Astra launch of NASA TROPICS cubesats fails
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-12 19:02:19+00:00
Astra's Rocket 3.3 vehicle, designated LV0010, lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 1:43 p.m. Eastern. The launch was the first of three for NASA's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity. The company has successfully reached orbit on only two of its first seven launches.
NASA audit reveals massive overruns in SLS mobile launch platform
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-09 19:53:07+00:00
A new mobile launch platform that Bechtel is building for NASA will cost up to four times as much as originally planned. The new platform could push back the first launch of an upgraded version of the Space Launch System to the late 2020s. The audit by NASA's Office of Inspector General, published June 9, was sharply critical of both Bechtel and NASA.
DoD space agency to acquire 10 satellites for experiments in low Earth orbit
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-12 14:34:33+00:00
The Space Development Agency is looking to acquire as many as 10 satellites. The satellites will host military payloads for experiments in low Earth orbit. This new procurement of satellites - known as the NExT experimental testbed - replaces a previous SDA program called T1DES. SDA wants the experimental payloads deployed between March 2024 and March 2025.
Cargo Dragon launch rescheduled for July after identifying hydrazine leak
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-14 11:18:35+00:00
SpaceX Dragon mission to the International Space Station will now launch no earlier than July 11. Engineers identified the source of elevated hydrazine readings in the spacecraft. The readings were the sign of a potential leak in the vehicle's Draco thrusters. The spacecraft will transport experiments and cargo to the station.
Chinese university completes space-based solar power ground test facility
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-14 08:14:27+00:00
China's Xidian University has completed what it calls the world's first full-link and full-system ground test system for space-based solar power. The 75-meter-high steel structure is located in the south campus of Xidian University in Xi'an, north China. It hosts subsystems for testing a space-based solarPower (SBSP) concept.
Research examines X-ray intraday variability of blazar Markarian 421
Researchers analyzed data from ESA's XMM-Newton satellite. They found X-ray intraday variability of a nearby blazar known as Markarian 421. Blazars are very compact quasars associated with supermassive black holes. The blazar hosts a central SMBH with a mass estimated to be between 200 and 900 million solar masses.
A wandering star disrupts the stellar nursery
Astrophysicists find unusual magnetic field in star-forming cloud L483. The shape of the envelope might have triggered the formation of twin stars in the system. The new findings provide insight into binary star formation and how magnetic fields influence the earliest stages of developing stars.
Tracing the remnants of Andromeda's violent history
Collisions between galaxies create tidal artifacts with all sorts of shapes. This new work from Ivanna Escala found conclusive evidence that Andromeda's Northeast, West, and Southeast shelfs and Giant Stellar Stream are the result of a collision with another galaxy. Studying these tidal features can teach us about how galaxies grow and evolve over time.
Simulations reveal hydrodynamics of planetary engulfment by expanding star
Study using hydrodynamical simulations reveals the forces acting on a planet when it is swallowed by an expanding star. The dynamics and possible outcomes of planetary engulfment are poorly understood, but it is thought to be a relatively common fate for planetary systems. The results may help explain recent observations of planets and brown dwarfs closely orbiting stellar remnants such as white dwarfs and subdwarfs.
Cosmic 'dust' from supernovae hints at how stars are born
Polarized dust emission detected in far-infrared belongs to the SNR, and supernovae are producers of a large mass of dust. Silicate grains are the dominant dust to have such strong polarization. Theoretical models previously showed that dust formation in supernovae could explain the presence of dust in the early universe.
Ukraine invasion's impacts on space exploration: Live updates
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-03 10:23:21+00:00
Russia launches first resupply mission to the International Space Station since Ukraine invasion. Progress 81 cargo ship lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan at 5:32 a.m. EDT (0932 GMT) It is delivering nearly 3 tons of supplies to the station. Scientists with the European Space Agency are worried about their ExoMars rover mission.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission: Live updates
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-08 20:21:37+00:00
The James Webb Space Telescope has suffered its first few micrometeoroid impacts, according to a NASA statement. The agency said that it does not expect meaningful changes to the timeline for first science-quality images from the mission or to the observatory's overall scientific legacy. NASA personnel will update the public about the telescope's progress so far and what remains to be done during a news conference on Monday (May 9) at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT)
'Obi-Wan Kenobi' episode 4: A daring rescue that doesn't quite hit the mark
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-14 11:20:07+00:00
'Obi-Wan Kenobi' episode three is out now on Disney Plus. Follows the titular hero as he infiltrates the Fortress Inquisitorius to rescue the princess. Star Wars' latest rescue mission live up to the universally adored season finale of 'The Mandalorian'
Polaris Dawn crew training for epic private SpaceX mission this fall
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-14 10:00:28+00:00
Polaris Dawn is scheduled to launch no earlier than the fourth quarter of this year. The Dragon capsule carrying Jared Isaacman and his three crewmates will lift off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Polaris Dawn mission will feature the first commercial spacewalk and soar to an orbital altitude higher than any human has reached since the final Apollo mission.
Photos: Artemis 1 rocket hauled to launch pad for another countdown rehearsal - Spaceflight Now
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-12 00:00:00
NASA's Artemis 1 moon rocket rolled out to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on June 6. The rollout began at 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 GMT) with the departure of the Space Launch System. The rocket and its mobile launch platform rode NASA's diesel-powered crawler-transporter for the 4.2-mile journey to pad 39B.
NASA to purchase five more Dragon crew missions from SpaceX - Spaceflight Now
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-10 00:00:00
NASA says it plans to buy five more crew rotation missions on SpaceX's fleet of Dragon spaceships. The five additional Dragon missions help ensure NASA maintains two independent crew transpiration providers. SpaceX and Boeing alternating astronaut missions every six months once the agency certifies Boeing's Starliner capsule for the job.
Astra to begin three-launch campaign with NASA hurricane research satellites - Spaceflight Now
Original Publication Date: 2022-06-10 00:00:00
Astra is preparing to launch the first of three dedicated missions for NASA this weekend. The first of the three TROPICS missions is set for liftoff during a two-hour window opening at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) Sunday. Forecasters predict stormy weather at the launch site, with a greater than 50% chance conditions could prevent liftoff.
NASASpaceFlight.com
Shenzhou 14 launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Sunday morning, June 5. Crewed launch of three taikonauts took place from a pad known as Space Launch Site 1. Shenzhou spacecraft being taken to orbit by a Chang Zheng 2F rocket.
Commercial Archives
The first of three flights to launch the TROPICS satellites for NASA lifted off on Sunday during at 1:43 PM EDT (17:43 UTC) Astra's LV0010 vehicle launched from SLC-46 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, making the company's seventh orbital launch attempt. After a nominal first stage burn, the upper stage engine shut down early. As a result, the vehicle and payloads were lost.
International Archives
Lockheed Martin completes the first-time power-up of the Orion capsule for the Artemis 2 mission. The Orion capsule is the first that will be tasked with carrying humans. Lockheed Martin provided updates on the other three capsules, and three European Service Modules, currently in various stages of their respective flows.
Chinese Long March 3B Launches APStar-6C Communications Satellite - Spaceflight101
China conducted a rare commercial launch of a Long March 3B rocket with the APStar-6C communications satellite for APT Satellite Holdings. Long March 3B lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 16:06 UTC on a mission of under half an hour to lift the spacecraft into an elliptical Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The satellite will deliver VSAT services, video distribution, Direct-to-Home television and high-throughput cellular backhaul.
Blue Origin-s New Shepard Reaches new Heights in latest Test Flight - Spaceflight101
Blue Origin returned to its West Texas testing grounds on Sunday for the eighth flight of its reusable New Shepard launch system. The mission was designed to expand the vehicle's operational envelope by sending it to a peak altitude of 107 Kilometers, a new record for New Shepard. Sunday's flight marked the second for this particular set of hardware, following up on the successful December 2017 mission that debuted 'Crew Capsule 2.0'.
News - Spaceflight101
"It's a little bit like being in a war zone," Says one of the world's best-selling author. "It's like being in the middle of a war zone," Said another. "It's a bit like being in the midst of a war. It's a little bit of a war, but it's a lot of fun," He says.
ISS Updates - Spaceflight101 - International Space Station
A veteran NASA spacewalker and an EVA rookie from Japan ended their week with nearly six hours of work outside the International Space Station. The restoration of the Station's Mobile Servicing System started last year and continued in January to provide Canadarm2 with a new pair of grappling hands.