‘Full steam ahead’: NASA ramps up prep for Artemis III astronaut launch in 2027

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NASA is picking up the pace on its Artemis III mission preparations, pressing forward on multiple fronts to assemble launch vehicle hardware and beginning routine simulations inside Artemis mission control. The agency is “full steam ahead,” according to a July 13 NASA update. Across Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, components of Artemis III’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket are coming together, undergoing tests and awaiting transportation for final integration ahead of next year’s launch. NASA is targeting mid-to-late 2027 for Artemis III, which will launch four astronauts into low…

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NASA Uses Subscale Aircraft to Accelerate Flight Innovation

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4 Min Read NASA Uses Subscale Aircraft to Accelerate Flight Innovation An atmospheric probe model attached upside down to a quad rotor remotely piloted aircraft ascends with the Moon visible on Oct. 22, 2024. The quad rotor aircraft released the probe above Rogers Dry Lake, a flight area adjacent NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The probe was designed and built at the center. Credits: NASA/Steve Freeman Testing new aerospace concepts in flight remains one of NASA’s most effective ways to advance knowledge and reduce risk. The Dale…

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Watch Archimedes burn! Rocket Lab fires up engine for its powerful next-gen Neutron launcher (video)

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Rocket Lab has completed a major qualification test for its formidable Archimedes engine, which will power the company’s next-gen Neutron launch vehicle. As Rocket Lab continues with regular launches of its workhorse small-lift Electron rocket, development of Neutron has carried on in the background, progressing toward a possible debut later this year. The company recently completed a full-duration burn of a second-stage Archimedes, paving the way for integration with Neutron in the coming months. The burn took place at Rocket Lab’s Archimedes Test Complex, housed at NASA’s Stennis Space Center…

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NASA Study of Pristine Meteorite Adds to Story of Ancient Asteroids

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6 min read NASA Study of Pristine Meteorite Adds to Story of Ancient Asteroids C1 clasts in Hillsborough: On the left is a back-scattered electron image with two C1 748 clasts circled. On the right, an X-ray map of the same area as (A), indicating Na enrichment in 749 of the C1 clasts relative to the bulk of Hillsborough. Credit: NASA/SETI A meteorite recovered immediately upon its fall to Earth on July 16, 2024, is helping NASA scientists uncover new clues about ancient water, the chemical evolution of primitive asteroids,…

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The 10 best British sci-fi shows of all time

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America and Hollywood might feel like the natural home of sci-fi, but Britain has quite the science fiction pedigree of its own. Doctor Who is obviously our great nation’s most famous sci-fi export, standing tall amongst the other giants of the genre, but it’s far from our only contribution. From television to literature, there is a history of some truly great and groundbreaking science fiction coming from this loose collection of islands. So, make yourself a nice cup of tea and have a seat while we break down the UK’s…

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How NASA’s Artemis III Lander Test Will Pave Way for Moon Landings

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7 Min Read How NASA’s Artemis III Lander Test Will Pave Way for Moon Landings Before Artemis astronauts land on the Moon’s surface in 2028, NASA will conduct the Artemis III demonstration mission in 2027, allowing teams on Earth and in orbit to practice rendezvous and docking operations between commercial human landing systems and the Orion spacecraft. Data from that mission, along with future uncrewed demonstration missions at the Moon, will support astronaut safety and mission success for crewed lunar landings. NASA is working with two American companies to develop…

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Anil Menon Launches to Space Station

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NASA astronaut candidate Anna Menon and her children watch as a Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 75 crewmembers NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

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Observers Beware: Reflect Orbital’s Space Mirrors Approved for Launch

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the launch of Reflect Orbital’s Earendil 1 satellite — a space mirror 18 meters wide designed to reflect sunlight to the ground. The post Observers Beware: Reflect Orbital’s Space Mirrors Approved for Launch appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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SpaceX launches flight-proven rocket for 600th time, sending Starlink satellites to orbit

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SpaceX reached a milestone with its latest Starlink launch, sending the satellites into orbit on its 600th flight of a flight-proven booster. The sexacentennial launch came on the second of two Falcon 9 missions that lifted off less than eight hours apart overnight from Monday to Tuesday (July 13 to July 14). The first flight, with Starlink batch 15-14, launched at 9:28 p.m. EDT (0128 GMT or 6:28 p.m. PDT local time) from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The second flight, with Starlink…

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