NASA announced Nov. 22 that it is delaying the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope by at least four days to investigate an incident that took place preparing the spacecraft for launch in French Guiana.

Blue Canyon Technologies won a $14.6 million contract to produce a small inspector satellite for operations beyond geosynchronous Earth orbit.

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Small and medium satellites can expect new launch opportunities on the Spectrum launch vehicle thanks to an ESA Boost! co-funding contract worth €11 m with Isar Aerospace Technologies in Germany.

Washington DC (UPI) Nov 22, 2021
NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity completed its 16th flight over the weekend, the space agency announced Monday. The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory said the helicopter captured color images of Mars' surface during the flight, which saw it travel 116 meters northeast for 109 seconds. "Mars helicopter continues to thrive!" the lab wrote on Twitter. The 16th flight over seven

Washington DC (UPI) Nov 22, 2021
NASA is set to launch a spacecraft from California on Tuesday night to smack head on into an asteroid next fall in an effort to understand how humanity could prevent such a space body from colliding with Earth. Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to launch the DART mission, or Double Asteroid Redirection Test, on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:20 p.m. PST. The spac

Bethesda MD (SPX) Nov 23, 2021
On November 15, 2021, the International Space Station (ISS) Flight Control team was notified of indications of a satellite breakup that may create sufficient debris to pose a collision threat to the station. NASA's Administrator, Bill Nelson, released the following statement. "Earlier today, due to the debris generated by the destructive Russian Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test, ISS astronauts a

Washington DC (SPX) Nov 23, 2021
The DoD has a role in orbital and lunar missions as defined by the US Space Force (USSF) Space Capstone Publication. In this document, USSF notes the "inherent value of the space domain and the tremendous influence space has on U.S. prosperity and security." There is a critical DoD need for the continued development and future expansion of orbital manufacturing to enable and ensure supply chain

Bletchley UK (SPX) Nov 23, 2021
Pulsar Fusion Ltd, a UK nuclear fusion company based in Bletchley, has just developed and tested its first launch capable, high-power chemical rocket engine in the UK. These rocket engines could be used for a variety of applications, including launching people and satellites into space. This successful set of test firings showcases the rapid design development and test process of hig

Cleveland OH (SPX) Nov 22, 2021
Exploration of the Moon and Mars requires the power of human imagination and vision. It also takes the power of electricity to bring science and technology to life when astronauts land and stay on the surface. NASA has plans for a robust presence on the Moon under Artemis and eventually Mars, including the development of a fission surface power system for safe, efficient, and reliable elec

Washington (AFP) Nov 22, 2021
The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which astronomers hope will herald a new era of discovery, has been delayed until December 22 after an accident at its launch facility in French Guiana, NASA said Monday. Technicians were preparing to attach the $10 billion observatory to a launch vehicle adapter, used to fix it to the upper stage of an Ariane 5 rocket. "A sudden, unplanned r