UPDATE: Tune in on Saturday 20 January from 07:30 GMT (08:30 CET) to see ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt dock to the International Space Station for his first mission, Muninn. Watch the action live on ESA Web TV 2 and ESA YouTube.

Yesterday, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander returned to Earth, burning up upon its reentry through the atmosphere. Although the spacecraft was not able to land on the lunar surface, ESA’s Exospheric Mass Spectrometer, the heart of a joint NASA and ESA instrument onboard destined to sniff the Moon’s surface, was able to demonstrate full functionality in space.

Paris (ESA) Jan 19, 2024
One of the key missions of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is to probe the early Universe. Now, the unmatched resolution and sensitivity of Webb's NIRCam instrument have revealed, for the first time, what lies in the local environment of galaxies in the very early Universe. This has solved one of the most puzzling mysteries in astronomy - why astronomers detect light from hydrogen at

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 18, 2024
NASA's collaborative mission with Astrobotic, featuring the Peregrine lunar lander, has concluded with the spacecraft reentering Earth's atmosphere. This event marks the end of a mission that, while not achieving a lunar landing, provided some scientific data and insights. The Peregrine lander, carrying a suite of NASA science and technology instruments, safely reentered Earth's atmosphere

Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Jan 18, 2024
As part of NASA's efforts to enable more access to space, four private astronauts are in orbit following the successful launch of the third all private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Axiom Space astronauts lifted off at 4:49 p.m. EST on Thursday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the company's Dragon

Paris (ESA) Jan 18, 2024
ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt from Sweden blasted into space tonight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, at 21:49 GMT (22:49 CET, 16:49 local time). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew of four astronauts from launch pad 39A. Marcus is sharing the ride on the Dragon capsule to the International Space Station with Walter Villadei from Italy, A

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 19, 2024
NASA, in its continuous effort to turn groundbreaking research into tangible technology, has announced a significant boost for small businesses through its Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. This initiative plays a pivotal role in supporting small enterprises and their research partners, particularly during the critical early stages of technological development. In a recent

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 19, 2024
As NASA's venerable Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) constellation nears retirement, a fresh era of space communication is on the horizon. The Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, a cornerstone of NASA's communication strategy, is spearheading efforts to transition NASA missions towards utilizing commercial space-based relay services for their near-Earth communications nee

Washington DC (SPX) Jan 18, 2024
The Space Development Agency (SDA), in a significant move to enhance the United States' missile defense capabilities, has announced the award of three prototype agreements for the construction of 54 satellites. These satellites will form the Tranche 2 (T2) Tracking Layer, a key component of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), designed to improve missile warning, tracking, and

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 19, 2024
Sasken Technologies Limited (Sasken), a prominent player in system design and integration, has recently announced a significant milestone in satellite communication technology. The company unveiled the world's first LTE-technology-based satellite product, named the Mobile Satellite Equipment (MSE). This novel product is set to revolutionize the field of critical communications, particularly in s