NASA Armstrong Builds Model Wing to Help Advance Unique Design

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4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Experimental Fabrication Shop technicians created parts for the assembly of a Transonic Truss-Braced Wing model. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the technicians also assembled sections, and did a final fit-check to ensure the wing model was ready for testing. Credits: NASA/Quincy Eggert German Escobar works on a model aircraft wing structure that has two long sides and bars in between, which resembles a mini ladder. He sands the rough edges, uses four vices to…

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DHL delivering Everest rock, ‘meme’ coin to the moon on Astrobotic lander

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A rock from the top of Mount Everest, a tiny time capsule from Belgium, a physical “meme” coin, a collection of Reddit posts and a letter from a private astronaut who followed his father into space are now all being delivered to the moon. But it is not NASA nor any of the world’s other space agencies that are shipping these items to the lunar surface. It is DHL. The same American-founded German logistics company that is perhaps best known for its delivery services across Europe has expanded its worldwide…

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Floating ‘magic islands’ on Saturn’s moon Titan may be honeycomb-shaped snow

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The floating “magic islands” of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may finally have a scientific explanation. Scientists believe they’re clumps of glacier-like snow shaped like honeycomb. The so-called islands were first spotted in 2014 by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft as it peered through the orange haze surrounding Titan, which is a moon that’s bigger than the planet Mercury. Appearing as shifting bright spots on the Saturnian moon above lakes of liquid methane and ethane, the islands left scientists struggling for an explanation. No one could figure out how these ephemeral blocks could…

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ULA’s 1st Vulcan Centaur rocket launch looks spectacular in these photos and videos

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United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday (Jan. 8) at 2:18 a.m. EST (0718 GMT).  The launch — the first ever for the powerful Vulcan Centaur — sent Astrobotic’s private Peregrine moon lander toward Earth’s nearest neighbor, where it is expected to land on Feb. 23. Success in that effort would be historic: No private spacecraft has ever touched down softly on the lunar surface. Here we take a look at some of the first photos from this stunning nighttime launch.  Related: ULA’s Vulcan…

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NASA Science Heads to Moon on First US Private Robotic Artemis Flight 

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As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander launched on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket at 2:18 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Carrying NASA scientific instruments as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander launched on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket at 2:18 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Peregrine has about a 46-day journey to reach the lunar surface. Once on the…

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NASA, United Arab Emirates Announce Artemis Lunar Gateway Airlock

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NASA and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have entered into an agreement for MBRSC to provide the Crew and Science Airlock module for the Gateway Space Station. As part of the agreement, NASA will fly a United Arab Emirates astronaut to Gateway on a future Artemis mission. Pictured is an artist’s concept of Gateway (left) and an artist’s concept of a government reference airlock (right). NASA NASA and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Sunday plans for the space centre…

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Watch Vulcan rocket launch private Peregrine moon lander on debut mission early Jan. 8

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A historic moon mission will launch early Monday morning (Jan. 8), and you can watch the action live. United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket is scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday at 2:18 a.m. EST (0718 GMT). The launch — the first ever for the powerful new rocket — will send the private Peregrine moon lander toward Earth’s nearest neighbor.  You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV, beginning at 1:30 a.m. EST (0630 GMT) on Monday. Related: 10…

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Crystal-studded space rock found in the Sahara may rewrite the history of the early solar system

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This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. In May 2020, some unusual rocks containing distinctive greenish crystals were found in the Erg Chech sand sea, a dune-filled region of the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria. On close inspection, the rocks turned out to be from outer space: lumps of rubble billions of years old, left over from the dawn of the solar system. They were all pieces of a meteorite known as Erg Chech 002, which is the oldest volcanic rock…

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Earth’s core wobbles every 8.5 years, new study suggests

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Scientists in China recently made a discovery at the heart of our planet: Every 8.5 years, the Earth’s inner core wobbles around its rotational axis. This shift is likely caused by a tiny misalignment between the inner core and the Earth’s mantle—the layer below the Earth’s crust, according to the researchers’ new study.  Starting around 1,800 miles (2896 km) beneath the surface, Earth’s core is split into a swirling liquid outer boundary and a mostly solid inner layer. This region is partially responsible for a number of our planet’s geophysical…

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What time is ULA’s 1st Vulcan rocket launch with Astrobotic’s private moon lander on Jan. 8?

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After weeks of delays, the United Launch Alliance is ready to launch its first-ever Vulcan rocket — a test flight that will also send a private lunar lander to the moon in another first — but if you’re hoping to watch the historic liftoff, you’ll need to know when and how. For that, space fans, we’ve got you covered.  The Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch from ULA’s Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:18 a.m. EST (0718 GMT) on its Cert-1 mission to prove…

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