Virgin Orbit to launch first satellite for Dutch Ministry Of Defense
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13Virgin Orbit has been selected by the Dutch space engineering company Innovative Solutions in Space (ISIS) to launch the Royal Netherlands Air Force's (RNLAF) first ever satellite, a 6U CubeSat called BRIK-II. Designed and integrated by ISIS, BRIK-II will serve as a testbed for various communications experiments and demonstrate how nanosatellites can provide a meaningful contribution to mi
China's first liquid/solid fueld rocket to make 2021 maiden flight
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13Long March-6A, China's first carrier rocket powered by a solid and liquid engine, will make its maiden flight in 2021, its developer said. Long March-6A, a new generation medium-launch vehicle, can be powered by different numbers of liquid and solid engines to achieve different carrying capacity levels, which is more cost-effective, according to the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Scienc
Axiom Space reveals historic first private crew to visit International Space Station
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13Axiom Space on Tuesday announced its crew for humankind's first flight of a group of private individuals to a Low Earth Orbit destination - the first-ever entirely private mission proposed to fly to the International Space Station (ISS). The proposed historic Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) will consist of: former NASA astronaut and Axiom vice president Michael Lopez-Alegria as commander; American
OSIRIS-REx mission set for May departure from Bennu back to Earth
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13On May 10, NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will say farewell to asteroid Bennu and begin its journey back to Earth. During its Oct. 20, 2020, sample collection event, the spacecraft collected a substantial amount of material from Bennu's surface, likely exceeding the mission's requirement of 2 ounces (60
Moon rock on Joe Biden's desk raises hopes for lunar return
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13A moon rock that President Joe Biden has placed in the Oval Office came from the last Apollo mission in 1972, raising hopes that he will support a new lunar landing program already underway. The White House said the moon rock was part of Biden's goal to have the office reflect the best of American accomplishments. Astronauts chipped the rock from a large boulder at the base of th
Purdue scientist ready for Mars rover touchdown
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13The Mars Perseverance Rover will fly 300 million miles over almost seven months, but the seven minutes spent waiting to receive a radio signal confirming the rover has landed will seem like an eternity for scientists and researchers back on Earth. That wait is dubbed the "seven minutes of terror" and Briony Horgan, Purdue University associate professor of planetary science, calls it the sc
Extreme black holes have hair that can be combed
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13Black holes are considered amongst the most mysterious objects in the universe. Part of their intrigue arises from the fact that they are actually amongst the simplest solutions to Einstein's field equations of general relativity. In fact, black holes can be fully characterized by only three physical quantities: their mass, spin and charge. Since they have no additional "hairy" attributes
Metamaterial tiles boost sensitivity of large telescopes
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13A multi-institutional group of researchers has developed new metamaterial tiles that will help improve the sensitivity of telescopes being built at the preeminent Simons Observatory in Chile. The tiles have been incorporated into receivers that will be deployed at the observatory by 2022. The Simons Observatory is the center of an ambitious effort to measure the cosmic microwave background
UN and UK sign agreement to promote space sustainability
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13The agreement will help nations ensure that outer space remains safe and sustainable for future generations. The increasing complexity of space missions, the emergence of large constellations of satellites and the increased risks of collision all affect the long-term sustainability of space activities. And there are currently approximately 170 million objects in orbit - mainly debris - whi
Motiv Space Systems and JPL to develop robotic arm for extreme cold environments
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 07:13Motiv Space Systems, in partnership with JPL, has announced the development of COLDArm, the first-in-kind robotic arm that will be built to survive the extreme cold of the Moon's South Pole ushering in a new era of extended space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. COLDArm (short for Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm) is a vital component of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (C
Space Force officially ends launch partnerships with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 00:31WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force on Dec. 31 officially terminated launch technology partnerships signed in October 2018 with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman.
The Air Force awarded Launch Service Agreements to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and United Launch Alliance.
Axiom announces crew for first private ISS mission
Tuesday, 26 January 2021 00:17WASHINGTON — A commercial Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station early next year chartered by Axiom Space will carry four private astronauts — but not a superstar actor.
Axiom Space revealed Jan. 26 the crew of its first mission to the ISS, called Ax-1 and scheduled for launch no earlier than January 2022.
U.S. Space Command chief makes case for civilian space traffic control
Monday, 25 January 2021 21:43WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has air traffic controllers to handle military airspace issues but the Federal Aviation Administration has overall responsibility for air safety. A similar arrangement is needed for the space domain, the commander of U.S.
SpaceX’s rideshare carried small satellite technology of interest to U.S. military
Monday, 25 January 2021 21:32WASHINGTON — Among the 143 satellites that flew to orbit Jan. 24 on SpaceX’s record-breaking rideshare were technology demonstrations and payloads of interest to the U.S. military, including satellite components, in-space laser communications and remote sensing.
Speedcast to reorganize under Centerbridge Partners
Monday, 25 January 2021 21:27SAN FRANCISCO — Satellite communications provider SpeedCast International Ltd. is scheduled to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by March 31 after winning approval to reorganize under a new owner, private equity firm Centerbridge Partners.