Tag: Artemis
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SOFIA: a telescope on the forefront of astrophysics research
From finding organic molecules in distant stars to discovering water on the sunlit surface of the Moon, NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is at the forefront of scientific research — especially when it comes to the potential for life either developing or being sustained on bodies other than Earth. The latest studies from…
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Water molecules detected on moon’s sunlit surface, adding impetus to Artemis
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION This illustration highlights the Moon’s Clavius Crater with an illustration depicting water trapped in the lunar soil there, along with an image of NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) that found sunlit lunar water. Credits: NASA/Daniel Rutter Water molecules have been directly detected across sunlit regions of…
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SpaceX test-fires Starship prototype with three engines
A view of the Starship SN8 prototype with three Raptor engines. Future Starship vehicles will have six Raptor engines, with three vacuum-rated engines with larger nozzles clustered around the three center engines optimized for sea level performance. Credit: Elon Musk/SpaceX SpaceX fired three Raptor engines on a prototype of the company’s Starship vehicle Tuesday, accomplishing…
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NASA selects proposals to demonstrate in-space refueling and propellant depot tech
Artist’s illustration of two Starship vehicles docked together in Earth orbit. Credit: SpaceX NASA has selected 14 companies for contracts of more than $370 million to advance technology for human missions to the moon and Mars. Most of the money will support flight demonstrations by SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and other companies that could lead…
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Russia’s space agency unlikely to join NASA-led lunar program
Artist’s illustration of the Gateway in lunar orbit, including modules from international partners. Credit: NASA The head of the Russian space agency said this week that the the Gateway mini-space station NASA plans to build around the moon is “too U.S.-centric” and added that Russia unlikely to significantly contribute to the project. Dmitry Rogozin, director…
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U.S. and seven other nations sign Artemis Accords to cooperate on moon missions
An artist’s conception shows surface operations on the moon. (NASA Illustration) Seven nations have signed up with the United States to participate in NASA’s Artemis effort to put astronauts on the moon by as early as 2024. The Artemis Accords commit the signatories — including Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, Italy, Luxembourg and the United Arab…
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Blue Origin completes successful suborbital space shot
Blue Origin’s 60-foot-tall New Shepard rocket takes off from West Texas on Tuesday. Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin launched its New Shepard suborbital rocket to the edge of space Tuesday from the company’s remote desert test site in West Texas on an experimental flight to test precision lunar landing technology for NASA. The single-stage New…
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Blue Origin tests NASA landing system hardware on latest New Shepard flight
After a ten-month lull in flights following the previous test of Blue Origin’s suborbital New Shepard launch system, the company conducted a launch and landing of the fully reusable booster and capsule duo. Following weather-related and technical issues during a window late in September, the flight took place from the company’s West Texas facility —…
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After weeks of delay, Blue Origin sets up suborbital space mission to test NASA landing technology
Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard booster makes its landing in December 2019. (Blue Origin Photo) Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is now targeting Tuesday for the launch of its New Shepard suborbital spaceship on an uncrewed mission to the edge of space and back, to try out a precision landing system for…
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Crucial first fueling test on tap for SLS core stage later this month
The first Space Launch System core stage on the B-2 test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Credit: NASA If all goes according to plan, engineers in southern Mississippi later this month will load cryogenic propellants into the core stage of a rocket NASA says will launch astronauts back to the moon, exposing…