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How NASA and SpaceX will bring down the space station when it's retired
This photo provided by NASA, taken from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour, shows the International Space Station on Nov. 8, 2021. NASA and SpaceX discussed plans on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to shove the International Space Station out of orbit and steer it toward a watery grave in the next decade. Credit: NASA via AP

SpaceX will use a powerful, souped-up capsule to shove the International Space Station out of orbit once time is up for the sprawling lab.

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NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) assembled inside the cleanroom at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas
NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) assembled inside the cleanroom at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA announced Wednesday that cost overruns and delays have forced it to cancel a planned moon rover it already spent $450 million to develop, marking a significant setback for the agency's lunar exploration program.

The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) was intended to explore the lunar south pole in search of ice and other resources, paving the way for planned crewed missions by American astronauts under the Artemis program later this decade.

"Decisions like this are never easy," said Nicky Fox, NASA's associate administrator of the science mission directorate.

"But in this case, the projected remaining expenses for VIPER would have resulted in having to either cancel or disrupt many other missions.

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The Farnborough International Airshow is set to return for its 76th edition. Held every two years, the UK’s largest trade airshow will be back at the historic Farnborough Airport in Hampshire from 22 to 26 July 2024. ESA will be there to showcase the agency’s latest achievements and to highlight its next steps and future vision for Europe in space. An intense programme of panels and sessions awaits industry professionals and trade visitors on the first four days, while the public is welcome on 26 July for the public day.

Video: Ariane 6 liftoff from the launchpad

Wednesday, 17 July 2024 19:00
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Video: Ariane 6 liftoff from the launchpad
Credit: European Space Agency

While no person could get this close during Ariane 6's inaugural flight on 9 July 2024, several small cameras bravely witnessed its take-off from the launchpad.

After years of preparations, the Vulcain main stage engine ignites, arms providing cryogenic fuels to the until the very last moment retract and boosters fire—Ariane 6 is space-bound. As it lifts off, vast amounts of water are pumped at high speed to dampen vibrations at the launch site, which then come rushing towards one of these small cameras in a dramatic swirl, hiding the departing rocket from view.

Ariane 6 launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 16:00 local time (20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST), designed to provide more launch power with higher flexibility and at a lower cost than its predecessors.

The launcher's configuration—with an upgraded main stage, a choice of either two or four powerful boosters and a new restartable upper stage—will provide Europe with greater efficiency and a wider range of launch services, including for the launch of multiple payloads into different orbits on a single flight.

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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 16, 2024
Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a top provider of daily Earth data and insights, announced a seven-figure pilot contract with an international defense ministry for its PlanetScope data, now enhanced with SynMax's AI-based Theia solution. Together with SynMax, a Houston-based satellite analytics and intelligence company, Planet is offering an advanced maritime domain awareness (MDA) solution fo
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 17, 2024
Researchers from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) are working together to test an advanced sensor aimed at measuring neutral gas velocities in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The project, under the leadership of Dr. Joo Hwang from SwRI and Dr. Phillip Anderson from UTD, is funded by the new SwRI/UTD Seed Projects for
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 17, 2024
Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a prominent player in space infrastructure, has announced a new order to provide more Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) wings for Thales Alenia Space's Space Inspire* satellites. These satellites are part of Thales Alenia Space's latest geostationary telecommunications satellite line. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), i
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 16, 2024
NASA's involvement with fuel cell technology began in the 1960s, a time when fossil fuels dominated energy production. Fuel cells create electricity and heat through the combination of hydrogen and oxygen via an electrolyte, producing only water as a by-product, making them an environmentally friendly power source. NASA's interest in fuel cells arose from the need to power Moon missions. E
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 15, 2024
A group of scientists has published a significant report on glacial geoengineering-an emerging field exploring whether technology could halt the melting of glaciers and ice sheets due to climate change. This white paper marks the first public effort by glaciologists to evaluate potential technological interventions that might address catastrophic sea-level rise scenarios. Although it
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Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 15, 2024
The potential for hydrogen-powered flights opens up significant opportunities for fossil-free travel, with rapid technological advancements propelling this vision forward. Recent research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden indicates that nearly all air travel within a 750-mile (1200 km) radius could be serviced by hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2045. Moreover, a new heat exchanger un
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Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 12, 2024
The Higgs boson, discovered over a decade ago in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) detectors, remains elusive, with its properties still not fully understood. Recent progress comes from a collaboration between the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), RWTH Aachen University, and the Max Planck Institute for Physics, providing new insights into its origins.
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