ESPA satellites maturing as the preferred ride for small national security payloads
The newest version of the ESPA ring deploys experiments but also more advanced operational smallsats
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Ingenuity completes the A-Z tour of the Wright Brothers Field at Jezero Crater
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has acquired a new image using its high-resolution color camera. The camera, which is mounted in the helicopter's fuselage and pointed approximately 22 degrees below the horizon, was used during the 38th flight of the Ingenuity on January 11, 2023 (Sol 667 of the Perseverance rover mission).
During the flight, the Ingenuity traveled a horizontal distance of Week in images: 09-13 January 2023
Week in images: 09-13 January 2023
Discover our week through the lens
SpaceX edges closer to first Starship orbital launch attempt
SpaceX and its chief executive, Elon Musk, say the first orbital launch attempt of its Starship vehicle is approaching, but the company must first overcome both technical and regulatory obstacles.
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EU inaugurates first mainland satellite launch port
NASA's Lunar Flashlight team assessing spacecraft's propulsion system
NASA's Lunar Flashlight mission successfully launched on Dec. 11, 2022, to begin its four-month journey to the moon, where the small satellite, or SmallSat, will test several new technologies with a goal of looking for hidden surface ice at the lunar South Pole. The mission is characterizing its new "green" propulsion system and developing a modified plan for the briefcase-size satellite's journey to the moon.
While the SmallSat is largely healthy and communicating with NASA's Deep Space Network, the mission operations team has discovered that three of its four thrusters are underperforming.
NorthStar using Axelspace’s Earth-imaging satellites to monitor orbits
Five Earth observation satellites from Japan’s Axelspace are helping NorthStar Earth and Space keep tabs on orbits ahead of the Canadian firm’s proposed Space Situational Awareness constellation.
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Space Force weighing new approach for selecting national security launch providers
An option under consideration for NSSL Phase 3 is to create “on ramps” to allow emerging launch providers to compete
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Stratospheric ballooning company World View to go public in SPAC deal
World View, a company that is developing stratospheric balloon platforms as an alternative to spacecraft for research and tourism, announced Jan. 13 it will go public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger.
NASA is continuing to build the Titan Dragonfly helicopter, with a focus on its rotors
Ingenuity, the helicopter assisting NASA's Mars Perseverance rover on its mission, has been a huge success. It gathered the achievement of the first controlled flight on another heavenly body, has performed spectacularly over its 28 flights and holds records for both speed and distance. But it might not for long, as a much bigger, more capable helicopter is currently under development. And when it eventually explores Titan in the next decade, it has an excellent chance to smash many of Ingenuity's records.
That helicopter, known as Dragonfly, is currently still in development on Earth. But, it achieved a significant milestone recently by completing the testing of its rotor blades at a unique testing chamber located at NASA's Langley Research Center.
The Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) differs from a standard wind tunnel in several ways. Most helpful in this case is its ability to use gases other than just Earth-normal air.
