NASA recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the International Space Station (ISS) with a space-to-Earth call between the 7-person Expedition 70 crew and outgoing NASA Associate Administrator, Bob Cabana, and ISS Program Manager, Joel Montalbano. On December 6, 1998, the U.S.-built Unity module and the Russian-built Zarya module were mated in the Space Shuttle Endeavour cargo bay, as Endeavour was responsible for launching Unity into orbit that same day, with Zarya having waited in orbit after being launched on November 20 from Kazakhstan.
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Falcon 9 flies from California with 22 Starlink satellites, SpaceX’s 100th launch in 365 days
A Falcon 9 carrying 22 Starlink satellites lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Dec. 8, 2023. Image: SpaceX.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted from the West Coast with another batch of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink network at 12:03 a.m. PST Friday (3:03 a.m. EST / 0803 UTC). Including Starship test flights this was SpaceX’s 100th launch in 365 days.
SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites from California
SpaceX launched 22 more Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California early on Friday morning (Dec. 8).
Crossed wires caused parachute problem during OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample delivery, NASA says
Crossed wires likely prevented OSIRIS-REx's return capsule from deploying its drogue parachute during its descent through Earth's atmosphere on Sept. 24, NASA officials say.
Fly Slowly Through Enceladus' Plumes to Detect Life
Enceladus is blasting water into space from the jets at its southern pole. This makes it the ideal place to send a dedicated mission, flying the spacecraft through the plumes with life-detection instruments s. A new study suggests that a spacecraft must proceed carefully through the plumes, keeping its speed below 4.2 km/second (2,236 miles per hour). Using a specialized, custom-built aerosol impact spectrometer at these speeds will allow fragile amino acids to be captured by the spacecraft’s sample collector. Any faster, they’ll shatter, providing inclusive results.
Chinese startup Galactic Energy bounces back with successful satellite launch
Chinese startup Galactic Energy is flying high again after a successful satellite launch on Monday (Dec. 4).
SpaceX, US Space Force set to launch secretive X-37B space plane on Dec. 10
Final preparations are underway for a Dec. 10 launch opportunity, which will mark the first time the X-37B has lifted off atop SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket.
OSIRIS-REx Failed to Deploy its Drogue Chute Properly. Now NASA has Figured out Why
On September 24, 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission returned a precious sample of rocky material from asteroid Bennu to Earth. The capsule landed safely under its main parachute, but it arrived more than a minute early. The cause: a small drogue parachute, designed to slow the spacecraft down prior to the main chute’s deployment, failed to open. After an investigation into the mishap, NASA believes they have determined the cause of the (happily non-catastrophic) failure.
Scientists study violent 'superflares' on stars thousands of times brighter than the sun
Scientists have used solar flares from the sun to determine the physics driving powerful and violent 'superflares' on massive stellar bodies that are up to 10,000 times brighter than our star.
Dark Halos and Warped Disks
Galaxies are embedded within halos of dark matter, and the tilt of those halos can affect the galaxy's stellar halo and stellar disk.
Hubble Space Telescope will turn back on after gyroscope problem, NASA confirms
The Hubble Space Telescope is soon to exit safe mode, NASA says.
Private cargo spacecraft named for shuttle-era astronaut who died of plane crash injuries
NASA astronaut Patricia Hilliard 'Patty' Robertson, who died from injuries sustained in a plane crash, is Northrop Grumman's chosen namesake for its first Cygnus to launch atop a SpaceX rocket.
Ethereal halo of light around full moon spotted during recent SpaceX rocket launch
An eerily-perfect ring of light was spotted around the full moon in Florida during the recent launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, creating a stunning new photo.
NOAA's older Earth-watching satellites get new 'extended life'
NOAA has plans to add extra years to the lifespan of their fleet of older polar orbiting satellites by controlling them through using an Internet cloud-based system.
Signs of life shooting from Saturn's moon Enceladus would be detectable by spacecraft, scientists say
Scientists believe possible amino acids in Enceladus' subsurface ocean can indeed be detected by spacecraft.
India sets sights on a moon base by 2047
India is setting long-term goals that could see the country establish its own moon base before 2050.
NASA astronaut will celebrate Hanukkah in space with felt menorah
NASA International Space Station astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will pin candles on a felt menorah to honor Hanukkah, the Jewish festival that begins Dec. 7.
Minding the gap on tropical forest carbon
Tropical forests are clearly critical to Earth’s climate system, but understanding exactly how much carbon they absorb from the atmosphere, store and release is tricky to calculate, not least because measuring and reporting methods vary. With these measurements paramount for nations assessing the action they are taking to combat the climate crisis, new research shows how differences in estimates of carbon flux associated with human activity can be reconciled.
In 1872, a Solar Storm Hit the Earth Generating Auroras from the Tropics to the Poles
Imagine a solar storm generating auroral displays across the entire sky. No, we haven’t quite seen them that strong in the current solar cycle. But, back in February 1872, people around the world reported seeing brilliant northern and southern lights. The culprit? A medium-sized sunspot group that unleased a torrent of charged particles in a coronal mass ejection directed toward Earth.
For its Final Trick, Chandrayaan-3 Brings its Propulsion Module to Earth Orbit
On August 23, ISRO’s Vikram lander detached from its propulsion module and made a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole region. The lander then deployed its Pragyan rover, and for two weeks the endearing little solar-powered rover performed marvelously, detecting water ice and characterizing the makeup of the lunar regolith before succumbing to the darkness and cold of the lunar night.
India returns Chandrayaan-3 moon mission's propulsion module to Earth orbit
The spacecraft that ferried India's Chandrayaan-3 lander-rover duo to the moon has returned home to Earth orbit.
