For two decades, the longest-lived spacecraft at the Red Planet has helped locate water ice, assess landing sites, and study the planet’s mysterious moons.
PASADENA, Calif. (NASA PR) — NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft launched 20 years ago on April 7, making it the oldest spacecraft still working at the Red Planet. The orbiter, which takes its name from Arthur C. Clarke’s classic sci-fi novel “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Clarke blessed its use before launch), was sent to map the composition of the Martian surface, providing a window to the past so scientists could piece together how the planet evolved.
This image shows a top-down view of asteroid Bennu, with a portion of the asteroid’s equatorial ridge and northern hemisphere illuminated. It was taken by the PolyCam camera on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on March 4, 2021, from a distance of about 186 miles (300 km). The spacecraft’s cameras are pointed directly at Bennu’s north pole. Two large equatorial craters are visible on the asteroid’s edge (center and center left). The image was obtained during the mission’s Post-TAG Operations phase, as the spacecraft slowly approached Bennu in preparation for a final observational flyby on April 7. (Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)
By Rani Gran NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
GREENBELT, Md. — NASA’s OSIRIS-REx completed its last flyover of Bennu around 6 a.m. EDT (4 a.m. MDT) April 7 and is now slowly drifting away from the asteroid; however, the mission team will have to wait a few more days to find out how the spacecraft changed the surface of Bennu when it grabbed a sample of the asteroid.
ROCHELL PARK, NJ, April 8, 2021 (ORBCOMM PR) – ORBCOMM Inc. (Nasdaq: ORBC), a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by GI Partners, a leading US-based investor in data infrastructure businesses, in an all-cash transaction that values ORBCOMM at approximately $1.1 billion, including net debt.
Under the terms of the agreement, ORBCOMM stockholders will receive $11.50 in cash per outstanding share of common stock upon closing of the transaction, representing a premium of approximately 52% to ORBCOMM’s closing share price on April 7th and a 50% premium over the 90-day volume-weighted average share price through that date.
Continues development of next-generation weather imagers concept
Leverages proven, high-maturity technology to provide low-risk solution
Provides a capability leap for future weather forecasting
MELBOURNE, Fla., April 5, 2021 (L3Harris Technologies PR) — NASA has selected L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) to develop a concept for the next generation of geostationary weather imagers which will help advance future severe storm tracking, weather forecasting, climate and other Earth observations.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 7, 2021 (CASIS PR) – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, today released a new research announcement soliciting flight concepts for technology advancement studies and applied research that would utilize the space-based environment of the orbiting laboratory.
Bob Zubrin’s Pioneer Astronautics has been selected for a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to develop a radiator-free engine (RFE) that could be used in nuclear electric and solar thermal electric propulsion systems.
“In the RFE, cold water propellant or hydrogen used as the heat rejection dump for a dynamic cycle heated by a nuclear reactor, enabling Carnot efficiencies as high as 0.79 for water or 0.99 for hydrogen,” the proposal’s technical abstract said. “Some of the propellant that is boiled or sublimated off is then sent to an electric propulsion system, which ejects it from the spacecraft at high velocities to produce thrust….
Editor’s Note: This is intriguing press release from the Brazilian Space Agency about plans to conduct satellite launches from Alcantara Launch Center next year. The Atlantic coast spaceport, which is 2.2 degrees from the equator, has never hosted orbital launches despite several previous efforts over many decades that have come to naught.
It’s not clear what launch vehicle will be used. The press release mentions the Technological Safeguards Agreement with the United States that would allow U.S. satellites and launch vehicles to fly from Alcantara. A number of American launch companies have visited Alcantara to evaluate the spaceport.
Alcantara has always been the spaceport of the future. Maybe the future is now.
BRASILIA, Brazil (Brazilian Space Agency PR) — It is located in Alcântara, Maranhão, the largest space vehicle launch center in the country. Created 38 years ago, and having started operating in 1991, it is preparing to launch private launches from 2022. With the successful launch of the Brazilian satellite Amazonia 1, in India, Brazil confirms its ability to design, integrate and operate satellites and other state-of-the-art systems. Henceforth, depending on size and mass, satellites may be launched from the Alcântara Space Center (CEA).
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. (SpaceX PR) — On Wednesday, April 7 at 12:34 p.m. EDT, SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was the seventh launch and landing of this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station, ANASIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1, and two Starlink missions. […]
DENVER, April 7, 2021 (Voyager Space Holdings PR) — Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. (Voyager), a global leader in space exploration, today announced Jim Bridenstine will join the company’s advisory board as chairman. The former NASA Administrator will join an esteemed group of industry experts guiding Voyager as it continues on its mission to create a vertically integrated, publicly traded NewSpace company.
As NASA’s 13th Administrator, Bridenstine led the agency in advancing American aeronautic, science, and space exploration objectives including the introduction of NASA’s new human lunar exploration mission, the Artemis program.
GILCHING, Germany, April 7, 2021 – Mynaric AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: M0Y, ISIN: DE000A0JCY11), a leading developer and manufacturer of laser communication products for aerospace communications networks, plans to pursue an initial public offering (“IPO”) and listing in the United States. It is contemplated that the public offering will consist solely of new shares to be issued by Mynaric by way of a capital increase out of authorized capital. In preparation for the IPO, Mynaric’s management board, with the consent of the supervisory board, has resolved to propose to its annual general meeting to resolve on the creation of authorized capital.
ClimaCell has changed its name to Tomorrow.io and raised new funding to accelerate SaaS growth and space operations
BOSTON (ClimaCell PR) – ClimaCell, the world’s leading weather intelligence platform is excited to announce its new funding round led by Stonecourt Capital and joined by Highline Capital, bringing total funding raised to more than $185 million. The company is also changing its name from ClimaCell to Tomorrow.io.
ARLINGTON, Va. and LAUSANNE, Switzerland — CAES, the leading provider of RF technologies and related mission critical electronic solutions, and SWISSto12, the leading provider of 3D printed technology for RF applications in the aerospace and defense industry, announced today a strategic alliance to enable CAES to bring additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology to US customers. The alliance grants CAES exclusive license to SWISSto12’s patents, trade secrets, and product designs for the US market. CAES and SWISSto12 will work together with US customers on new designs to meet the high performance requirements of future missions.
