[ad_1] That’s a pretty big milestone, as it beats a goal that CEO Elon Musk had set last month. “We certainly want to get … at least on the order of 10 successful tests in a row before, before launching astronauts,” he said. “So that seems like where the behavior of the parachutes is consistent, […]
Category: spacecraft
Watch Boeing’s Starliner capsule launch abort test at 9AM ET
[ad_1] There’s a three-hour window in case weather or other complications delay the test. Don’t expect this particular vehicle to carry forward — it’s not poised to survive. If all goes well, Starliner will join SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and other vehicles as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which aims to have American vehicles once […]
Air Force’s X-37B space plane lands after record 780 days in orbit
[ad_1] The spacecraft completed “all mission objectives,” according to USAF Rapid Capabilities Office director Randy Walden. Just what those are isn’t clear, though. X-37B payloads are still classified, and officials have typically provided only vague hints of what was aboard. One was a thermal spreader that helped test “experimental electronics” and heat pipe cooling in […]
Elon Musk hopes SpaceX’s Starship will reach orbit in six months
[ad_1] Production for the Super Heavy booster won’t start until Mk4 is complete, Musk added. Despite that, crewed flight might come sooner than you think. SpaceX wants to pursue heavy reusability, to the extent that one Starship could fly “three or four times a day” while the booster could fly “20 times.” That could help […]
LightSail 2 successfully demonstrates solar sailing
[ad_1] After the month has passed, the craft will spend another year gradually deorbiting. It’s a rare achievement in spaceflight, and notable when LightSail relied partly on crowdfunding to make their project a reality. What’s important, though, is what comes next. The Scoiety intends to share data with others so they can implement or refine […]
How HoloLens is helping advance the science of spaceflight
[ad_1] Microsoft and NASA’s partnership began on June 28th, 2015 as part of Project Sidekick when a SpaceX supply rocket docked with the ISS and delivered the headsets to the waiting astronauts. “HoloLens and other virtual and mixed reality devices are cutting edge technologies that could help drive future exploration and provide new capabilities to […]
NASA backs demo that will 3D-print spacecraft parts in orbit
[ad_1] Made In Space has already 3D-printed beams in 2017, when it used a NASA location that simulated some of the conditions of space. This, of course, is another challenge entirely — it’s introducing microgravity along with a lack of human support if things go wrong. This is the start of a second phase of […]
Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe attempts its final asteroid landing at 9:15 PM ET
[ad_1] Back in February, Japan’s second asteroid-exploring spacecraft touched down on the asteroid Ryugu to collect samples that it will bring back to Earth. Tonight, Hayabusa2 is making its final sample collection attempt, where it will try to collect material that was exposed by a crater it created with explosives back in April. It will […]
NASA’s Dragonfly mission is sending an eight-rotor drone to Titan
[ad_1] BIG NEWS: The next @NASASolarSystem mission is… #Dragonfly – a rotorcraft lander mission to Saturn’s largest moon Titan. This ocean world is the only moon in our solar system with a dense atmosphere & we’re so excited to see what Dragonfly discovers: https://t.co/whePqbuGBq pic.twitter.com/BQdMhSZfgP — Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) June 27, 2019 Dragonfly is scheduled […]
European astronauts plan to take pics of a comet from the dawn of time
[ad_1] Comet Interceptor is part of ESA’s latest fast-class mission, meaning it will be developed in a relatively short period of time, about eight years. Comet Interceptor is expected to launch as a single composite craft aboard ESA’s Ariel spacecraft in 2028. It will complete the last leg of its journey with its own propulsion […]