Russians still oppose allowing Dragon to berth with ISS on its January test flight
The Russians still oppose allowing Dragon to berth with ISS on its next test flight in January.
Tag: spaceflight
Sea Launch returns to flight
Another private launch company succeeds: The Russian-owned Sea Launch returned to flight yesterday four years after a launch failure caused the company to restructure it finances.
UARS falls in ocean
UARS has come to Earth, re-entering the atmosphere at 11:23 pm (Eastern) last night over the Pacific Ocean.
Another UARS update
Aerospace Corporation has further refined its prediction for the deorbit of UARS. The window now goes from 11 pm to 3 am tonight, with the only land areas at risk being Canada, Africa, and Australia.
NASA now says re-entry will be between 11:45 and 12:45 am (Eastern), putting only Canada and Africa in the satellite’s path.
UARS crash updated
The most recent prediction now says that the UARS satellite will come down tonight between 9 pm and 3 am Eastern time, during one of four orbits, all of which pass over North America, Europe, and Africa. One orbit also passes over Australia.
Update on UARS reentry
The crash time of the UARS climate satellite has now been updated to a window lasting from 6 pm (Eastern) to 4 am (Eastern) tonight.
According to the map at the link, the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Middle East are all potential crash sites.
A second large satellite will rain debris down in October
Even if UARS misses you today, don’t relax! A second large satellite, the 2.4 ton ROSAT X-Ray space telescope, is going to rain debris down late in October or early November.
On its ROSAT website, DLR estimates that “up to 30 individual debris items with a total mass of up to 1.6 tonnes might reach the surface of the Earth. The X-ray optical system, with its mirrors and a mechanical support structure made of carbon-fibre reinforced composite – or at least a part of it – could be the heaviest single component to reach the ground.”
I could hear Andrey saying it was like an American amusement park
Coming home in a Soyuz capsule: “I could hear Andrey saying it was like an American amusement park.”
UARS crash prediction
Want to know where and when the six ton UARS satellite will hit the Earth this week? The Aerospace Corporation has it mapped!
Air Force official suggests they would be willing to sacrifice the X-37 in budget negotiations
An Air Force official suggested this week they would be willing to sacrifice the X-37 in budget negotiations.
China’s second moon orbiter Chang’e-2 sends data from a million miles away
China’s second moon orbiter Chang’e-2 sends data from a million miles away.
A labor strike today has canceled an Ariane 5 rocket launch
A labor strike today has canceled an Ariane 5 rocket launch.
Final preparations begin on the first Soyuz rocket launch from French Guiana
Final preparations begin on the first Soyuz rocket launch from French Guiana, set for October 20.
Europe’s first Mars lander mission threatened by budget woes
Europe’s first Mars lander appears threatened by budget woes in both Europe and the United States.
XCOR Aerospace and Space Expedition Curacao Sign Contract
Another suborbital tourism company enters the fray: XCOR Aerospace has signed a contract “to begin operations in Curacao in 2014.”
NASA astronauts to spend three days underwater
Can’t go up? Go down! NASA astronauts to spend three days underwater in a research sub.
China to launch unmanned space module Sept. 27-30
China has announced a launch window, September 27-30, for its first unmanned space station module Tiangong 1.
Blurred vision a risk for astronauts who spend months in space
Blurred vision is now considered a serious risk for astronauts who spend months in space.
According to one NASA survey of about 300 astronauts, nearly 30 percent of those who have flown on space shuttle missions – which usually lasted two weeks — and 60 percent who’ve completed six-month shifts aboard the station reported a gradual blurring of eyesight.
This story is a followup on information contained in an earlier National Academies report on astronaut staffing.
The Spaceship Company has opened its final assembly factor in Mohave
The Spaceship Company has opened its final assembly factory in Mohave for building a fleet of SpaceShipTwos and WhiteKnightTwos for Virgin Galactic.
Surviving the end of the shuttle problem: how some companies are doing it
Surviving the end of the shuttle problem: how some private companies are doing it.