These photos of SpaceX’s Monday launch and rocket landing are amazing

SpaceX’s launch of an Italian Earth-observation satellite was worth the wait. SpaceX originally aimed to launch the Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation FM2 (CSG-2) satellite on Thursday (Jan. 27), but bad weather forced scrubs on three consecutive days.  Mother Nature cooperated on Sunday (Jan. 30) but a rogue cruise liner didn’t, straying into the “no-go zone” downrange of Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and scuttling that day’s attempt as well. Related: The evolution of SpaceX’s rockets in pictures The Falcon 9 and CSG-2 got off the ground in a dazzling sunset…

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Fisher debuts Artemis, Moonwalker space pens for return to moon

Fisher Space Pen is ready for NASA’s next missions to the moon, 50 years after its writing instruments were used by astronauts on the lunar surface. The Nevada-based, family-run company has introduced its new Artemis Space Pen series, as well as a special edition of its original model space pen that made history on NASA’s Apollo missions. All of the new pens feature Fisher’s patented pressurized ink cartridge that allows them to write in the extreme environments of outer space, as well as upside down, under water and on almost…

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NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission: Live updates

Refresh 2022-02-02T16:58:58.741Z Artemis 1 status briefing starts soon NASA officials are holding a news conference today (Feb. 2) at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT) to discuss the delayed rollout of the SLS rocket. You can listen to the teleconference live in the window above, courtesy of NASA.  “While the teams are not working any major issues, NASA has added additional time to complete closeout activities inside the VAB [Vehicle Assembly Building] prior to rolling the rocket out for the first time,” agency officials wrote in a statement. Full story: NASA delays…

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How many galaxies are there?

Galaxies are vast collections of stars that populate our universe. But how many galaxies are there? Counting them seems like an impossible task. Sheer numbers is one problem — once the count gets into the billions, it takes a while to do the addition. Another problem is the limitation of our instruments. To get the best view, a telescope needs to have a large aperture (the diameter of the main mirror or lens) and be located above the atmosphere to avoid distortion from Earth’s air. Perhaps the most resonant example…

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