Seattle WA (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
Spaceflight Inc., the leading global launch services provider, is preparing for its 50th mission, which will launch aboard a Rocket Lab Electron no earlier than April 22. The RL-9 mission, called "There and Back Again," is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Following this launch, Spaceflight will have successfully launched 448 sp

London, UK (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
OneWeb reports that the company and New Space India Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation, have entered into an agreement that will help ensure OneWeb completes its satellite launch programme. The first launch with New Space India is anticipated in 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The launches will add to OneWeb's total in-o

Bellingham WA (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
The secrets hiding in the vast expanse of outer space have intrigued humankind for ages. The invention of the optical telescope during the 17th century allowed humans to see stars appearing as mere twinkling dots in the night sky. Thanks to scientific innovations over the next four centuries, we can now launch telescopes into space to get a better look at astronomical objects and even study them

Baltimore MD (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is now cooled by a gaseous helium cryocooler to under 7 kelvins. With the cooler in its final state, the Webb team is operating the MIRI instrument this week as part of seventh and final stage of the telescope alignment. When the instrument is operating, the detectors and electronics produce heat, which is balanced by the cr

Lakewoood CO (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
Aphelion Aerospace is proud to announce reaching a major milestone in developing the company's commercial launch services with the completion of critical propulsion system testing. The team recently spent two weeks at the company's test facility in Wyoming integrating a rocket engine and support systems on a ground test stand and conducting a series of hot fire tests. The test activity was condu

Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 22, 2022
We made it! Perseverance is at the delta, and gracing us with stunning images to pour over. Mars 2020 is officially out of "Rapid Traverse" mode, where we put the pedal to the metal and focused on driving. This week, we are back to standard operations, and the team is beginning our Delta Front Campaign. You can check out last week's blog for details on why exploring the delta is so exciting.

Huntsville AL (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
Imagine a mountaineering expedition in a wholly uncharted environment, where the hikers had the ability to generate a real-time 3D map of the terrain. NASA researchers and their industry partners have developed a remote-sensing mapping system set to aid explorers in the most isolated wilderness imaginable: the airless wastes at the South Pole of the Moon. The Kinematic Navigation and Carto

Washington DC (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
On April 18, NASA decided to move forward with plans to complete the deployment of the Lucy spacecraft's stalled, unlatched solar array. The spacecraft is powered by two large arrays of solar cells that were designed to unfold and latch into place after launch. One of the fan-like arrays opened as planned, but the other stopped just short of completing this operation. Through a combination

Plainsboro NJ (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
A puzzling process called magnetic reconnection triggers explosive phenomena throughout the universe, creating solar flares and space storms that can take down mobile phone service and electrical power grids. Now scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have detailed a roadmap for untangling a key aspect of this puzzle that could deepen insig

Kirtland AFB NM (AFRL) Apr 22, 2022
In honor of Earth Day, the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is highlighting its efforts toward harnessing the Sun's energy, converting it to radio frequency, or RF, and beaming it to the Earth providing a green power source for the U.S. and allied forces. Key technologies need to be developed to make such a challenging process a reality. In response to this challenge, AFRL for