Tag: ESA
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NEEMO returns with two new underwater missions
Two new missions under the NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) program have been announced, returning an international crew to an underwater base off the coast of Florida. The two summer missions – which follow a two year hiatus – will continue the work of training astronauts for potential deep space missions, including those to…
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Atlas V to launch Europe’s next-generation sun explorer in 2017
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V has been selected as the rocket of choice by NASA’s Launch Service Program to loft a next-generation sun explorer called Solar Orbiter. The first medium-class mission of the European Space Agency’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program, Solar Orbiter will head uphill on the Atlas V via its Cape Canaveral SLC-41 launch complex…
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ESA and CNES fire up POD-X to investigate solid motor oscillations
ESA’s Future Launchers Preparatory Program and France’s CNES space agency have test fired the Pressure Oscillation Demonstrator eXperimental (POD-X) motor at the French military procurement agency test site. The test relates to providing information on pressure oscillations in solid motors, an issue that was highlighted during the development of the since-defunt Ares launch vehicle. Solid Motors and Oscillations:…
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ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft stirred from its long hibernation
ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft has awoken from its 957 days in slumber on Monday, ahead of its mission to rendezvous with the Churyumov–Gerasimenko comet in August. The spacecraft awakening was confirmed by controllers at ESA’s Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. Rosetta: The spacecraft was launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou on March 2, 2004 on an…
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Gaia arrives at its destination – Lagrange points hold future possibilities
Europe’s galactic survey spacecraft, Gaia, recently arrived at its deep space location, ahead of conducting its primary mission of observing one billion stars. Gaia is now in a location known as Lagrange point 2 (L2), one of a number of destinations of interest for a number of future spacecraft, from JWST through to the potential “Gateway”…
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Dream Chaser’s European deal points to multi-role ambitions
The new European allies of Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser have officially announced “cooperative understandings” that not only combine a transatlantic engineering boost for the baby orbiter, but may also result in Dream Chasers hitching rides atop of an Ariane rocket. More importantly, the announcement provided extra details on the vehicle’s future ambitions. Dream Chaser Deal:…
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Russian Rockot successfully launches Swarm trio for ESA
A Russian Rockot (Rokot) launch vehicle has lofted three identical satellites for the European Space Agency (ESA) on Friday. Launch of the three Swarm spacecraft took place at 12:02 UTC from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia, ahead of their mission to map Earth’s magnetic field. Swarm Mission: The Rockot (or Rokot as is its official Russian…
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European duo heading for fiery farewells
Two European spacecraft are currently enjoying their final moments high above the planet, as they continue their descent towards a fiery re-entry. ATV-4 – which recently undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) – is set to re-enter on Saturday, while the GOCE spacecraft has already begun its slow drop towards its ultimate fate. GOCE:…
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ATV-4 bids farewell to ISS following flawless mission
Europe’s ATV-4 cargo vehicle has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday morning at 08:55 GMT, completing a flawless mission ahead of its destructive re-entry. The vehicle provided the orbital outpost with a farewell gift, reboosting the Station’s altitude in its final act prior to undocking. ATV-4: The cargo vehicle was launched on…
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Europe’s ATV heavy hauler launches on penultimate trip to ISS
The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Automated Transfer Vehicle-4 (ATV-4) spacecraft launched toward the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday at 9:52:11 PM GMT, atop an Ariane V booster from the Kourou Space Center in French Guyana. ATV-4 is the heaviest spacecraft ever launched by Europe, and marks the largest ever load of internal ISS cargo…