A navigation timing error sent NASA's little Mars helicopter on a wild, lurching ride, its first major problem since it took to the Martian skies last month.

The experimental helicopter, named Ingenuity, managed to land safely, officials at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported Thursday.

The trouble cropped up about a minute into the helicopter's sixth test flight last Saturday at an altitude of 33 feet (10 meters). One of the numerous pictures taken by an on-board camera did not register in the navigation system, throwing the entire timing sequence off and confusing the craft about its location.

All five of North America’s Great Lakes are pictured in this spectacular image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission: Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.

Acting on behalf of the European Commission, ESA has signed two contracts for an overall amount of €1.47 billion, to design and build the first batch of the second generation of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites.

Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) May 27, 2021
On Thursday, May 27, OneWeb will launch further 36 broadband internet satellites aboard a Soyuz launch vehicle from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia. OneWeb is building a communications network with a constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites that will deliver internet access around the world. As a key supplier to OneWeb Satellites, RUAG Space built the satellite dispenser, which funct

Washington DC (SPX) May 27, 2021
Cosmic rays are high-energy atomic particles continually bombarding Earth's surface at nearly the speed of light. Our planet's magnetic field shields the surface from most of the radiation generated by these particles. Still, cosmic rays can cause electronic malfunctions and are the leading concern in planning for space missions. Researchers know cosmic rays originate from the multitude of

Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 27, 2021
NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see thousands of exploding stars called supernovae across vast stretches of time and space. Using these observations, astronomers aim to shine a light on several cosmic mysteries, providing a window onto the universe's distant past and hazy present. Roman's supernova survey will help clear up clashing measurements of how fast the unive

Beijing (XNA) May 28, 2021
With news of achievements pouring in these days, China is pushing forward its deep space exploration, aiming to contribute its wisdom in humankind's peaceful utilization of outer space. On April 29, China sent into space the core module of its space station, kicking off a series of key launch missions that aim to complete the construction of the station by the end of next year. The s

Wright-Patterson AFB OH (AFNS) May 27, 2021
The Air Force Research Laboratory's Dr. Kelly Hammett spoke at the annual Ohio Space Forum May 18, joining several aerospace leaders who discussed their organizations' contributions to the space mission and Ohio politicians who lauded Ohio's contributions and their economic impact. Facilitated by the Dayton Development Coalition and JobsOhio, the Ohio Space Forum gathers federal, military,

Kirtland AFB NM (AFNS) May 27, 2021
The Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate held a ribbon cutting ceremony May 20 to celebrate the opening of its newest facility, the Space Warfighting Operations Research and Development, or SWORD, laboratory. Col. Eric Felt, the director of AFRL's Space Vehicles Directorate, hosted the event with AFRL commander, Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle as the presiding officer and key

Washington DC (AFNS) May 27, 2021
Space-based capabilities are vital to U.S. national security in today's era of de-stabilizing challenges from Russia and undeniable strategic competition with China, the Defense Department's principal director for space policy told a House Armed Services Committee panel today. John D. Hill told the HASC subcommittee on strategic forces that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has also