Space

Astrobotic announced it has selected SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket in a competitive commercial procurement to launch its Griffin lunar lander to the Moon in late 2023. Griffin will be carrying NASA’s water-hunting Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). “Getting to the Moon isn’t just about building a spacecraft, but having a complete mission solution. SpaceX’s…

Artemis Shielding announced the use of its Radiation Shielding Material (RSM) in a February 20 trip to the International Space Station (ISS) on behalf of Alpha Space Test & Research Alliance. The material was commissioned to protect testing equipment from the harmful effects of radiation during extended exposure periods on the ISS. The Artemis Shielding…

The Galileo Competence Center of the German Aerospace Center (DLR-GK) and Airbus have signed a €16.8 Mio contract for the hosting of DLR’s COMPASSO mission on the International Space Station (ISS) Bartolomeo platform. COMPASSO will be the first in-orbit verification of compact and highly stable laser-optical clocks. Via a bi-directional optical link, these clocks are…

On Wednesday, March 3, SpaceX launched their SN 10 Starship. They conducted high-altitude flight test of the prototype from their site in Cameron County, Texas. Like the previous tests,  SN10 was powered by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. “SN10 performed…

Several places in the UK were able to observe a meteor shooting across the sky Sunday night. The fireball meteor was so bright it was captured by Nest doorbell cameras. It was seen all the way from Bath in the southwest to Yorkshire in the north as well as Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, Somerset, Nuneaton,…

It’s very encouraging that the end of the pandemic is hopefully in sight and once these wonderful vaccines are successfully rolled out then life can start to return to some normality. At which point travel and events such as ATW can safely recommence. We therefore feel it is more prudent to reschedule ATW, one last…

The satellite telecommunications operator Sateliot will rely on the experience and know-how of The Space Alliance between Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67%, Leonardo 33%) and Telespazio (Leonardo 67%, Thales 33%) for the development of a constellation of nanosatellites to ensure that IoT connectivity is compatible with the 5G standard. Acting as telecommunications cell towers in…

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has been confirmed by Northrop Grumman to deliver pressurized cargo modules for the 18th and 19th Cygnus cargo mission. This contract extension reaffirms the longstanding collaboration between the two companies, certifying Thales Alenia Space’s ongoing contribution to the success of Cygnus missions, but…

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) joined countless scientists and space exploration enthusiasts in celebrating the successful landing of the Mars 2020 Mission’s Perseverance Rover on the Red Planet. The development followed a successful launch last July 30 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This U.S. mission addresses high-priority scientific goals for exploration to…

The most advanced rover NASA has sent to another planet touched down on Mars Thursday, February 18, 2021 after a 203 days en route. Confirmation of the successful touchdown was announced at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory mission control in Southern California at 3:55 p.m. EST. The Mars 2020 mission launched July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral…

The Mars Perseverance rover mission is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long term-effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The Mars Perseverance mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential for life on Mars. The mission takes the next step by not only seeking signs of…

GDP Space Systems will be providing ground equipment to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in support of the upcoming Psyche mission. Originally purchased to support previous successful Mars programs, GDP’s telemetry receivers have now been repurposed to test the RF transmitter for the Psyche mission; a journey to a unique metal asteroid orbiting the Sun…