A successful liftoff: Space shuttle Endeavour's rockets are installed
Monday, 13 November 2023 13:40
In a delicate maneuver, crews successfully lifted into place giant rockets at the California Science Center, the first large components installed at the future home of the space shuttle Endeavour.
Donated by Northrup Grumman, the solid rocket motors are each the size of a Boeing 757 fuselage and weigh 104,000 pounds. They had to be carefully moved from a horizontal to vertical position by crane before being lowered into place in the new exhibit at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.
One was installed Tuesday, the other Wednesday.
Crews were then able to place the 177 pins attaching each solid rocket motor to the base of the solid rocket booster, known as the aft skirt. Each pin is 1 inch in diameter and about 2 inches long.
"It felt great," California Science Center President Jeffrey Rudolph said of the successful installation. "We've got two solid rocket motors standing tall in the new building now."
Visitors to the museum can now see the top of the rockets from outside the construction site. At one point during the crane lift, the solid rocket motors could even be seen from the 110 Freeway.
Monitoring methane emissions from space
Monday, 13 November 2023 11:00
Video:
00:03:23
Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. Curbing methane emissions could deliver immediate and long-lasting benefits for the climate, seeing as the gas only lingers in the atmosphere for a relatively short time.
Satellites have a really important role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Tropomi instrument onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite is the only instrument that maps global methane concentrations every single day. This lets scientists detect hotspots for large methane sources around the world – allowing us to address the consequences of methane emissions on our
Monitoring methane from space
Monday, 13 November 2023 11:00
Video:
00:03:23
Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. Curbing methane emissions could deliver immediate and long-lasting benefits for the climate, seeing as the gas only lingers in the atmosphere for a relatively short time.
Satellites have a really important role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Tropomi instrument onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite is the only instrument that maps global methane concentrations every single day. This lets scientists detect hotspots for large methane sources around the world – allowing us to address the consequences of methane emissions on our
Two ESA Φ-lab-enabled satellites launched
Monday, 13 November 2023 08:15
MANTIS, the first satellite mission to be supported from concept to liftoff by ESA’s Earth Observation InCubed programme, has been launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. MANTIS carries a high-resolution multispectral camera coupled with a powerful AI processing unit.
Intuition-1 was also launched on the same rocket and will similarly demonstrate the advantages of onboard AI capabilities, in this case in tandem with a hyperspectral imager. The satellite’s machine learning algorithms were developed under the ESA-funded Genesis project
A third pair of SES' O3b mPower satellites launches from Cape Canaveral
Monday, 13 November 2023 02:10
In a significant advancement for global telecommunications, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched two new communication satellites, O3b mPOWER 5 and 6, for Luxembourg-based SES S.A. The launch occurred on Sunday at the opening of their 89-minute window at 4:08 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. These satellites are destined for a Halo Space, Eos X and Arthur D. Little Spain indicted for unlawful use of Zero 2 Infinity’s trade secrets
Monday, 13 November 2023 00:45
SpaceX launches final pair of O3b mPower satellites needed for commercial services
Sunday, 12 November 2023 23:53
Rogue Space launches its first demonstration mission on Transporter-9
Sunday, 12 November 2023 15:39
Saber Astronautics gets Space Force contract for data visualization software
Sunday, 12 November 2023 14:33
TRISAT-R CubeSat: A Glimpse of Earth through the Eye of a Coin-Sized Camera
Sunday, 12 November 2023 05:21
In a striking display of miniaturized innovation, the European Space Agency's TRISAT-R CubeSat has provided a unique perspective of our planet Earth from an altitude of 6,000 kilometers, captured through a camera no larger than the edge of a 20-cent coin. This technological feat, demonstrating the prowess of highly compact space technology, has been a part of Slovenia's second space mission, sig Intelsat Secures Pioneering SATCOM Managed Service Pilot Contract with US Army
Sunday, 12 November 2023 05:21
Intelsat, a prominent operator of one of the world's most extensive integrated satellite and terrestrial networks, is set to enhance the U.S Army's communication capabilities through a new, fully managed satellite communications (SATCOM) support system. This development follows Intelsat's successful acquisition of the Army's inaugural Satellite Communication (SATCOM) as a Managed Service (SaaMS) For All Mankind: Space drama's alternate history constructs a better vision of NASA
Sunday, 12 November 2023 00:08
Great art is often difficult to quantify. Apple TV's series For All Mankind is a case in point, running the risk of being too sci-fi for drama fans (rockets, moon bases, Mars) and having too much naturalistic drama for sci-fi aficionados (jealousy, divorce, institutional politics).
Nonetheless, the show consistently rewards both sets of viewers by brilliantly blurring the line between real Hypergolic rocket engine with advanced throttling tested by Sierra Space
Sunday, 12 November 2023 00:08
Sierra Space, a leader in the commercial space sector, has achieved a significant milestone with the successful testing of its new VRM5500-H hypergolic rocket engine, promising to revolutionize the current propulsion systems in space. This engine, with its high thrust and exceptional throttling abilities, is poised to set new standards in space propulsion technology.
The VRM5500-H engine, NASA's Mars Missions Persist Through Solar Conjunction
Sunday, 12 November 2023 00:08
As Earth and Mars find themselves on opposite sides of the Sun - a biennial astronomical event known as the Mars solar conjunction - NASA's intrepid Mars fleet braces for a two-week communication hiatus, from November 11 to 25. This period, marked by the potential for solar interference, necessitates a pause in sending commands to the fleet, but it's far from a standstill for the Martian explore