China launches first module for new space station
China launched the first module of its "Heavenly Palace" space station on Thursday, a milestone in Beijing's ambitious plan to establish a permanent human presence in space.
Billions of dollars have been poured into space exploration as China seeks to reflect its rising global stature and growing technological might, following in the footsteps of the United States, Russia and Europe.
The Mars mission team prepares for its toughest challenge
As Beijing's residents bask among the spring blossoms, engineers and technicians in the capital's northwestern suburbs are busily preparing for a challenging maneuver involving a spacecraft hundreds of millions of kilometers from Earth.
The team members-spacecraft control professionals at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center-are making all-out efforts to ensure that Tianwen 1, China's firs NASA Data Helps Builds Resilience as Disasters Grow More Intense
In a decade filled by record-breaking events including raging wildfires, numerous hurricanes, unseasonal flooding and historically cold temperatures, NASA has continued to learn more about how the planet is changing and the effect it has on Earth's systems.
In the satellite era, a fleet of Earth-observing satellites have gathered data on world-wide rain and snowfall, air and ocean temperat Beyer seeks funding for NASA in infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House space subcommittee says he is working to secure funding for NASA as part of what could be a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure package proposed by the White House.
Speaking at a Washington Space Business Roundtable webinar April 28, Rep.
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites
WASHINGTON — SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites April 28, its first since the FCC approved a modification that allows the company to operate more satellites in lower orbits.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 11:44 p.m.
Europe's Vega rocket successfully launches
Europe's Vega rocket took off overnight Wednesday from French Guiana with Earth observation satellites on board, six months after losing two satellites.
The rocket left Kourou in French Guiana at around 10:50 pm local time (0150 GMT), with the mission lasting just under two hours.
The launch comes half a year after the operation lost French and Spanish satellites when the rocket fell into the sea on November 17 after a technical malfunction.
The April 28 to 29 launch carried Pleiades Neo 3, the first high resolution satellite of a new Earth observation constellation operated by Airbus.
The rocket is also carrying some lighter payload, including a Norwegian observation microsatellite used to detect radar for maritime navigation.
The Pleiades Neo satellites will offer improved geolocation tools which will help during natural disasters, according to launch provider Arianespace.
The launch is the third this year from the Kourou space centre and the 18th from a Vega.
The Vega rocket is a crucial component of Europe's ambitions to compete in the booming aerospace market, where it faces strong competition from rivals including Elon Musk's SpaceX.
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Dragon fire
Image:
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spits fire as it lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, 23 April at 05:49 local time. On board are ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.
The crew of four spent around 23 hours orbiting Earth and catching up with the International Space Station after their launch before docking to the Node-2 Harmony module, marking the start of ESA’s six-month mission Alpha.
Thomas is the first European to be launched to space on a US spacecraft in over
ESA to build second deep space dish in Australia
- ESA, in cooperation with the Australian Space Agency, will construct a new 35-metre, deep space dish antenna at its existing ground station in New Norcia, Western Australia
- The 620-tonne antenna will help ESA provide crucial communication links to its growing fleet of deep space missions
- It will be ESA’s second 35-metre antenna at the site and its fourth in total
- The joint announcement was made during a virtual meeting held between the heads of ESA and the Australian Space Agency on 29 April
Op-ed | Sen. Nelson is strong choice to advance 21st century space priorities
When looking to strategically position the United States. as the dominant force in space for the 21st century, it made perfect sense to select a nominee to lead NASA who literally served our nation in space. Former Sen.
Fourth flight postponed for Mars Ingenuity helicopter
NASA's Mars Ingenuity helicopter missed its fourth scheduled flight on Thursday, with the space agency blaming a software glitch and vowing to try again the next day.
"The helicopter is safe and in good health," said a statement, adding the rotorcraft had failed to transition to "flight mode."
The team plans to attempt the flight once more on Friday at 10:46 am Eastern Time (1446 GMT) with data expected back at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory around three hours later.
The software issue is thought to be the same one that delayed Ingenuity's maiden voyage, the first powered flight on another planet. Initially scheduled for April 11, the historic feat occurred April 19.
