SpaceX launches 20 Eutelsat OneWeb broadband satellites to orbit

NeRD

SpaceX sent a set of internet satellites to orbit for another company early Sunday morning (Oct. 20). SpaceX launched the last batch of Eutelsat OneWeb’s V1 satellites from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday at 1:13 a.m. EDT (0513 GMT; 10:13 p.m. on Oct. 19 local California time). The Falcon 9‘s first stage returned to Earth as planned, touching down at Vandenberg’s Landing Zone 4 about eight minutes after lifting off. It was the seventh launch and landing for this particular booster, according to…

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‘Starfield: Shattered Space’ is outlandish enough, but won’t alter your perception of the game (review)

NeRD

Starfield’s hopeful exploration of mankind’s future among the stars (with a healthy dose of zany sci-fi thrown in too) seemed to convince enough critics when the game launched a little over a year ago, but it also faced harsh criticism from longtime Bethesda fans and players expecting much more advanced game design. Does the Shattered Space expansion fix any of those central issues?  The short answer is: no, not really. Bethesda Game Studios seems to be quite proud of Starfield overall, and it makes sense that the studio is sticking…

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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 133 —Red Moon Rising

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Red Moon Rising – Artemis, Commercial Space, and the China Challenge – YouTube Watch On On Episode 133 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Greg Autry on the progress of the Artemis moon program, space science, and the challenges posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Dr. Autry is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of “Red Moon Rising.”  We’ll also highlight the…

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New ‘Dune: Prophecy’ trailer unveils the prequel series’ grand scope (video)

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Dune: Prophecy | Official Series Trailer | Max – YouTube Watch On HBO’s “Dune: Prophecy” is poised to be an irresistible miniseries for “Dune” fans when its six-episode season enters our galaxy on Nov. 17, 2024 on HBO and Max.  The initial teaser rolled out back in May, but today (Oct. 18) at NYCC during the “Dune: Prophecy” panel on the Empire Stage that included showrunner Alison Schapker, executive producer Jordan Goldberg, and cast members Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, and Jessica Barden,…

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US Space Force awards SpaceX $730 million to launch at least 9 national-security missions

NeRD

SpaceX just added another batch of launches to its already-busy manifest. The U.S. Space Force announced on Friday (Oct. 18) that it has awarded SpaceX $733.6 million, in the form of two “National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch Service Task Orders.” Together, the two task orders cover seven launches for the Space Development Agency (SDA) and one “mission set” for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), according to Space Force officials. “In this era of Great Power Competition, it is imperative to not leave capability on the ground,”…

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SpaceX launches 20 Starlink internet satellites from Florida (video)

NeRD

SpaceX sent yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit tonight (Oct. 18). A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 20 Starlink craft, including 13 with direct-to-cell capability, lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station tonight at 7:31 p.m. EDT (2331 GMT). The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff as planned, landing on the SpaceX drone ship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 of the company’s Starlink internet satellites from Florida’s…

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S-MODE, ASIA-AQ, and the Role of ESPO in Complex Airborne Campaigns

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7 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Jhony Zavaleta, ASIA-AQ Project Manager, welcomes DC-8 Navigator Walter Klein and the rest of the aircraft crew to U-Tapao, Thailand for its initial arrival to the country during the ASIA-AQ campaign. Erin Czech (back, blue shirt) and Jaden Ta (front, black pants) served as part of the Thailand ESPO site management team, while Zavaleta and Sam Kim (far right) worked as the ESPO advance team to prepare each new site for the mission’s arrival. NASA Ames/Rafael Luis Méndez Peña…

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NASA Michoud Gets a Rare Visitor

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NASA/Eric Bordelon Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) passes over NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans in this Oct. 13, 2024, image. This comet comes from the Oort Cloud, far beyond Pluto and the most distant edges of the Kuiper Belt. Though Comet C/2023 A3 will be visible through early November, the best time to observe is between now and Oct. 24. Image credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon

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NASA and Partners Scaling to New Heights 

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3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA and partners from Aerostar and AeroVironment discuss a simulation of a high-altitude air traffic management system for vehicles flying 60,000 feet and above in the Airspace Operations Lab (AOL) at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. NASA/Don Richey NASA, in partnership with AeroVironment and Aerostar, recently demonstrated a first-of-its-kind air traffic management concept that could pave the way for aircraft to safely operate at higher altitudes. This work seeks to open the door for increased internet…

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Five Years Ago: First All Woman Spacewalk

NeRD

The fifth anniversary of the first all-female spacewalk by NASA astronauts Christina H. Koch and Jessica U. Meir seems like a good time to tell the story of women spacewalkers. Since the first woman stepped outside a spacecraft in 1984, 23 women from four nationalities have participated in 61 spacewalks. These women made significant contributions to their national and international programs, conducting pioneering work during their spacewalks. Their accomplishments include servicing of satellites, assembly and maintenance of space stations, conducting research, and testing new spacesuits. Since the first spacewalk performed…

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