Category: NASA
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NASA announces Europa Mission Instrument Selection
This afternoon NASA announced the Instruments that will be flown to Europa in 2020s. The NASA selectees are: Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) — principal investigator Dr. Joseph Westlake of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel, Maryland. This instrument works in conjunction with a magnetometer and is key to determining Europa’s ice shell…
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Atlas V launches military’s X-37B space plane
Following a smooth countdown today United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V launched the military’s X-37B space plane. The rocket lifted off from SLC-41 and carried the space plane to orbit before deploying it, the rocket also carried a secondary payload of Cubesat’s including The Planetary Societies LightSail test. The Planetary Society is currently raising money…
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Why we need multiple providers for Space Access
It became clear again this week why it is critical that we have multiple providers to access Space. With the Progress 59 (M-27M) failure recently the International Partners involved in the ISS have now had to rescheduled several future flights to accommodate the loss of the vehicle and allow time for the investigation into the loss…
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SpaceX completes Dragon 2 pad abort test
SpaceX completed another CCiCap milestone today with the successful Launchpad Abort Test of there Dragon 2 capsule. The capsules 8 SuperDraco engines propelled the vehicle away from the launchpad to a splashdown in the Atlantic ocean. The purpose of the test was to verify the design of the launch escape system a critical element for…
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Dragon Berthed to ISS
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully arrived at the International Space Station this morning completing a two day journey which started with the picture perfect launch on Tuesday. ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti controlled the ISS robotic arm and captured of Dragon at 6:55 am EDT. Mission control then manoveured the spacecraft to the Berthing which was…
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SpaceX CRS-6 mission lifts off
SpaceX completed it’s fourth launch of 2015 with the liftoff of the CRS-6 Dragon capsule towards the International Space Station. SpaceX confirmed that after separation from the second stage the Dragon spacecraft successfully deployed it’s Solar Array’s and is now heading towards the International Space Station. It is scheduled to arrive at approximately 7:00 a.m. EDT on…
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SpaceX CRS-6 launch aborted due to Weather constraint
Today’s launch of a Falcon 9 carrying SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station was aborted two minutes before liftoff today due to weather constraints. A storm cell with Anvil clouds came too close to the launch pad during the countdown. Currently weather looks like there is a 50% chance of constraint for an…
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Soyuz TMA-16M arrives at International Space Station
Following a six hour four orbit chase of the International Space Station (ISS) which began with a picture perfect launch this afternoon the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft completed it’s journey with a successful docking. The crews then performed leak checks to ensure the vehicles were correctly linked before opening the hatches allowing Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Korniyenko…
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ISS One Year Mission begins
The first one year mission on the International Space Station begun this afternoon with the launch of the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Following a smooth countdown the three crew members Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Korniyenko of the Russia Federal Space Agency and Scott Kelly of NASA lifted off at 3:42 p.m. EDT. Once…
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The Little Rover that Could continues to impress
Eleven years ago the Mars Opportunity Rover landed on the surface of the planet for a planned 90 sol (Mars day) mission, nearly 4000 sols later the rover is still operating. This week it achieved a another significant milestone becoming the first rover to complete the equivalent of a marathon driving across the surface of…