Launching soon: Cosmic Kiss
Monday, 25 October 2021 11:00
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German ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer will soon begin his first mission to the International Space Station. As a member of Crew-3, he will be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft alongside NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron.
Matthias selected the mission name “Cosmic Kiss” for his time in orbit as a declaration of love for space. He will spend around six months living and working in microgravity, where he will carry out many European and international experiments to advance space exploration and benefit lives on Earth.
Galileo Control Segment upgrade ready for next launch
Monday, 25 October 2021 10:58
A significant first for next month’s 11th Galileo launch: thanks to an upgrade of the world-spanning Galileo Control Segment, this will be the first launch where the satellites ‘ first steps into space will be overseen from an existing Galileo Control Centre, rather than requiring an external mission control site.
Airbus Ventures invests in Tokyo-based ispace
Monday, 25 October 2021 10:20
Airbus Ventures announced an investment Oct. 25 in ispace, the Toyko-based company preparing to send its first lander to the moon next year.
Mars helicopter Ingenuity approaches 14th flight
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
The Mars helicopter Ingenuity is ready for a short Martian flight as early as Saturday to test summer weather conditions that have arrived at its location on the Red Planet after two weeks of no communication because of blockage by the sun.
The flight, Ingenuity's 14th, is brief and simple by design. As weather at Jezero Crater gets warmer, the aircraft's rotors must turn faster to achi Keeping our eyes on New Horizons
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
New Horizons remains healthy and continues to send valuable data from the Kuiper Belt, even as it speeds farther and farther from Earth and the Sun. Our team has been extremely busy since I last wrote in the spring. One of the most important activities since then has been ground testing, uploading and flight-testing new software for our Alice ultraviolet spectrometer and our main (Command and Da Technologies and concepts for the satellite navigation systems of the future
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
Using the best navigation technologies to bring the greatest benefit to their users - this is the what the Galileo Competence Center at the German Aerospace Center is working towards. Together with DLR's institutes, facilities and partners, products are being developed to ensure the continuous improvement of the European Galileo satellite navigation system. The Galileo Competence Center is now o NASA Mission helps solve a mystery: why are some asteroid surfaces rocky?
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
Scientists thought Bennu's surface was like a sandy beach, abundant in fine sand and pebbles, which would have been perfect for collecting samples. Past telescope observations from Earth had suggested the presence of large swaths of fine-grained material smaller than a few centimeters called fine regolith.
But when NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission arrived at Bennu in late 2018, the mission saw a What happens when a meteor hits the atmosphere
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
In the heavens above, it's raining dirt. Every second, millions of pieces of dirt that are smaller than a grain of sand strike Earth's upper atmosphere. At about 100 kilometers altitude, bits of dust, mainly debris from asteroid collisions, zing through the sky vaporizing as they go 10 to 100 times the speed of a bullet. The bigger ones can make streaks in the sky, meteors that take our breath a Nanoracks, Voyager Space, and Lockheed Martin to develop commercial space module
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
Nanoracks, in collaboration with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin, has formed a team to develop the first-ever free flying commercial space station. The space station, known as Starlab, will be a continuously crewed commercial platform, dedicated to conducting critical research, fostering industrial activity, and ensuring continued U.S. presence and leadership in low-Earth orbit. Starlab is exp Ten years of Soyuz at Europe's Spaceport
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
On 21 October 2011, the first pair of Galileo navigation satellites was launched by a Russian-built Soyuz rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
The introduction of Russia's Soyuz 2 rocket to Europe's Spaceport was a milestone of strategic cooperation in the space transportation sector between Europe and the Russian Federation, and an exciting new opportunity for ESA.
ESA's SwRI-led team produces a new Earth Bombardment Model
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:47
A team led by Southwest Research Institute has updated its asteroid bombardment model of the Earth with the latest geologic evidence of ancient, large collisions. These models have been used to understand how impacts may have affected oxygen levels in the Earth's atmosphere in the Archean eon, 2.5 to 4 billion years ago.
When large asteroids or comets struck early Earth, the energy release IAI announces new small GEO satellite bus
Monday, 25 October 2021 07:32
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has developed a small geostationary orbit communications satellite bus intended to provide a low-cost spacecraft with an advanced payload to customers that don’t require a larger satellite.
Conference seeks to build interest in space among elected officials
Monday, 25 October 2021 01:13
An international group of elected officials is using a conference this week to build awareness about the importance of space among other politicians.
IAC conference seeks to build interest in space among elected officials
Monday, 25 October 2021 01:13An international group of elected officials is using a conference this week to build awareness about the importance of space among other politicians.
Op-ed | An Orbital Address for All
Monday, 25 October 2021 00:24
For the sake of Earth and humanity, it’s time for private enterprise and governments to co-invest to expand human activity in low Earth orbit.