February 23rd, 2014
Author: 
Both China’s Chang’e 3 lunar lander and Yutu rover are now in Selene slumber, entering their dormancy Feb. 22-23. The overall condition of the hardware is sketchy at best, with little word or imagery being released by Chinese space officials and state-run media networks. A couple of new images taken by the mechanically-challenged Yutu moon […]
Posted in 
A true “elevator pitch” – my new SPACE.com story up today. I hope you find it of interest: Can Quiet, Efficient ‘Space Elevators’ Really Work? http://www.space.com/24739-space-elevator-tether-technology.html
No doubt that the hit movie “Gravity” struck a chord with moviegoers – and made an impact in the public mind about the threat of human-made orbital debris. A team of University of Leicester students have taken a hard look at the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Envisat that lost contact with […]
Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh has been contracted to send the “Lunar Dream” time capsule on its October 2015 private lunar mission. The deal has been struck between the robotic spacecraft builder and Astroscale PTE. Ltd. – a Singapore-based space industry company. The time capsule would contain the popular Japanese sports drink, Pocari Sweat, which […]
It has been over a year since the space rock explosion over Chelyabinsk, Russia. That February 15, 2013 event damaged thousands of houses and other structures, shattered windows, and injured many people due to flying broken glass caused by the powerful atmospheric blast. The celestial encounter of the near Earth object (NEO) kind has served as […]
Just in time to remember last year’s space rock event over Russia. I hope you find my new SPACE.com story of interest: United Nations Focuses on Asteroid Threat to Earth http://www.space.com/24671-asteroid-threat-united-nations.html NOTE: Photo info/credit: The asteroid that exploded near Chelyabinsk, Russia on Feb. 15, 2013 has provided scientists new insights into the risks of smaller […]
The good news from Beijing is that China’s Yutu (Jade Rabbit) lunar rover is indeed awake, apparently surviving its 14-days of low temp trauma. However, ground controllers are still trying to find out the cause of its “mechanical control abnormality.” “The rover stands a chance of being saved now that it is still alive,” said […]
There’s a new entry in the air-launched rocket system business to hurl small satellites into Earth orbit. Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) of Atlanta, Georgia signed an exclusive investment banking agreement with The Inman Company, an investment banking firm. As part of the GO team, Inman will assist in raising capital to fund GO’s […]
Obit for a frozen rabbit? No official word as yet, although one Chinese news story states that China’s first lunar rover, Yutu (meaning Jade Rabbit), could not be restored to “full function” on Monday as expected, and “netizens” mourned it on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like service. For more details, go to: Has China’s Ailing Moon Rover […]
Small satellites are growing… in popularity and utility. That’s the message from a new study looking into trends and projections for the nano/microsatellite market. The new assessment comes from SpaceWorks of Atlanta, Georgia and the study projects that more than 400 nano/micro satellites will need launches annually in the year 2020 and beyond. SpaceWorks is […]
