Bethesda, MD (SPX) Apr 24, 2023
On April 20, 2023, a little after 9:30 A.M. eastern time SpaceX's new Starship system lifted off from the company's southeast Texas spaceport. This was an historic event because the Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. The ship ascended smoothly for the first several minutes, but as the vehicle approached the moment of stage separation an anomaly occurred that resulted in

Baltimore MD (SPX) Apr 25, 2023
Every giant was once a baby, though you may never have seen them at that stage of their development. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has begun to shed light on formative years in the history of the universe that have thus far been beyond reach: the formation and assembly of galaxies. For the first time, a protocluster of seven galaxies has been confirmed at a distance that astronomers refer to

Beijing (XNA) Apr 24, 2023
Lunar samples, mineral discovery and experience for future missions among gains Chinese scientists have made major advances in the research of Earth's nearest celestial neighbor, the moon, thanks to samples and data gathered by China's lunar probes. In the latest development, water locked in glass beads has been found in lunar samples returned by the Chang'e 5 mission. A study publis

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Apr 24, 2023
In celebration of Earth Day, it's important to recognize the role of open science in protecting our planet and advancing NASA's research efforts. Through initiatives like NASA's Transform to Open Science (TOPS), researchers can collaborate and share data, promoting transparency and scientific integrity. By sharing research findings and data publicly, NASA is enabling scientists and the pub

Beijing, China (SPX) Apr 24, 2023
On November 21, 2022, President Xi Jinping pointed out in his congratulatory letter to the United Nations/China Space Exploration and Innovation Global Partnership Symposium that there is no end to space exploration. China is willing to work with other countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, jointly explore the mysteries of the universe, use outer space peacefully, and promote space t

Beijing (XNA) Apr 24, 2023
President Xi Jinping has been a staunch supporter of China's space undertakings. He has paid visits to several space launch sites and he frequently mentioned the country's space achievements in his New Year addresses. Xi has a deep impression and high opinion of Dongfanghong-1, China's first man-made satellite launched in 1970. In a letter replying to veteran scientists in April 2020, Xi r

Washington DC (SPX) Apr 24, 2023
The CAPSTONE mission team has provided an update on the spacecraft's operations since performing the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) insertion maneuver on November 13th, 2022. The spacecraft has spent 154 days operating in the NRHO, completing 23 NRHO revolutions, and executing six Orbit Maintenance Maneuvers (OMM) using approximately 1.8 m/s of fuel. Despite issues with a thruster valv

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 21, 2023
Northrop Grumman's autonomous Cygnus spaceship will leave the International Space Station on Friday morning carrying away more than 8,000 pounds of trash from the orbiting laboratory, The S.S. Sally Ride, named after the first U.S. female astronaut, departed from the Unity module of the International Space Station at about 7:20 a.m. EDT. It burned n up in a planned re-entry into

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 21, 2023
Even as SpaceX said its Starship "flight termination system" worked as designed, Thursday's spectacular launch failure in Texas also revealed another potential issue with the program locally: explosive debris. The SpaceX rocket launch explosion rained debris over a wide area, shaking homes and covering nearby Port Isabel with brown grime for miles. Rob Nixon of San Benito, who wa

Starbase TX (AFP) Apr 23 2023
Flying chunks of concrete, twisted metal sheets, craters blasted deep into the ground: the thunderous power of SpaceX's first test flight of Starship - the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built - inflicted serious damage on its Texas launch site. Repairing the damage from Thursday's unmanned test flight is expected to take months, potentially delaying further launch attempts and slow