Tag: Athena
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Athena landed in a dark crater where the temperature was minus 280° F
The Athena spacecraft was not exactly flying blind as it approached the lunar surface one week ago. The software on board did a credible job of recognizing nearby craters, even with elongated shadows over the terrain. However, the lander’s altimeter had failed. So while Athena knew where it was relative to the surface of the…
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Blue Ghost successfully starts lunar surface mission while IM-2 lands sideways
NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program is now seeing more results from the work done by providers to fulfill its task orders in the past few years, though not without challenges. Two robotic lunar landers from different US commercial providers landed on the lunar surface, with one successfully landing upright and starting its mission,…
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Falcon 9 launches second lunar mission of 2025 with IM-2 lander
SpaceX launched its second lunar mission of 2025, just over a month after flying the Firefly Blue Ghost and HAKUTO-R M2 Resilience landers to the Moon atop a single Falcon 9. Another Falcon 9, this time with the Intuitive Machines IM-2 NOVA-C lander on board, launched successfully from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy…
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SpaceX launches Intuitive Machines’ 2nd Moon lander, 3 rideshare spacecraft
A streak shot of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as it launched the IM-2 mission for Intuitive Machines and sent its Nova-C lander, Athena, to a lunar transfer orbit. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Intuitive Machines is heading back to the Moon following its first trip a year ago. The company based in Houston, Texas, sent another…
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Launch Roundup: Starship, Ariane 6 and telescope missions delayed, lunar lander flies
Several significant missions were scheduled for this week, including the third lunar lander to launch in just over a month. The Intuitive Machines-2 (IM-2) mission will explore and analyze the Moon’s subsurface, testing new technologies and paving the way for future lunar missions. NASA is also set to launch its SPHEREx observatory, which will map…
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Vega rocket deploys 53 satellites on successful return to flight mission
A 98-foot-tall (30-meter) Vega rocket lifts off from French Guiana on Wednesday night. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – JM Guillon Delayed a year by a launch failure, the coronavirus pandemic and a stretch of stiff upper level winds this summer, an Italian-made Vega rocket vaulted into orbit from French Guiana on…
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Live coverage: Vega rocket launches with 53 small satellites
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Vega rocket with a cluster of 53 small satellites from 21 customers in 13 countries. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Arianespace’s live video webcast begins at approximately 0135 GMT (9:35 p.m. EDT), and will be available on this page.
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Long-delayed Vega rocket launch could happen Wednesday night
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) Sept. 1 with launch delay caused by Typhoon Maysak. Updated Sept. 2 with possible launch attempt Wednesday night. The payload compartment of the Vega rocket was reinstalled on top of the launcher Aug. 26. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Baudon Arianespace delayed…
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After weather delays, Arianespace delays Vega launch to recharge batteries
A Vega launcher stands on its launch pad in French Guiana on June 28 during scrubbed launch attempt. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron After an unusual stretch of excessive high-altitude winds prevented launch from French Guiana of 53 small satellites on a Vega rocket in June — and no…
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Cluster of international satellites ready for ride into orbit on Vega rocket
EDITOR’S NOTE: The launch has been postponed again due to high-altitude winds. Technicians at the Guiana Space Center lift a stack of 53 small spacecraft for attachment to the Vga rocket’s payload adapter. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – JM Guillon Debuting a two-tier structure designed to accommodate dozens of small satellites on…