Author: starpathwp-production
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JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon Successfully Enters Lunar Orbit
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) was successfully inserted into lunar orbit at 16:51 (Japan Standard Time, JST) on December 25, 2023. The lunar orbit of SLIM will be inserted into an elliptical lunar orbit connecting the Moon’s north and south poles with a period…
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Top SATCOM Antennas in 2023
SATCOM Antennas stand as essential conduits facilitating seamless connectivity between Earth and orbiting satellites. These antennas play a crucial role in transmitting and receiving signals, enabling the vital exchange of information for a myriad of applications, including telecommunications, weather monitoring, and scientific research. As the demand for space exploration and satellite deployment continues to escalate…
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Historic SpaceX Falcon 9 booster topples over and is lost at sea
The remains of Falcon 9 booster 1058 arrive at Port Canaveral after the vehicle toppled over and broke apart in bad weather. Image: Steven Young/Spaceflight Now. A piece of America’s space history is now on the ocean’s floor. During its return voyage to Port Canaveral in Central Florida, a SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage booster…
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China’s 2023: closing out a busy year amidst preparations for lunar missions
Following China’s impressive 2022, the country once again managed to launch over 60 times in a calendar year. While the year lacked high-profile missions, more are on the horizon as China focuses on the Moon. The launches While the year is not fully over yet, China already managed to build up an impressive manifest for…
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Top Satellite On-Board Computers in 2023
On-board Computers represent the core processing units orchestrating intricate operations within satellites. These computers are pivotal in executing commands, processing data, and managing onboard systems, enabling a myriad of satellite functionalities such as communication, navigation, and scientific data collection. As the demand for advanced satellite missions and precise operational capabilities intensifies across governmental and commercial…
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ESA Introduces Pinhole Propulsion for Satellites
ESA has introduced a palm-size pinhole propulsion for satellites. This option for future space missions: each one of these seven emitter arrays etched onto this silicon wafer using micro- and nano-technology possesses more than 500 pinhole-sized emitters that spray out ions, accelerated via an electrostatic field to maximise thrust. Inherently scalable, this ‘electrospray’ technology is…
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Top Satellite Reaction Wheels in 2023
Reaction wheels represent the zenith of attitude control technology, serving as indispensable components in spacecraft stabilization and orientation management. They are instrumental in maintaining precise spacecraft positioning, facilitating the execution of orbital adjustments, and ensuring accurate trajectory alignments. With the increasing demand for space missions and satellite operations intensifying across governmental and commercial domains, the…
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Top Satellite Star Trackers in 2023
Star trackers represent the pinnacle of celestial navigation technology and play a major role in accurately identifying and tracking stellar objects, facilitating precise spacecraft alignments, orbital positioning, and trajectory calibrations. As the demand for space missions and satellite operations escalates across governmental and commercial realms, the development and deployment of advanced star tracker systems have…
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NASA’s Aeronautics Achievements in 2023
NASA, in 2023, has advanced aviation technologies to improve passenger experiences, stimulate U.S. economic growth, and create a future of cleaner, quieter, and safer skies — all while working to support the U.S. goal of reaching net-zero aviation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. “This year, NASA continued to make the impossible, possible while sharing our story…
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Starship Flight 3 hardware testing in full swing
Starship and Super Heavy ready for Flight 3 testing This week Starbase action is back with a series of tests on hardware that will be eventually used on SpaceX‘s Starship Flight 3 next year. Elon Musk after Flight 2 said that he wanted hardware ready to fly by the holidays and while we’re not quite…