Space Force sees need for civilian agency to manage congestion
Monday, 26 April 2021 12:30
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force is not too worried at this point that the growth of commercial space activity is creating safety issues. But things could change if space traffic and debris are not managed, said Gen.
NOAA's GOES-T completes solar array deployment test
Monday, 26 April 2021 10:54 Write a comment
On March 3, 2021, engineers completed a successful test deployment of the GOES-T solar array as part of a series of tests to prepare the satellite for a planned December 2021 launch.
This critical test verified that the satellite's large, five-panel solar array—which is folded up when the satellite is launched—will properly deploy when GOES-T reaches geostationary orbit. During this test, engineers unfurled the five panels on rails that simulated the zero-gravity environment of space. Each solar panel is approximately 13 feet tall by 4.5 feet wide and weighs approximately 45 pounds.
Once GOES-T reaches orbit, the deployed solar panels will form a single solar array wing that will rotate once per day to continuously point its photovoltaic (solar) cells toward the sun. These cells will convert solar energy into electricity to power the entire satellite, including the instruments, computers, data processors, sensors, and telecommunications equipment. The solar array will generate more than 5,000 watts of power for the satellite.
Ingenuity performs third Mars flight as final, most challenging tests await
Monday, 26 April 2021 10:11 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter performed its third flight on Mars April 25, setting it up for its final, and most challenging, tests.
Ingenuity took off from the Martian surface at 4:31 a.m. Eastern, going up to an altitude of five meters.
Copernicus Masters 2021 submissions open
Monday, 26 April 2021 09:30 Write a comment
The Copernicus Masters 2021 competition is now open for submissions. This international competition awards prizes to innovative solutions, developments and ideas for business and society that use satellite data from the Copernicus programme.
NASA investigates vegetation
Monday, 26 April 2021 08:37 Write a comment
From the vantage point of space, NASA's fleet of Earth-observing satellites joins with those of partner interagency and international agencies to investigate and illuminate connections between ecosystems that are continents apart, or right next door. With a global perspective, scientists can observe how factors like deforestation, climate change and disasters impact forests and other plant life China, Russia open moon base project to international partners, early details emerge
Monday, 26 April 2021 07:36 Write a comment
HELSINKI — Russia and China have formally invited countries and international organizations to join the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project being developed by the two nations.
Russia launches new batch of UK telecom satellites into space
Monday, 26 April 2021 06:56 Write a comment
A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East on Monday carrying 36 UK telecommunications and internet satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said.
OneWeb, a London-headquartered company, is working to complete the construction of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites providing enhanced broadband and other services to countries around the world.
The company is competing against billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in the race to provide fast internet via satellites for the world's remote areas.
Images released by Russia's space agency Roscosmos showed the Soyuz rocket taking off against hazy skies Monday morning at 7:14 am local time (2214 GMT).
"All satellites have been successfully placed in target orbits and have been taken under customer control," Roscosmos said in a statement.
"Mission success!" OneWeb wrote on Twitter.
The UK company plans for its global commercial internet service to be operational by next year, supported by some 650 satellites.
Monday's launch was the third batch of its satellites placed into orbit from Russia, with earlier launches from the Vostochny cosmodrome of 36 satellites each taking place last month and in December.
OneWeb's first six satellites were also launched by a Russian-made Soyuz rocket, taking off from the space centre in Kourou in French Guiana in February 2019.
ESA to live tweet asteroid impact exercise
Monday, 26 April 2021 06:15 Write a comment
For almost a decade, world asteroid experts have been meeting every two years at the Planetary Defense Conference and pretending an asteroid impact is imminent. Why? To prepare for the unlikely – but plausible – scenario in which this comes true.
OneWeb adds 36 satellites to broadband constellation as deployment accelerates
Sunday, 25 April 2021 21:32 Write a comment
TAMPA, Fla. — OneWeb’s growing low Earth orbit broadband constellation is set to reach 182 satellites, after Arianespace launched its latest batch of 36 spacecraft April 25.
Arianespace launched the satellites with a Soyuz-2.1b rocket that blasted off 6:14 p.m.
U.S. military’s appetite for information fueling demand for space technology
Sunday, 25 April 2021 20:13 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army last week announced plans to explore new uses of satellites and other space technology in support of soldiers on the ground.
This is a clear sign that the demand for space-based capabilities is growing across the U.S.
NASA's Mars helicopter's third flight goes farther, faster than before
Sunday, 25 April 2021 18:24 Write a comment
NASA's mini helicopter Ingenuity on Sunday successfully completed its third flight on Mars, moving farther and faster than ever before, with a peak speed of 6.6 feet per second.
After two initial flights during which the craft hovered above the Red Planet's surface, the helicopter on this third flight covered 64 feet (50 meters) of distance, reaching the speed of 6.6 feet per second (two meters per second), or four miles per hour in this latest flight.
"Today's flight was what we planned for, and yet it was nothing short of amazing," said Dave Lavery, the Ingenuity project's program executive.
Official: China's moon probe will carry French, Russian gear
Sunday, 25 April 2021 18:17 Write a comment
China’s commercial sector finds funding and direction
Sunday, 25 April 2021 10:39 Write a comment
China has experienced an explosion of commercial space companies since 2014, driven by the government opening up the space sector to private capital.
According to Chinese publication Future Aerospace, there were 141 registered commercial aerospace companies in China by the end of 2018, in areas including launch, propulsion, satellite manufacturing, payloads and applications and ground stations.
SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts enter International Space Station
Sunday, 25 April 2021 08:07 Write a comment
The four astronauts aboard Crew-2 Dragon capsule Endeavour entered the International Space Station on Saturday morning, more than 26 hours after being launched from Florida.
The arrival boosted space station occupancy temporarily to 11, one of the highest numbers in history and the most since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. The record was set in 2009 with 13 people on board. Georgia Tech shares $15M from NASA to advance deep space exploration
Sunday, 25 April 2021 08:07 Write a comment
Every few years, NASA creates Space Technology Research Institutes (STRI) in areas it believes are going to be strategic for future technology and space missions. Today, that area is electric propulsion - the use of electrical energy to accelerate propellant to create thrust. The technology yields extremely efficient thrusters to power space flight for gateway launches to the moon or even shuttl