Beijing (XNA) Jan 01, 2022
China launched a Long March 3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province early on Thursday morning, marking the completion of the country's annual launch schedule. The rocket blasted off at 12:43 am and carried an experimental satellite, named Communication Technology Demonstrator 9, into a geosynchronous orbit, according to a statement published by China

Moscow (Sputnik) Jan 01, 2022
Earlier in December, a state news agency reported that four satellites were undergoing final preparations for launch. One of them was set to replace a satellite launched two years ago, but which had failed to stay in orbit. Tehran has launched a rocket carrying three satellites into space, Iranian Defence Ministry spokesman Ahmad Hosseini has revealed. According to him, a domestically deve

Washington (AFP) Dec 30, 2021
The United States voiced concern Thursday about Iran's new space launch, saying it would help the clerical state's missile program, but indicated it was still pursuing diplomacy to return to a nuclear deal. "The United States remains concerned with Iran's development of space launch vehicles, which pose a significant proliferation concern," a State Department spokesperson said after Iran ann

Scott AFB IL (SPX) Jan 01, 2022
U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) entered into its third cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), on December 17, 2021, with Blue Origin to explore the possibility of someday using rockets to transport cargo and people. "Today, industry is energetically shaping space into a practical transportation mode--a trustworthy complement to our traditional global mobility opti

Video: 00:01:27

Experience an orbital badminton match on the International Space Station ISS in 360° as ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer challenges his crewmates and Japanese spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano.

Together with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, the Japanese spaceflight participants joined the current Expedition 66 crew for a short-term stay of 12 days on the ISS.

While their stay on the ISS focuses on scientific and operational activities, the astronauts on board the Space Station also enjoy recreational activities that provide an important balance for the crew and offer opportunities for intercultural exchange and team building.

Matthias

Baltimore MD (SPX) Jan 03, 2022
Taking advantage of its flexible commissioning schedule, the Webb team has decided to focus today on optimizing Webb's power systems while learning more about how the observatory behaves in space. As a result, the Webb mission operations team has moved the beginning of sunshield tensioning activities to no earlier than tomorrow, Monday, Jan. 3. This will ensure Webb is in prime condition t

Beijing (XNA) Jan 03, 2022
The China National Space Administration published on Saturday four pictures taken by its Tianwen 1 Mars mission, including the first full photo of the mission orbiter. The color pictures show the orbiter flying around the Red Planet in an orbit, the ice cover on Mars' north pole and a scene of a barren Martian plain. The orbiter's full picture was taken by a camera released by the cr

Beijing (XNA) Jan 03, 2022
From hosting a children's art gallery in space to answering questions about manned spaceflight, the three astronauts onboard China's Tiangong space station celebrated the New Year by cultivating science and inspiration in the country's youth. On Saturday afternoon, astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu hosted a live video call and interacted with college students at venues in

Houston TX (SPX) Jan 03, 2022
As the International Space Station enters its third decade of continuous human presence, the impact of microgravity research conducted there keeps growing. The months between Nov. 2020 and Nov. 2021 saw publication of more than 400 scientific papers based on studies aboard the orbiting lab. Here are some highlights of recent results from groundbreaking space station science: b>More

Vienna, Austria (SPX) Jan 03, 2022
The exploitation and exploration of space opens the door to improvements of life on earth, new discoveries and new research opportunities. However, space flight also provides a unique range of challenges due to the harsh environment and difficulty in maintaining systems. Safety, fault-tolerance, and availability are key to ensuring successful missions - both for unmanned vehicles and in human sp