Work continues to return Artemis I Moon rocket back to launch pad for next test
Sunday, 15 May 2022 12:10
Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) May 16, 2022
Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida continue to work on the main tasks needed to prepare the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to return to launch pad 39B for the next wet dress rehearsal attempt.
After re-tightening the flange bolts on the tail service mast umbilical lines to address a hydrogen leak identified during the previous wet dress rehearsal, engine

FAA issues Commercial Space Reentry Site Operator License for Huntsville Airport
Sunday, 15 May 2022 12:10
Washington DC (SPX) May 16, 2022
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing a license to the Huntsville-Madison Airport Authority in Alabama to operate the Huntsville International Airport (HSV) as a commercial space reentry site.
The license permits the airport to offer its site for Sierra Space Dream Chaser vehicles returning to Earth from future NASA resupply missions to th

ISS Partnership faces 'Administrative Difficulties' NASA Panel Says
Sunday, 15 May 2022 12:10
Moscow (Sputnik) May 16, 2022
Susan Helms, a former NASA astronaut and a member of the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, has said that the International Space Station's (ISS) partnership with Russia is experiencing some "administrative difficulties" due to Western sanctions imposed on the country over its military operation in Ukraine.
"The geopolitical sanctions that have been levied on Russia that we've seen happ

Launch of China's commercial carrier rocket fails
Sunday, 15 May 2022 12:10
Jiuquan (XNA) May 16, 2022
The launch of the fourth SQX-1 commercial carrier rocket on Friday was unsuccessful.
Abnormal performance was identified during the flight of the rocket, which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 3:09 p.m. (Beijing Time).
The cause of the failure is under investigation, the launch center said in a statement.
span class="BDL">Source: Xinhua

Boeing reportedly butting heads with supplier over Starliner issues
Sunday, 15 May 2022 12:10
Washington DC (Sputnik) May 16, 2022
Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner is set to fly to the ISS on May 19 atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Florida, with the company hoping to demonstrate to NASA that the spacecraft is safe to transport astronauts to and from the orbiting outpost. Previous uncrewed tests were postponed multiple times due to various issues.
Boeing and its supplier, Aerojet Rocketdyne, are blaming each other for a major

New study indicates limited water circulation late in the history of Mars
Sunday, 15 May 2022 12:10
Lund, Sweden (SPX) May 16, 2022
A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has investigated a meteorite from Mars using neutron and X-ray tomography. The technology, which will probably be used when NASA examines samples from the Red Planet in 2030, showed that the meteorite had limited exposure to water, thus making life at that specific time and place unlikely.
In a cloud of smoke, NASA's spacecraft Perseverance

Redwire warns of volatility in commercial space markets
Saturday, 14 May 2022 21:46
Space technology company Redwire said that while it still sees the commercial sector as its biggest prospect for long-term growth, volatility among its customers may cause delays.
The post Redwire warns of volatility in commercial space markets appeared first on SpaceNews.
Air Force looking at next steps on Space Command basing decision
Saturday, 14 May 2022 15:43
“We're all hoping to move forward with a final decision as quickly as we can," Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said regarding the relocation of U.S. Space Command
The post Air Force looking at next steps on Space Command basing decision appeared first on SpaceNews.
Scientists grow plants in lunar dirt, next stop moon
Saturday, 14 May 2022 13:30
Scientists grow plants in lunar soil
Saturday, 14 May 2022 12:51
Gainsville FL (SPX) May 13, 2022
In the early days of the space age, the Apollo astronauts took part in a visionary plan: Bring samples of the lunar surface material, known as regolith, back to Earth where they could be studied with state-of-the-art equipment and saved for future research not yet imagined.
Fifty years later, at the dawn of the Artemis era and the next astronaut return to the Moon, three of those samples h

Terran Orbital ships CENTAURI-5 satellite to Cape Canaveral
Saturday, 14 May 2022 12:51
Boca Raton FL (SPX) May 13, 2022
Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), a global leader in satellite solutions, primarily serving the United States aerospace and defense industry, has announced it shipped its CENTAURI-5 satellite to Cape Canaveral in preparation for the SpaceX Transporter-5 launch.
The CENTAURI-5 spacecraft is part of a constellation commissioned by Fleet Space Technologies to deliver global connectivit

ISRO tests human-rated HS200 solid rocket booster for Gaganyaan mission
Saturday, 14 May 2022 12:51
New Delhi (IANS) May 13, 2022
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday went a step ahead in its human space mission programme 'Gaganyaan' by successfully completing the static test firing of the solid fuel powered rocket booster engine.
"ISRO successfully completed the static test of a human-rated solid rocket booster (HS200) for the Gaganyaan Programme at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota,

US and Britain enter commercial spaceflight partnership
Saturday, 14 May 2022 12:51
Washington DC (UPI) May 13, 2022
The United States and Britain entered into a commercial spaceflight partnership agreement Thursday with the aim to launch cheaper, quicker and more streamlined spaceflight operations.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his British counterpart, Grant Shapps, signed the agreement at Maryland's Smithsonian Institution, London's Department for Transport said in a statement Friday.

Wealthy nations carving up space and its riches, leaving others behind
Saturday, 14 May 2022 12:51
Tempe AZ (The Conversation) May 13, 2022
Satellites help run the internet and television and are central to the Global Positioning System. They enable modern weather forecasting, help scientists track environmental degradation and play a huge role in modern military technology.
Nations that don't have their own satellites providing these services rely on other countries. For those that want to develop their own satellite infrastr

Sols 3471-3472: Up The Mountain We Go!
Saturday, 14 May 2022 12:51
Pasadena CA (JPL) May 13, 2022
After a successful 47m drive with ~5 m of elevation gain by Curiosity yestersol, we arrived at more new and interesting terrain to investigate! I was on shift as Science Operations Coordinator (SOC), and my role is to keep the pulse on both the science priorities and the rover resources and constraints. It involves a lot of interdisciplinary communication between both the international science t
