Tag: NASA
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New study provides explanation behind origins of Martian moons Phobos and Deimos
Using supercomputer simulations, a team of NASA scientists recently modeled the destruction of an asteroid around Mars to investigate the possible origins of Mars’ two, mysterious moons — Phobos and Deimos. Since their discovery in 1877 and subsequent investigations by telescopes and Martian spacecraft, scientists have pondered how the two moons came to be, and…
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Relativity, Amazon, and NASA continue work on Cape infrastructure
In addition to SpaceX’s work, Cape Canaveral has been busy with Relativity Space focusing on its reusable Terran R rocket, which is being developed at Space Launch Complex-16. Upgrades to this site, including new infrastructure, were documented during a recent NSF flyover. NSF also documented advancements at Amazon’s Kuiper facility, now nearing completion to support…
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NASA is stacking the Artemis II rocket, implying a simple heat shield fix
The Space Launch System rocket that will dispatch four astronauts on the first Moon mission in more than 50 years passed a major milestone Wednesday. NASA said ground teams inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida lifted the aft assembly of the rocket’s left booster onto the mobile launch platform.…
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As NASA increasingly relies on commercial space, there are some troubling signs
When it comes to space policy, a hallmark of the first Trump administration was its embrace of private companies. NASA sought to build fewer expensive things and buy more lower-cost services. In doing so, it aimed to foster a healthy ecosystem of private space companies. Under the leadership of Jim Bridenstine, NASA, during these years,…
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The key moment came 38 minutes after Starship roared off the launch pad
SpaceX launched its sixth Starship rocket Tuesday, proving for the first time that the stainless steel ship can maneuver in space and paving the way for an even larger, upgraded vehicle slated to debut on the next test flight. The only hiccup was an abortive attempt to catch the rocket’s Super Heavy booster back at…
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The ISS has been leaking air for 5 years, and engineers still don’t know why
Officials from NASA and Russia’s space agency don’t see eye to eye on the causes and risks of small but persistent air leaks on the International Space Station. That was the word from the new chair of NASA’s International Space Station Advisory Committee last week. The air leaks are located in the transfer tunnel of…
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Launch preview: SpaceX to launch Starship Flight 6 test mission from Starbase in southern Texas
SpaceX fueled its fully integrated Starship rocket at its Starbase facilities on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in preparation for the Flight 6 suborbital test mission. Image: SpaceX After launching three Falcon 9 rockets in less than 20 hours, SpaceX is preparing to use its fourth and final active launchpad in the United States to launch…
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Microsoft collaborates with NASA on Earth Copilot, an AI guide to our planet’s data
Microsoft and NASA have joined forces to develop Earth Copilot, a software tool that uses artificial intelligence and cloud computing to simplify the process of searching and analyzing Earth science data. The collaboration is part of NASA’s Transform to Open Science Initiative, which aims to make more than 100 petabytes of satellite imagery and other…
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There are some things the Crew-8 astronauts aren’t ready to talk about
The astronauts who came home from the International Space Station last month experienced some drama on the high frontier, and some of it accompanied them back to Earth. In orbit, the astronauts aborted two spacewalks, both under unusual circumstances. Then, on October 25, one of the astronauts was hospitalized due to what NASA called an…
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There are some things the Crew-8 astronauts aren’t ready to talk about
The astronauts who came home from the International Space Station last month experienced some drama on the high frontier, and some of it accompanied them back to Earth. In orbit, the astronauts aborted two spacewalks, both under unusual circumstances. Then, on October 25, one of the astronauts was hospitalized due to what NASA called an…