Falcon 9 launches first Intuitive Machines lunar lander
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-15 06:54
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off at 1:05 a.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 39A. The rocket’s upper stage deployed the Nova-C lander, called Odysseus. The lander will arrive at the moon on Feb. 21, going into an orbit about 100 kilometers above the moon.
Governments worldwide use satellite communication to close a critical gap
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 15:30
Satellites serve as a reliable safeguard for our crucial communication infrastructure. By combining the strengths of both, we can unlock unprecedented possibilities for connectivity. Europe’s IRIS 2 -space program may be the first large-scale case of the unification of standardized 5G terrestrial and non-terrestrial network.
BAE Systems wins approval for Ball Aerospace acquisition
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 12:17
BAE Systems will complete its $5.5 billion acquisition of Ball Aerospace in days. All that remains are the “customary steps at the end of a transaction,” BAE says. Once the deal closes, Ball Aerospace will become a fourth operating sector of BAE.
Fueling issue delays Intuitive Machines lunar lander launch
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 12:11
SpaceX postpones launch of Intuitive Machines lunar lander by a day. Company says problem with fueling spacecraft on the launch pad. Launch has been rescheduled for 1:05 a.m. Eastern Feb. 15. Landing, near Malapert A crater in the south polar regions of the moon, scheduled for Feb. 22.
Space Force continues to tweak plan to partner with commercial industry
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-13 23:20
Space Force chief Gen. Chance Saltzman says plan for partnering with private space companies in final stages. Commercial strategy has been highly anticipated by companies across the space industry. One reason for delay is that it is being coordinated with the Pentagon’s space policy office. Saltzman previously said he was not happy with early drafts of the strategy.
Future military target-tracking satellites to be operated by U.S. Space Force
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-13 22:19
Space Force will be responsible for flying a new fleet of satellites. The satellites will monitor ground targets in near-real time virtually anywhere in the world. The network of satellites is being developed by the National Reconnaissance Office. These sensors in space would give commanders persistent video-like surveillance capabilities.
Skylo raises $37 million to scale up direct-to-device partnerships
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-13 17:56
Skylo has developed the ground infrastructure that satellites need to connect to mass market devices. The funding round was announced Feb. 13, a year after the first Skylo-enabled smartphone was unveiled. Skylo intends to use the funds to grow a team of 53 people, strengthen marketing efforts.
In honor of Presidents Washington and Lincoln… – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-15 00:00
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UPDATE 3: SpaceX successfully launches Odysseus on way to Moon – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 00:00
Odysseus, a robotic lunar lander built by the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines, was launched early this morning (February 15) If Odysseus successfully touches down near the moon’s south pole on Feb. 22, it will be the first-ever private spacecraft to accomplish a lunar landing which hasn’t been since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission more than half a century ago.
SpaceX launches 6 prototype missile tracking satellites providing targeting info for Missile Defense Agency and Space Development Agency – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 00:00
Falcon 9 launched the USSF-124 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was the seventh launch of the first stage booster, which previously supported Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER, and four Starlink missions.
ISS National Lab-sponsored optical glass fabrication moves the Future of In-Space Mfg. – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-15 00:00
Flawless Photonics, Inc. Launched on Northrop Grumman’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (NG-20) mission. The experiments will test Flawless Photonics’s approach to solving the issue of gravity-induced defects in optical glass products manufactured on Earth. The real-world benefits of these fibers on Earth are substantial, promising to revolutionize optical communication.
SwRI scientists identify water molecules on asteroids for the first time – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 00:00
SwRI scientists have discovered, for the first time, water molecules on the surface of an asteroid. Anhydrous, or dry, silicate asteroids form close to the Sun while icy materials coalesce farther out. Understanding the location of asteroids and their compositions tells us how materials in the solar nebula were distributed.
In-Space Missions awarded additional UK Space Agency funding for Faraday Dragon – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 00:00
In-Space Missions Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, has been awarded further funding from the UK Space Agency. The funding from Phase 2 of the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund will be used in the development of novel Asia-Pacific payload technologies. Faraday Dragon is a 250 kg class satellite system that will be designed, assembled, integrated and tested in the UK by In-Space Missions. Due to launch in 2026, and with a five year mission lifetime, the satellite will accommodate a suite of complementary payloads.
SpaceX to deorbit 100 Starlink satellites due to detected flaw – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 00:00
SpaceX is deorbiting 100 early-version 1 Starlink satellites before they potentially fail. The removal of so many satellites at once is unprecedented, highlighting the challenges of huge satellite constellations. There are currently 5,402 functioning Starlink satellites orbiting in low Earth orbit (LEO), the first of which were launched in 2019.
Sense the Solar Eclipse with NASA’s Eclipse Soundscapes Project
Eclipse Soundscapes is a free project to capture the sounds of an eclipse. People on or near the path of totality can participate as “Data Collectors’ or “Observers” Anyone with an internet connection can participate as an “Apprentice” or as a “Data Analyst”
Flame Burns Out on NASA’s Long-Running Spacecraft Fire Experiment
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-14 17:30
NASA recently concluded the final mission of its Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiment, or Saffire. The final experiment, Saffire-VI, launched to the International Space Station in August 2023 and concluded its mission on Jan. 9. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft it was flying on safely burned up during planned re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Stars Sparkle in New Hubble Image
This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope view shows the globular cluster NGC 2298, a sparkling collection of thousands of stars held together by their mutual gravitational attraction. Globular clusters are typically home to older populations of stars, and they mostly reside in the dusty outskirts of galaxies.
NASA Telescopes Find New Clues About Mysterious Deep Space Signals
The burst occurred between two “glitches,’ when the magnetar suddenly started spinning faster. SGR 1935+2154 is estimated to be about 12 miles (20 kilometers) across and spinning about 3.2 times per second. Slowing it down or speeding it up would require a significant amount of energy.
Team Assessing SHERLOC Instrument on NASA’s Perseverance Rover
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach. A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.
SpaceX launches Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission from Florida
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-13 20:48
SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a lunar lander for Intuitive Machines (IM) of Houston, Texas. The mission, IM-1, saw the launch of the first of the IM Nova-C class landers from Launch Complex 39A. The first launch attempt was scrubbed on Feb. 14 due to off-nominal methane temperatures prior to loading. If the mission successfully lands on the Moon, IM will become the first commercial organization, and the first American spacecraft in over 50 years, to successfully land on the surface of the Moon.
Starship Flight 3 Fully Stacked for WDR testing
Original Publication Date: 2024-02-13 17:42
SpaceX is making good progress on Flight 3 readiness with a full stack on the pad. Road closures coming up for a possible Wet Dress Rehearsal for Booster 10 and Ship 28. While Booster 10 was in the Mega Bay, SpaceX appears to have made some changes to the bottom of the Liquid Oxygen (LOX) tank.