We now have a bird’s eye view of the Curiosity rover and its latest Martian digs. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured a dramatic image last month of Curiosity ascending Mont Mercou, a landform on the slopes of the Red Planet’s 3.4-mile-high (5.5 kilometers) Mount Sharp. MRO took the picture on April 18 using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, which can resolve features as small as a coffee table on the Martian surface. So the car-sized Curiosity is plainly visible, even though MRO was flying 167.5 miles…
Read MoreMonth: May 2021
This week on the Space.com forums: A huge giveaway, an AMA and first contact!
In yet another busy week on the Space.com forums, we’ve got a few highlights to catch you up on. The community asks astrophysicist Joe Pesce their most burning questions. We also imagine what it would be like to be an alien. But first, we kick things off this week with our latest giveaway! Own a piece of Mars! Own a piece of Mars with this Martian meteorite granule pendant from the Space Store! Enter our giveaway for details. (Image credit: Space Store) Join the conversation Let us know what you…
Read MoreNASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity gears up for 6th flight on Red Planet
NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity will soon take to the Martian skies again. The Ingenuity team is preparing the little chopper for its sixth Red Planet flight, which is expected to take place in the next week. The coming sortie will be the first for Ingenuity during its extended-mission phase, which focuses on showcasing the potential of rotorcraft to serve as scouts for rovers and human explorers. “Ingenuity’s flight plan begins with the helicopter ascending to 33 feet (10 meters), then heading southwest for about 492 feet (150 meters),” officials at…
Read MoreMedia Invited to NASA’s Laser Communications Demonstration Launch
U.S. media accreditation has opened for an upcoming rocket launch with a NASA payload that aims to enhance communications capabilities for the agency’s future missions, including the potential to increase bandwidth 10 to 100 times more than radio frequency systems.
Read MoreNASA Invites Media to Launch of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2
Media accreditation is open for prelaunch and launch activities for NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission to the International Space Station, the second uncrewed flight test of the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Read MorePennsylvania, Texas Students to Hear from Astronauts on Space Station
Pennsylvania and Texas students have opportunities next week to hear from astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Read MoreSpace Station Science Highlights: Week of May 17, 2021
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of May 17 that included studies of how microgravity affects human arteries, time perception, and sleep.
Read MoreMoonlight: Europe Plans Constellation of Lunar Satellites
The European Space Agency’s Moonlight initiative gets the go ahead for the development of a future GPS system around the Moon. The post Moonlight: Europe Plans Constellation of Lunar Satellites appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreAstronomers Challenge Claim of Planet Around Barnard’s Star
Astronomers thought a super-Earth might orbit nearby Barnard’s star. But a new study disputes that claim, arguing that stellar activity might be masquerading as the planetary signal. The post Astronomers Challenge Claim of Planet Around Barnard's Star appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreFiring Up the RS-25 Engine Test for Future Artemis Moon Missions
NASA conducted its fourth RS-25 single-engine hot fire test of the year on May 20, 2021, a continuation of its seven-part test series.
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