Professionals Satellite YPSat Ready for Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing
Thursday, 07 December 2023 00:51ESA's Young Professionals Satellite (YPSat) is making significant progress as it approaches its crucial phase of electromagnetic compatibility testing. The YPSat project, led entirely by ESA Young Professionals, aims to provide them with hands-on experience in designing, building, and testing hardware for space applications while contributing to the upcoming Ariane 6 launch. The latest testing m
NASA identifies probable reason for OSIRIS-REx capsule parachute deployment issue
Thursday, 07 December 2023 00:51NASA's OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule successfully touched down under parachute in Utah's desert on September 24, 2023, delivering a container filled with rocks and dust from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Despite the successful delivery, the landing sequence encountered a minor hiccup. A smaller parachute, known as a drogue, did not deploy as planned. A detailed analysis of the descent
CisLunar Industries Joins DARPA's Innovative LunA-10 Lunar Infrastructure Program
Thursday, 07 December 2023 00:51CisLunar Industries, an emerging name in space technology, has secured a significant contract with DARPA for the LunA-10 capability study, marking a major step in advancing lunar infrastructure development. This contract positions CisLunar Industries at the forefront of efforts to redefine lunar operations and services. The LunA-10 program, undertaken by DARPA, is a forward-looking initiat
Pentagon advisors: Despite reforms, Space Force still shackled to sluggish procurement system
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 21:20NorthStar raises $15 million for debris-tracking satellites waiting on Rocket Lab
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 18:38NASA finds likely cause of OSIRIS-REx parachute deployment sequence
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 16:19NASA's OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule landed under parachute in the Utah desert on Sept. 24, 2023, and safely delivered a cannister of rocks and dust collected from near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Although the delivery was successful, the landing sequence did not go entirely according to plan, with a small parachute called a drogue not deploying as expected.
After a thorough review of the descent video and the capsule's extensive documentation, NASA found that inconsistent wiring label definitions in the design plans likely caused engineers to wire the parachutes' release triggers such that signals meant to deploy the drogue chute fired out of order.
The drogue was expected to deploy at an altitude of about 100,000 feet. It was designed to slow and stabilize the capsule during a roughly five-minute descent prior to main parachute deployment at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Instead, at 100,000 feet, the signal triggered the system to cut the drogue free while it was still packed in the capsule. When the capsule reached 9,000 feet, the drogue deployed.
With its retention cord already cut, the drogue was immediately released from the capsule.
Tracking human emissions from space
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 14:00The Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (CO2M) mission will be the first satellite mission to measure how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through human activity.
CO2M isn't just a mission; it's a crucial step in our commitment to understanding and mitigating climate change. It will offer unprecedented precision in monitoring carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuel at national and regional scales.
Its data will provide the EU with a unique and independent source of information to assess the effectiveness of policy measures and to track their impact towards decarbonising Europe ahead of the
Understanding climate tipping points
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 12:30As the planet warms, many parts of the Earth system are undergoing large-scale changes. Ice sheets are shrinking, sea levels are rising and coral reefs are dying off.
While climate records are being continuously broken, the cumulative impact of these changes could also cause fundamental parts of the Earth system to change dramatically. These ‘tipping points’ of climate change are critical thresholds in that, if exceeded, can lead to irreversible consequences.
Capella to use SpaceX for two Acadia satellite launches
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 09:49China launches internet technology test satellite from sea barge
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 09:30Iran says it sent a capsule capable of carrying animals into orbit as it prepares for human missions
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 09:04Iran said Wednesday it sent a capsule into orbit capable of carrying animals as it prepares for human missions in coming years.
OSIRIS-REx parachute deployment affected by wiring error
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 08:04HawkEye 360's Pathfinder constellation complete five years of Advanced RF Detection
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 07:05Five years ago, HawkEye 360 Inc., a trailblazer in space-based radio frequency (RF) data and analytics, embarked on an ambitious journey with the launch of its Pathfinder satellite cluster. On December 3, 2018, the three Pathfinder satellites were successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking a significant milestone in commercial spac
SDA's Tranche 0 satellites enable first ever Link 16 space to ground transmission
Wednesday, 06 December 2023 07:05The Space Development Agency (SDA), a key player in the United States Department of Defense's strategic initiatives, recently announced a significant milestone in space communication technology. In a series of demonstrations held from November 21-27, 2023, the SDA successfully executed the first-ever network entry using the Link 16 system from low Earth orbit (LEO) to a series of terrestrial rec