will soar to a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) before returning into a lower orbit.
"Dragon will travel repeatedly through the orbital altitudes of over 10 thousand satellites and bits of space debris," SpaceX founder CEO Elon Musk wrote on X.
