Tag: engineering
Dragon has unberthed from ISS and is on its way back to Earth.
Dragon has unberthed from ISS and is on its way back to Earth.
After a day delay due to bad weather, Dragon’s return from space has been scheduled for Tuesday.
After a day delay due to bad weather, Dragon’s return from space has been scheduled for Tuesday.
Curiosity marks the return to full science operations by producing a new panorama.
Curiosity marks the return to full science operations by producing a new panorama.
Virgin Galactic reports that the recent tests of the engine for SpaceShipTwo have been a complete success.
The competition heats up: Virgin Galactic reports that the recent tests of the engine for SpaceShipTwo have been a complete success.
It appears that they are getting very close to putting the engine on the spaceship for the first powered flights. Things should get very exciting when they do.
How big will the Stratolaunch first stage aircraft be? Big. Very big.
How big will the Stratolaunch first stage aircraft be? Big. Very big.
Implosion of the Marble Falls Bridge in Texas
An evening pause: The Marble Falls Bridge in Texas had been replaced and needed to be removed. This almost instantaneous demolition was accomplished on March 17, 2013.
Curiosity is out of safe mode and will be resuming full science operations by next week.
Curiosity is out of safe mode and will be resuming full science operations by next week.
It is imperative that the engineers clear up these computer problems now, as communications with the rover will be limited in April because the sun will be in the way.
Transmissions from Earth to the orbiters [Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter] will be suspended while Mars and the sun are two degrees or less apart in the sky, from April 9 to 26, with restricted commanding during additional days before and after. Both orbiters will continue science observations on a reduced basis compared to usual operations. Both will receive and record data from the rovers. Odyssey will continue transmissions Earthward throughout April, although engineers anticipate some data dropouts, and the recorded data will be retransmitted later.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will go into a record-only mode on April 4. “For the entire conjunction period, we’ll just be storing data on board,” said Deputy Mission Manager Reid Thomas of JPL. He anticipates that the orbiter could have about 40 gigabits of data from its own science instruments and about 12 gigabits of data from Curiosity accumulated for sending to Earth around May 1.
NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is approaching its fifth solar conjunction. Its team will send no commands between April 9 and April 26. The rover will continue science activities using a long-term set of commands to be sent beforehand.
An expedition financed by Jeff Bezos has recovered two Saturn 5 F-1 engines from the ocean bottom.
An expedition financed by Jeff Bezos has recovered two Apollo-era Saturn 5 F-1 engines from the ocean bottom.
ILS, the company that launches the Russian Proton rocket, has lowered its prices.
The competition heats up: ILS, the company that launches the Russian Proton rocket, has lowered its prices.
The reason they have given is that the insurance rates to use their rocket have risen due to the three Proton rocket failures in the past two years and that they want to offset that cost for their customers. I suspect a second reason is the price pressure that the Falcon 9 is placing on them.
After 35 years of travel, Voyager 1 has finally left the solar system.
After 35 years of travel, Voyager 1 has finally left the solar system.
There is still some dispute among scientists about this, but the evidence seems clear that the spacecraft has entered regions outside the influence of our solar system.
Update: Since this morning the scientists seem to be backtracking. They now claim that Voyager 1 has not left the solar system.
Another computer glitch has put Curiosity back in safe mode.
Another computer glitch has put Curiosity back in safe mode.
The problem this time appears to be different from the previous computer issue that shutdown Curiosity’s A computer. Since it occurred on the backup B computer now in use, however, it is a problem that cannot be taken lightly.