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Blue Ghost Lander Lowers Orbit, Prepares for Lunar Touchdown on March 2
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully lowered its orbit to 120 km in preparation for a lunar touchdown on March 2. The spacecraft, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Mission teams are monitoring its orbit and finalizing descent plans, though commun...
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SpaceX and Vast Seek Research Ideas for Dragon and Haven-1 Space Station
SpaceX and Vast have called for research proposals for experiments aboard the upcoming Haven-1 space station and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The station is set to launch in August 2024, followed by a Crew Dragon mission carrying astronauts. Research will focus on human physiology in microgravity and autonomous experiments for low-Earth orbit. Sel...
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Stunning Images Of Mercury's Surface Captured By ESA Spacecraft
Barely larger than our own Moon, Mercury orbits precariously close to the Sun at an average distance of roughly 58 million kilometres.
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US Astronauts Upbeat Seven Months Into Eight-Day Mission
Veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, and were due to spend only eight days on the orbiting laboratory.
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ISRO Successfully Launches SpaDeX Mission For "In-Space Docking"
Two spacecraft that would aid ISRO in demonstrating space docking, a critical technology for future space missions got separated successfully and were placed into the desired low earth orbit late on Monday night, ISRO said.
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ISRO Successfully Launches Two SpaDeX Satellites, Completes Space Docking Test Flight
India has launched its first space docking mission, SpaDeX, using the PSLV-C60 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh. The mission involves deploying two spacecraft into a 470-km orbit to demonstrate docking technology and power transfer between satellites. Advanced payloads, including imaging systems and radiation monitors, w...
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NASA Confirms Successful Flyby of Parker Solar Probe, Completes Closest Sun Approach
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has set an unprecedented milestone, coming 3.8 million miles from the Sun at a speed of 430,000 mph. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft has utilised Venus flybys to perfect its orbit, enabling this historic feat. With advanced technology, it endures extreme temperatures, gathering critical data about solar wind and particle ...
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ISRO's Spadex Mission to Demonstrate Satellite Docking on December 30
ISRO’s Spadex mission, scheduled for December 30, will demonstrate satellite docking with two small spacecraft, SDX01 and SDX02, launched into orbit using PSLV-C60. The mission will highlight innovative technologies, such as precision sensors and orbit determination systems, and showcase power transfer between the docked satellites. Payloads on b...
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ISRO Successfully Launches PSLV-C59 Carrying ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C59 rocket on December 5, 2024, from Sriharikota, deploying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites into orbit. Proba-3, a twin-satellite mission, aims to demonstrate precision formation flying, achieving control down to a millimeter. The spacecraft will cre...
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Solar Orbiter Sends High-Resolution Images of Sun’s Surface, Unveiling New Details
The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has sent back the sharpest images of the sun’s surface, captured from 74 million kilometres away. These high-resolution images reveal the sun’s dynamic surface features, including granular patterns and sunspots. The spacecraft’s instruments also provided detailed maps of the sun’s magnetic fields, shedding light...
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Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Orbiter Avoided Collision With Danuri Spacecraft in September, Reveals ISRO
In September, India’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter made a crucial trajectory change to avoid colliding with South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft. This adjustment came after multiple collision alerts had been issued due to the shared near-polar orbits of Chandrayaan-2, Danuri, and NASA’s LRO.
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How A Father-Daughter Duo Decoded 'Alien' Message From Mars
A father-daughter duo from the US decoded an 'alien-like' message transmitted through a signal by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a spacecraft of the European Space Agency orbiting Mars, in May last year.
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SpaceX’s Dragon to Reboost ISS for First Time, Paving Way for Future Deorbit Mission
SpaceX’s Dragon is set to perform its first reboost of the International Space Station (ISS) on Nov. 8. This mission, conducted in partnership with NASA, is a step towards a future in which a larger Dragon spacecraft will play a crucial role in safely deorbiting the ISS when its mission concludes around 2030. Currently, reboosts are generally man...
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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Makes Final Venus Flyby Before Historic Sun Encounter
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, will make its final Venus flyby on Nov. 6. This manoeuvre will bring the spacecraft into a new orbit, allowing it to approach within 3.8 million miles of the sun, closer than any human-made object has been. While the probe’s primary mission is to study the sun, its instruments have captured rare data...
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What Is Aerobraking That A Secretive US Spacecraft Will Perform In Earth's Orbit
The spacecraft, X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, is an experimental space plane operated by the United States Space Force
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Blue Ghost Lander Lowers Orbit, Prepares for Lunar Touchdown on March 2
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully lowered its orbit to 120 km in preparation for a lunar touchdown on March 2. The spacecraft, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Mission teams are monitoring its orbit and finalizing descent plans, though commun...
-
SpaceX and Vast Seek Research Ideas for Dragon and Haven-1 Space Station
SpaceX and Vast have called for research proposals for experiments aboard the upcoming Haven-1 space station and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The station is set to launch in August 2024, followed by a Crew Dragon mission carrying astronauts. Research will focus on human physiology in microgravity and autonomous experiments for low-Earth orbit. Sel...
-
Stunning Images Of Mercury's Surface Captured By ESA Spacecraft
Barely larger than our own Moon, Mercury orbits precariously close to the Sun at an average distance of roughly 58 million kilometres.
-
US Astronauts Upbeat Seven Months Into Eight-Day Mission
Veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, and were due to spend only eight days on the orbiting laboratory.
-
ISRO Successfully Launches SpaDeX Mission For "In-Space Docking"
Two spacecraft that would aid ISRO in demonstrating space docking, a critical technology for future space missions got separated successfully and were placed into the desired low earth orbit late on Monday night, ISRO said.
-
ISRO Successfully Launches Two SpaDeX Satellites, Completes Space Docking Test Flight
India has launched its first space docking mission, SpaDeX, using the PSLV-C60 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh. The mission involves deploying two spacecraft into a 470-km orbit to demonstrate docking technology and power transfer between satellites. Advanced payloads, including imaging systems and radiation monitors, w...
-
NASA Confirms Successful Flyby of Parker Solar Probe, Completes Closest Sun Approach
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has set an unprecedented milestone, coming 3.8 million miles from the Sun at a speed of 430,000 mph. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft has utilised Venus flybys to perfect its orbit, enabling this historic feat. With advanced technology, it endures extreme temperatures, gathering critical data about solar wind and particle ...
-
ISRO's Spadex Mission to Demonstrate Satellite Docking on December 30
ISRO’s Spadex mission, scheduled for December 30, will demonstrate satellite docking with two small spacecraft, SDX01 and SDX02, launched into orbit using PSLV-C60. The mission will highlight innovative technologies, such as precision sensors and orbit determination systems, and showcase power transfer between the docked satellites. Payloads on b...
-
ISRO Successfully Launches PSLV-C59 Carrying ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C59 rocket on December 5, 2024, from Sriharikota, deploying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites into orbit. Proba-3, a twin-satellite mission, aims to demonstrate precision formation flying, achieving control down to a millimeter. The spacecraft will cre...
-
Solar Orbiter Sends High-Resolution Images of Sun’s Surface, Unveiling New Details
The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has sent back the sharpest images of the sun’s surface, captured from 74 million kilometres away. These high-resolution images reveal the sun’s dynamic surface features, including granular patterns and sunspots. The spacecraft’s instruments also provided detailed maps of the sun’s magnetic fields, shedding light...
-
Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Orbiter Avoided Collision With Danuri Spacecraft in September, Reveals ISRO
In September, India’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter made a crucial trajectory change to avoid colliding with South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft. This adjustment came after multiple collision alerts had been issued due to the shared near-polar orbits of Chandrayaan-2, Danuri, and NASA’s LRO.
-
How A Father-Daughter Duo Decoded 'Alien' Message From Mars
A father-daughter duo from the US decoded an 'alien-like' message transmitted through a signal by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a spacecraft of the European Space Agency orbiting Mars, in May last year.
-
SpaceX’s Dragon to Reboost ISS for First Time, Paving Way for Future Deorbit Mission
SpaceX’s Dragon is set to perform its first reboost of the International Space Station (ISS) on Nov. 8. This mission, conducted in partnership with NASA, is a step towards a future in which a larger Dragon spacecraft will play a crucial role in safely deorbiting the ISS when its mission concludes around 2030. Currently, reboosts are generally man...
-
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Makes Final Venus Flyby Before Historic Sun Encounter
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, will make its final Venus flyby on Nov. 6. This manoeuvre will bring the spacecraft into a new orbit, allowing it to approach within 3.8 million miles of the sun, closer than any human-made object has been. While the probe’s primary mission is to study the sun, its instruments have captured rare data...
-
What Is Aerobraking That A Secretive US Spacecraft Will Perform In Earth's Orbit
The spacecraft, X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, is an experimental space plane operated by the United States Space Force
