ESA’s YPSat has been shipped to Arianespace. Following a series of successful tests confirming its readiness for deployment, the payload is now headed to Europe’s Launch Site in French Guiana. The goal of YPSat is to capture all the key phases of Ariane 6's inaugural flight.

Image: First Ariane 6 booster gets lift to launch zone

Ariane 6 media kit

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 25, 2024
China has announced its intention to expand the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourists in missions to its space station, emphasizing inclusivity and cooperation in its space endeavors. According to Lin Xiqiang, spokesman for the Shenzhou XVIII mission, this initiative aims to diversify the backgrounds of those participating in upcoming space station flights. Three groups of

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 25, 2024
China's upcoming Chang'e 7 lunar exploration mission is set to include six scientific instruments from six different countries and one international organization, as announced by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) during the recent China Space Day celebration in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Scheduled for launch in 2026, the Chang'e 7 mission will focus on investigating the lunar sout

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 25, 2024
The Chang'e 7 robotic mission, under the China National Space Administration, plans to deploy six international science payloads to the moon's south pole by 2026. This initiative marks a significant phase in China's ongoing lunar exploration efforts. Announced in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, the mission aims to conduct comprehensive surveys and analyses of the lunar south pole's s

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 24, 2024
Japan's moon lander has survived a third lunar night, something that surprised even its designers, as it continued to take snapshots and probe the satellite's surface, officials said on Wednesday. The Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon, or SLIM, came back to life after emerging from the darkness and sent signals to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. "Last night (the nig

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 25, 2024
The initial crew in a yearlong NASA Mars analog mission at the CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) facility has reached the 300-day milestone. Initiated on June 25, 2023, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the mission is slated for completion on July 6, 2024. This team, consisting of four volunteers, has been immersed in a series of activities designed to simula

ESA’s Hera asteroid mission for planetary defence will make a swingby of Mars next March, borrowing speed to help reach its target Didymos binary asteroid system.