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Launch update🚀: Thunderstorms are rolling in over Launch Complex 1, but forecasts show a brief reprieve late in the week. As such, we're currently targeting no earlier than Thursday 17 Oct UTC for the launch of our 9th Electron mission, 'As The Crow Flies'.
Dymon’s lunar rover with Peregrine lander. (Credit: Astrobotic)
TOKYO (Astrobotic/Dymon PR) – Dymon proudly announces at the CEATEC 2019 their signing of a joint agreement with Astrobotic to send the first Japanese lunar rover onboard the Peregrine lunar lander to the Moon in 2021.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying 24 satellites as part of the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) mission launches from Launch Complex 39A, Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Credit: NASA)
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — With the August 22 launch of Lockheed Martin’s GPS III SV02 satellite aboard the final Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) launch vehicle, the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Launch Enterprise marked the successful completion of a rigorous Summer launch schedule.
Launching four critical missions in under 60 days from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, SMC/LE’s “Summer of Launch ’19” campaign showcased several innovative firsts and concluded with the end of an era.
Illustration of ICON spacecraft. (Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith)
WASHINGTON (NRL PR)– A U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) instrument aboard NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite will deliver unprecedented information to help scientists investigate how both terrestrial and solar weather impact the ionosphere, the ionized region of Earth’s upper atmosphere. ICON launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Oct. 10.
NRL’s MIGHTI (Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging) will measure wind and temperature profiles and contribute to a critical data set for scientists as they study how energy and dynamics from the lower atmosphere propagate into the space environment.
End-of-Life Service by Astroscale demonstrator (ELSA-d) satellite. (Credit: Astroscale UK Ltd)
TOKYO (Astroscale PR) – Astroscale Holdings Inc. (“Astroscale”), the market-leader in developing a service to remove space debris and secure long-term orbital sustainability, today announced it has entered the assembly, integration and test (AIT) phase of its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission, following completion of rigorous design reviews and subsystem testing.
Space weather effects. (Credit: ESA/Science Office)
SWINDON, England (UKSA PR) — The first phase of design work for the European Space Agency’s Lagrange spacecraft has been completed, with three out of the four multinational teams led by the UK.
This ESA mission, together with a complementary US mission, will form the major elements of an early warning system for severe space weather, which can be hazardous to critical infrastructure on Earth and human life in space.
As NASA begins a new era of space exploration – returning to the Moon and eventually on to Mars – education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects is increasingly important to the future of our nation’s space program.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) plays an integral role in the agency’s deep space exploration goals as it works with commercial partners to launch astronauts to the International Space Station from U.S. soil on American-built rockets and spacecraft.
The Flame Design investigation is studying the quantity of soot produced under different flame conditions. The results of this experiment occurring aboard the International Space Station could enable the design of flames that are more sooty or soot-free, and allow for the creation of burner designs which are more efficient and less polluting.
Read more about this and other flame research aboard the International Space Station: https://go.nasa.gov/2LqSzja
TOKYO (JAXA PR) — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will host a programming competition involving free-flying robots1 of JAXA and NASA in ISS/Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) known as “Kibo”.
The preliminary round of this competition will be between April and June 2020, with the final round being around September 2020. Starting today (October 11, 2019) until March 19, 2020 (17:00 JST), JAXA is calling for the participation of students in this competition on the following website.
【Entry Qualification2】 Students up to graduate school students in Kibo-ABC member countries including Japan.
The participants will create programs to operate free-flying robots in ISS/Kibo and complete a mission.3 The competition will entail a time requirement and problem-solving ability.
This activity is based on Japan-U.S. cooperation through the Japan-US Open Platform Partnership Program (JP-US OP3). In order for JAXA and NASA to expand Kibo utilization in the Asia-Pacific region, an education program for operating robots and computer programming is being offered to students in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.
1. An autonomous flying robot intended to support astronauts (by taking photos, etc.)
2, Asian Beneficial Collaboration through Kibo Utilization (Kibo-ABC) is a collaborative program aiming to promote Kibo utilization in the Asia-Pacific region. Prospective participants must submit an application form to the space agency of their Kibo-ABC member country participating in the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge. Kibo-ABC; http://www.aprsaf.org/initiatives/kibo_abc/
3, Participants shall create programs to move the free-flying robot autonomously using the virtual simulator provided by JAXA and NASA.
LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — The Next Generation OPIR Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting (GEO) satellite program, commonly referred to as NGG, achieved another major milestone in 2019 by completing its system/ground and space vehicle preliminary design review (PDR) Sept. 27, 2019.
Next Generation OPIR will provide a capable, resilient, and defensible space-based global missile warning capability against emerging threats.
ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano sets up University of Edinburgh experiment Biorock by installing experiment containers in the small temperature-controlled Kubik incubators onboard the International Space Station. (Credit: ESA)
PARIS (ESA PR) — The International Space Station is open for business and ESA is calling on industry to help extend the capabilities of Europe’s Columbus laboratory to support science and technology in space beyond 2024.
Columbus is Europe’s single largest contribution to the International Space Station. Launched in 2008, it is the first permanent European research facility in space.
We’re gearing up for #Starliner’s launch Pad Abort Test at@WSMissileRange next month. The Launch Abort Engines move the Starliner down range with 160,000 pounds of thrust. Zero to Mach 1 in just a few seconds…..impressive. pic.twitter.com/atjA3uyLIm
Boeing plans to conduct a pad abort test for its CST-100 Starliner crew vehicle on Nov. 4 at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A pusher abort system will be tested that will be capable of saving the capsule and its crew in the event of a malfunction of the Atlas V booster.
Boeing has also announced Dec. 17 as the date for launching a separate Starliner vehicle to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft, which will fly without a crew, will dock at the station and stay there for several weeks. The launch will take place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The abort and orbital tests are two key milestones that need to be completed before a crew flies to ISS aboard Starliner. That flight, which has not been scheduled yet, is set for a long duration stay at the orbital facility.
