Flagstaff AZ (SPX) Nov 17, 2022
Is there life in Martian caves? It's a good question, but it's not the right question-yet. An international collaboration of scientists led by NAU researcher Jut Wynne has dozens of questions we need asked and answered. Once we figure out how to study caves on the Moon, Mars and other planetary bodies, then we can return to that question. Wynne, an assistant research professor of cave ecol

Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 16, 2022
Yesterday we weren't able to use the arm and thus weren't able to do contact science, but a short drive got us into a better position. Unfortunately, the dust removal tool still wasn't safe to use at our location, so the team decided to make another drive to try again for contact science on the weekend. Even though the plan wasn't what we expected coming in to today, we were still able to make t

Bremen, Germany (SPX) Nov 17, 2022
Space start-ups with micro-launcher projects will be important players in European space transport in the future. So-called micro-launchers are smaller rockets that can carry payloads of up to one tonne into low Earth orbit. They complement the capabilities of the established Ariane European launcher and will accelerate the development of new business areas and technologies in the launcher marke

Boca Raton FL (SPX) Nov 16, 2022
Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), a global leader in satellite-based solutions primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, has announced the successful launch of LunIR. The Moon-mapping satellite is the second Terran Orbital-developed lunar satellite to launch this year - the first being CAPSTONE. Launched on June 28, CAPSTONE became the first satellite to enter a Near-Rectili

Jiuquan (XNA) Nov 17, 2022
Galactic Energy, a private carrier rocket maker in Beijing, carried out the fourth flight mission of its CERES 1 rocket on Wednesday afternoon to deploy five Earth-observation satellites into orbit. The CERES 1 Y4 rocket blasted off at 2:20 pm at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert and soon placed the Gaofen 03D08, 03D51, 03D52, 03D53 and 03D54, five optical

Houston TX (SPX) Nov 17, 2022
During Artemis I, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will send the agency's Orion spacecraft on a trek 40,000 miles beyond the Moon before returning to Earth. To capture the journey, the rocket and spacecraft are equipped with cameras that will collect valuable engineering data and share a unique perspective of humanity's return to the Moon. There are 24 cameras on the rocket and spac

Beijing (XNA) Nov 17, 2022
The Shenzhou XIV crew on board the orbiting Chinese Tiangong space station is conducting their extravehicular activities for the third time, according to the China Manned Space Agency. Commander Chen Dong has already gotten out of the space station, and crew member Cai Xuzhe will subsequently exit. Taikonaut Liu Yang is inside the core module to support her crewmates, the agency said in a

Boston MA (SPX) Nov 17, 2022
On Nov. 16, NASA successfully launched the Artemis I mission after several launch delays. Artemis I is an uncrewed test flight featuring a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will send the Orion spacecraft around the moon and back to test the system and hardware extensively before future flights with astronauts. The first of several missions, Artemis I will pave the way for subsequent mi

Washington DC (UPI) Nov 16, 2021
Cameras on board NASA's Artemis I began capturing images Wednesday with new views of Earth, the moon and the Orion spacecraft. After several delays Artemis I blasted off early Wednesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Before returning to Earth, NASA's Artemis I will travel 40,000 miles beyond the moon collecting engineering data. Four of the 24 camer

Washington DC (SPX) Nov 17, 2022
NASA has awarded a contract modification to SpaceX to further develop its Starship human landing system to meet agency requirements for long-term human exploration of the Moon under Artemis. With this addition, SpaceX will provide a second crewed landing demonstration mission in 2027 as part of NASA's Artemis IV mission. "Returning astronauts to the Moon to learn, live, and work is a