SpaceUniversity

Northrop Grumman ays it has backup plan for ISS resupply, but silent on details

File photo of two Russian-built RD-181 engines powering an Antares rocket off its launch pad in Virginia. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani Northrop Grumman says it has a backup plan to fulfill the company’s contract to resupply to the International Space Station if the war in Ukraine continues to disrupt the supply of Russian engines and Ukrainian …

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SpaceX training begins this month for first commercial spacewalk mission

Artist’s concept of a crew member performing a spacewalk outside of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Credit: SpaceX / Polaris Program The four-person crew who will fly on the all-private Polaris Dawn mission — set to include the first commercial spacewalk and the debut of SpaceX’s extravehicular spacesuit — will begin training this month for their …

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China launches eight more Earth-imaging microsats

A Long March 2D rocket lifts off with eight Jilin 1 Earth-imaging satellites. Credit: CASC China launched eight more microsatellites for the Jilin 1 high-resolution Earth observation constellation May 4, five days after a separate mission deployed five similar Jilin 1 payloads into orbit. The launches signal an uptick in the pace of satellite deployments …

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China launches Tianzhou 4 cargo ship for space station

Four booster engines and two core stage engines fire to propel a Long March 7 rocket off its launch pad at the Wenchang launch base Monday. Credit: CCTV China launched the Tianzhou 4 cargo freighter for the country’s space station Monday, beginning a resupply mission to stage hardware, propellant, and provisions at the complex before …

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NASA hopeful about staging fourth moon rocket fueling test in early June

STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION NASA’s Space Launch System moon rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett Engineers are making progress resolving mostly ground-system problems that derailed three earlier attempts to fuel the agency’s new Space Launch System moon rocket for a dress rehearsal countdown. NASA managers said Thursday they’re hopeful …

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More Starlink satellites ride into orbit on predawn launch of Falcon 9 rocket

A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off to begin the Starlink 4-17 mission. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at first light Friday with 53 Starlink internet satellites, completing an all-nighter of space operations just five hours after returning four astronauts to a splashdown off …

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Splashdown of SpaceX capsule caps busy season of space station crew rotations

SpaceX’s recovery team prepares to lift the Dragon Endurance spacecraft from the Gulf of Mexico early Friday. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station early Friday with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, the sixth crew launch or landing in support of …

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Live coverage: SpaceX counting down to predawn Starlink launch

Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Starlink 4-17 mission will launch SpaceX’s next batch of 53 Starlink broadband satellites. Follow us on Twitter. SFN Live SpaceX is poised to launch another batch of 53 Starlink internet satellites …

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SpaceX rolls out rocket for another Starlink deployment mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on pad 39A Thursday. Credit: Spaceflight Now SpaceX raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center Thursday, ready for a pre-sunrise blastoff Friday with 53 more Starlink internet satellites, using a booster stage flying for a record-tying 12th time. Liftoff is set for …

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