The Artemis II crew and teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program successfully completed on Sept. 20, the first in a series of integrated ground system tests at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the upcoming mission around the Moon.
Read MoreMonth: September 2023
Next stop, Europa? Nano subs to get test beneath Antarctic ice in 2026
Submarines, it turns out, could have a big future in space exploration. The subsurface oceans of the Jupiter moon Europa and Saturn satellite Enceladus are perhaps the most tantalizing places in the solar system in the search for alien life. But these water bodies remain out of reach, hundreds millions of miles away and beneath thick icy crusts. Now, a European collaboration aims to break through some of the technological and physical barriers in the way of future exploration of icy moons and their waters, using Antarctica as a proving…
Read MoreHow NASA’s OSIRIS-REx will bring asteroid samples to Earth in 5 not-so-easy steps
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission faces the most difficult part of its journey as it approaches Earth for atmospheric reentry and recovery. The spacecraft is on course to deliver a capsule that will touch down in a western United States desert Sept. 24, completing a seven-year journey and making it the first NASA mission to retrieve surface material from an asteroid. OSIRIS-REx launched on Sept. 8, 2016 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, in Florida, and began a two-year trip to rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft arrived…
Read MoreVirgin Galactic’s next flight will take a Pakistani to space for the 1st time
Namira Salim will make spaceflight history next month. The adventurer will become the first Pakistani to reach space on Virgin Galactic‘s next mission, called “Galactic 04,” which is scheduled to launch from New Mexico’s Spaceport America on Oct. 5. “Thrilled to take to the #stars with @trevorbmbagency and @ronrosano aboard #Galactic04 with @virgingalactic. Inspiring #girls #women and #youth globally to reach for the stars,” Salim posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday (Sept. 17). Related: Virgin Galactic launches 3 of its original space tourist customers to the final…
Read MoreFAQ: The International Space Station Transition Plan
Find answers to frequently asked questions about station transition and deorbit.
Read MoreStrategic Communications Manager Isidro Reyna
“The stars aligned – I was working at Johnson Space Center in Houston about six months later. That’s how I got here, in a roundabout way.” — Isidro Reyna, Strategic Communications Manager, Strategic Integration and Management Division, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Read MoreAfter 1 year in space, what’s next for an astronaut? ‘Peace and quiet’ on Earth, Frank Rubio says (video)
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is about to do what no other American has done before: Celebrate an entire year in space. The record-breaking NASA astronaut spoke to reporters from the International Space Station on Tuesday (Sept. 19), just two days ahead of the 365-day mark for his current mission. The Salvadoran-American physician, born in Los Angeles, also paid tribute to the mentors in the military and at NASA that helped him reach space. “You have the opportunity to work with a tremendous breadth of great individuals (in the military), and…
Read MoreJapan’s SLIM moon lander completes 1st critical phase in Earth orbit
Japan’s SLIM lunar lander has passed a first critical stage on its voyage to the moon. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) launched successfully on Sept. 6 with the main objective of demonstrating a highly accurate soft landing on the moon. Teams on the ground have since been working to verify the functionality of the spacecraft. The lightweight moon lander has now passed a first critical operation period, meaning its solar panels, communications, propulsion and other systems are working well, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced on Sept.…
Read MoreNASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft changed how we think about asteroids. Here’s how.
OSIRIS-REx was the third mission in history to collect a sample from an asteroid and featured the most comprehensive suite of instruments ever flown on an asteroid research mission. The spacecraft’s two years of scanning the surface of asteroid Bennu and its brief sample-collection touchdown showed scientists how little they know about space rocks. Prior to OSIRIS-REx‘s 2016 launch, two other missions studied asteroids in detail: Japan’s Hayabusa 1 that delivered sand and dust grains from asteroid Itokawa to Earth in 2010; and NASA’s NEAR-Shoemaker, which explored asteroid Eros in…
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