Tag: NASA
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China’s Tianwen 1 mission targets mid-May landing on Mars
China’s Tianwen 1 orbiter took this picture of Mars on March 18 from a distance of approximately 7,100 miles (11,500 kilometers). Credit: CNSA China’s Tianwen 1 spacecraft — in orbit around Mars since February — is scheduled to deploy a descent module to attempt the country’s first landing on the Red Planet in mid-May. Officials…
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SpaceX and NASA entering final preparations for Crew-2 launch
With launch now just a few weeks away, SpaceX and NASA have entered final preparations for the second operational Crew Dragon mission. This will be SpaceX’s second long-duration crew rotation for NASA as a part of the Commercial Crew program. Crew-2 will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft from historic…
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NASA blames recent Hubble woes on aging hardware
The Hubble Space Telescope, seen from the space shuttle Columbia at the end of a 2002 servicing mission. The observatory’s door is open in this picture. Credit: NASA Hardware problems that cropped up earlier this month on the Hubble Space Telescope, now approaching the 31st anniversary of its launch, are the latest signs the observatory…
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MAF continues tornado/hurricane recovery while building SLS stages under pandemic restrictions
Boeing is moving into the final phases of standalone integration and outfitting of Core Stage-2 elements and is about to start putting the elements together as production of Core Stage-3 continues with structural assembly of the engine section while preparations are in work for Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) manufacturing to start later in the year.…
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Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated at 7:45 p.m. EDT (2345 GMT) with a fresh pictures of all four landing legs deployed. The Ingenuity helicopter deployed its final two carbon composite landing legs Tuesday. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter is being lowered from the belly of the Perseverance rover this week as ground teams run through a choreographed long-distance…
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Biden administration renews mandate for National Space Council
President Biden speaks with members of the Perseverance rover team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on March 4. Credit: White House photo by Adam Schultz President Biden will renew the National Space Council, a space policy group revived by the Trump White House after 25 years of dormancy, to assist in “generating national space policies,…
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Northrop Grumman to supply solid rocket motors for first Mars Ascent Vehicle
This illustration shows a concept of how the NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle, carrying tubes containing rock and soil samples, could be launched from the surface of Mars in one step of the Mars sample return mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Catlech NASA awarded Northrop Grumman a contract worth as much as $84.5 million earlier this month to supply…
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Delta 2 rocket exhibit opens at Kennedy Space Center
United Launch Alliance’s final Delta 2 rocket is now displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. ULA, U.S. Space Force, NASA, and Visitor Complex officials gathered Tuesday for a grand opening ceremony. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance’s final Delta 2 rocket is now on display at the Kennedy Space Center…
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EGS synchronizing Artemis 1 Orion, SLS Booster preps with Core Stage schedule
NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program and prime test and operations contractor (TOSC) Jacobs are working at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to position Artemis 1 Orion and Space Launch System (SLS) hardware to be ready for final assembly ahead of the arrival of the SLS Core Stage in the late-April time-frame. With the final…
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NASA primed for historic flight of experimental Mars helicopter
An artist’s illustration of the Ingenuity Helicopter flying on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA’s Perseverance rover will soon release a small rotorcraft onto the surface of Mars and drive a safe distance away to observe a series of historic test flights in the ultra-thin Martian atmosphere, which could begin around April 8, officials said this week.…