Category: Uncategorized
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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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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…
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Delta 4 launches latest GPS satellite
In the first of six launches scheduled over the next four days a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta 4 lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying the latest Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). The satellite is the ninth Block 2F to be launched and was successfully placed into orbit following the on-time launch. Below are some screen…
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SLS takes another step forward
Earlier today the largest Solid Rocket Booster ever was fired up at Orbital ATK’s test facility in Promontory, UTAH. Based on the Solid Rocket Boosters that carried the Space Shuttle into orbit for 30 years this booster has been upgraded to support NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS). While the Booster is based on the…
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ULA Delta 2 launches SMAP
Following a 48 hour delay due to higher than allowed upper level winds and an issue with debonding of insulation on the first stage the United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg today carrying NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. SMAP will provide a capability for global mapping of soil moisture and…
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New Horizons Flyby Activity begins
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft which has been travelling towards Pluto since its launch in 2006 has now entered the flyby activity phase of the mission. While closest approach will not be until July 14th the spacecraft will be performing plenty of different activities before then, as it races towards the dwarf planet. Due to the…
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Humans vs Robots for Space Exploration
Last week the European Space Agency achieved an important milestone in the history of Space Exploration with the first landing on a Comet. The lander named Philae was released from it’s parent spacecraft Rosetta and seven hours later touched down in the surface. Due to some complications the spaecraft ended up bouncing and landed two…
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CCtCap is Back On
On Oct. 9, under statutory authority available to it, NASA has decided to proceed with the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts awarded to The Boeing Company and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. notwithstanding the bid protest filed at the U.S. Government Accountability Office by Sierra Nevada Corporation. The agency recognizes that failure to provide the…
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Soyuz TMA-14M arrives at Station
Despite having a problem deploying one of it’s two Solar Arrays, after arriving on orbit this afternoon, the Soyuz TMA-14M arrived at the International Space Station after a four orbit, six hour journey. During approach to the station Cosmonaut Max Suraev was asked to take pictures of the approaching vehicle to help controllers back on…
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ULA launches WorldView-3 aboard Atlas V
United Launch Alliance sent another satellite into orbit today with the launch of the WorldView-3 satellite via a Atlas V rocket. WorldView-3 will be the first multi-payload, super-spectral, high-resolution commercial satellite sensor operating at an expected altitude of 617 km. WorldView-3 provides 31 cm panchromatic resolution, 1.24 m multispectral resolution, 3.7 m short wave infrared resolution and…