July 16th, 2018
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The UK Space Agency has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to develop the UK’s first spaceport in Sutherland, on the north coast of Scotland. Pegged at $31 million total, the two contract deal has Lockheed Martin establishing vertical launch operations in Sutherland, Scotland and to develop innovative technologies in Reading, Berkshire with support from […]
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The consequences of incoming space objects plowing into Earth’s atmosphere and resulting human injuries are being spotlighted during the upcoming 81st Annual Meeting of The Meteoritical Society, being held July 22-27 in Moscow, Russia. The entry of the roughly 65-foot (20-meter) sized meteoroid at Chelyabinsk on February 15, 2013, stands out from other fireballs for […]
Why should we be warming up to ultra-cold lunar ice? Permanently shadowed craters at the polar regions of the Moon are eyed as repositories of water ice. That resource can be converted to oxygen, water, and rocket fuel. Exploiting these stores of water ice is a big plus to assure humans not only can survive […]
The nuclear power sector is seeing resurgence in innovation, supported by new policies and emerging technologies. BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) is a major supplier of nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. government. As such, BWXT envisions a path forward in two of the U.S. government’s top priorities: space exploration and national security. Compact […]
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is wrapping up Sol 2109 duties on Vera Rubin Ridge. Abigail Fraeman, a planetary geologist at NASA/JPL in Pasadena, California, notes one of the most significant aspects of Vera Rubin Ridge is the signature of the mineral hematite (Fe2O3). Fraeman recalls that she and many collaborators spent the winter and […]
The Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 is in “home position” at 12 miles (20 kilometers) away from asteroid Ryugu. Hayabusa2 has been confirming instrument operations in preparation for future observations. New images have shown the results of part of this rehearsal observation, notes the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA). As the asteroid has rotated, […]
Now in Sol 2108, NASA’s Curiosity rover is headed for another drill session on the Red Planet. “After being out of commission for over a year, Curiosity’s drill is making not just a comeback, but a strong one, with imminent plans for a second drill hole within the span of 60 sols,” reports Roger […]
Thanks to the first commercial tweet from space, New Mexcio-based Solstar is taking a next step in building infrastructure for the Internet of Things (IOT) in space. On April 29th, Solstar demonstrated the first commercial internet and Wi-Fi service in space, funded entirely by private investment. The Solstar payload flew on Blue Origin’s eighth test […]
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued today an assessment of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA has contracted with two companies — Boeing and SpaceX — to develop vehicles to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. Neither is expected to be ready until 2019. Before any missions happen, the GAO reports, NASA will […]
Rocket Lab has confirmed plans to expand its launch capability by developing a U.S. launch site – Launch Complex 2. Four U.S. space ports are under review to launch the group’s Electron rocket. — Cape Canaveral — Wallops Flight Facility — Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska — Vandenberg Air Force Base A decision on the […]
