Posts Tagged ‘United States’
SpaceX launches private space mission Fram2 to polar orbit
In a spaceflight first, four private astronauts were launched to a 90-degree polar orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket on March 31. The Fram-2 mission was backed by cryptocurrency entrepreneur Chun Wang, who is flying as the mission commander.
Read MoreFCC examines auction of satellite-to-device bandwidth
In a move that could give low Earth orbit satellite constellations more reach in the direct-to-device market, the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday opened discussions on auctioning off radio spectrum in the upper C-band.
Read MoreGeneral: Better satellites key to new missile defense efforts
The general in charge of defending North America from attack told a Senate panel Thursday that he needs more and better satellites to keep up with increasingly advanced missile threats from nations including China, Russia, and North Korea.
Read MoreInternational Space Station moved twice to dodge orbital debris
Crews have maneuvered International Space Station twice in one week to avoid orbital debris, using thrusters to move the research outpost to a higher orbit.
Read MoreNASA cheers SpaceX Starship test as lunar deadline looms
NASA leaders cheered SpaceX’s successful fifth Starship test flight on Oct. 13, which demonstrated capabilities the agency plans to use when it returns astronauts to the Moon.
Read MoreNASA lays off 5% of JPL staff amid budget tightening
NASA laid off more than 300 employees at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory amid a shrinking budget and an uncertain federal future.
Read MoreNASA, Boeing extract lode of data amid Starliner’s extended stay in space
Boeing Starliner Commercial Crew Module deemed safe to return astronauts to Earth for emergency return as engineers diagnose anomalies.
Read MoreIran’s recent space success could advance nuclear aims, retired General says
A Sunday launch that placed three Iranian satellites into orbit could signal the Islamic Republic’s ability to use its launch vehicles to deliver warheads to distant targets, warned retired Air Force Gen. Lance Lord, a former leader of Pentagon space efforts. Announced by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the Sunday launch was the nation’s second successful space mission in the past month and the first to deliver multiple satellites. The three satellites, Mahda, Keyhan-2, and Hatef-1, were described by Iran as research satellites designed to test a variety of technologies including communications.
Read MoreFinal flight of NASA’s remarkable Mars helicopter ends with rotor damage
Rotor damage suffered during a routine Jan. 18 flight grounded the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, after three years exceeding expectations and setting milestones for powered flight on another planet alongside the Perseverance rover, ending the aircraft’s remarkable mission, NASA announced Thursday.
Read MoreFacing safety, budget concerns, NASA delays Artemis Moon missions
With budget cuts on the horizon and technical hurdles to vault before astronauts return to the Moon, NASA pushed the brakes on its Artemis program launch schedule Tuesday, delaying a planned lunar fly-by mission into 2025 and its planned landing into 2026. The agency cited safety concerns for the delay, including an ongoing investigation into problems with a heatshield, which was damaged when the uncrewed Artemis I capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after a 2022 test flight. The move also comes as congressional negotiators mull slimming the agency’s budget by more than $500 million from its 2023, and $2.2 billion short of NASA’s 2024 budget request.
Read More