Tag: NASA
-
Northrop Grumman’s S.S. Katherine Johnson arrives at the ISS
Northrop Grumman kicked off their 2021 launch manifest with the flight of an Antares rocket delivering the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia at 12:36:50 EST (17:36:50 UTC) Saturday, 20 February 2021. The spacecraft then conducted a rendezvous with the Station…
-
DART delayed to November launch as environmental testing begins
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft has been moved to its secondary launch window as it begins thermal and environmental testing. The new launch date of November 24, 2021 is a delay from an original target of July 21. DART is NASA’s first planetary defense demonstration, planned to change an asteroid’s orbit by a…
-
NASA’s Perseverance rover touches down to start years-long search for life on Mars
A raw, uncorrected image from an engineering camera on NASA’s Perseverance rover shows its surroundings on Mars, including the rover’s shadow. (NASA via YouTube) NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars today and began a mission that’s meant to store up evidence of past life on Mars, after a trip that came to a climax…
-
NASA completes Exploration Upper Stage CDR, focuses new office on SLS Block 1B development
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Program and prime contractor Boeing have a new framework in place to finish development of the next version of the new launch vehicle, called Block 1B. The biggest addition to the Block 1B SLS vehicle will be the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), which completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) on…
-
NASA SLS computer development branching to support first flight, future upgrades
Following completion of certification testing in October 2020 of the computer system for the first launch of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, teams are now working on upgrades for future flights and vehicle configurations. The first SLS vehicle will be assembled at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida later this year, and a…
-
NASA seeking astronaut seat on Soyuz launch in April
The Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft docks with the International Space Station on Oct. 14, 2020, delivering three new crew members to the research complex. Credit: NASA NASA wants to fly an astronaut on Russia’s next Soyuz mission to the International Space Station in April, a measure the agency says would ensure a continued U.S. presence on…
-
Biden backs Artemis moon program; watchdog says it’ll cost $86 billion
This infographic released Wednesday by the NASA Office of Inspector General includes cost figures for key elements of NASA’s Artemis program through fiscal year 2025, including the Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft, ground systems, the Gateway, and the Human Landing System. Credit: NASA OIG The Biden administration supports continuing NASA’s Artemis program to return astronauts…
-
Blue Origin shows off an on-the-ground pathfinder version of its cargo lunar lander
Blue Origin employees stand next to a pathfinder version of a cargo lunar lander. (Blue Origin via Twitter) Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is testing a full-scale prototype of its cargo lunar lander, as part of its campaign to get a jump on heavy-duty deliveries to the moon. In a video posted…
-
MAVEN reveals Martian atmospheric time capsule on Phobos as Mars fleet prepares for arrival
Data from NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft has revealed the unsurprising — yet previously not searched for — presence of Martian atmospheric ions preserved in the top layer of regolith on the planet’s innermost moon, Phobos. The announcement comes as an international fleet of Emirati, Chinese, and American spacecraft are set to…
-
NASA, Boeing adjusting SLS Core Stage parameter limits for second Green Run firing
In parallel with vehicle and test stand preparations for a second Green Run Hot-Fire test later in February, the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Program and Core Stage prime contractor Boeing are reviewing rule changes for the full, eight-minute firing. The Core Stage hardware and software executed the first-ever final countdown, engine start, and “plus…