http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. You don't just strap a satellite to a rocket, launch it, and voilà, it takes measurements. Beyond maneuvering into the right orbit, there are a series of check-out procedures to make sure the satellite performs in space as it did in ground tests. You have to make sure the communication signals are strong and clear. You have to exercise moving parts like shutters and doors. You have make sure the solar panels are oriented to the Sun and batteries and thrusters are working properly. http://phys.org/news285406671.html Space & Earth Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:37:57 EST news285406671 When a current passes between two electrodes—one thinner than the other—it creates a wind in the air between. If enough voltage is applied, the resulting wind can produce a thrust without the help of motors or fuel. http://phys.org/news284198198.html Technology Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:56:50 EST news284198198 SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station. After overcoming a problem with its thrusters after reaching orbit on on Friday, today, Dragon successfully approached the Station, where it was captured by Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford and crewmate Tom Marshburn using the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. Dragon was grappled at 5:31 a.m. EST, and was berthed to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module at approximately 8:56 a.m. EST on March 3. http://phys.org/news281605826.html Space & Earth Mon, 04 Mar 2013 07:50:52 EST news281605826 Flight controllers managed to gain control of a commercial craft carrying a ton of supplies for the International Space Station after it ran into thruster trouble shortly after liftoff, but the earliest the Dragon capsule could show up is now Sunday, a full day late. http://phys.org/news281386473.html Space & Earth Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:54:41 EST news281386473 A commercial vessel carrying a ton of supplies for the International Space Station ran into thruster trouble shortly after liftoff Friday, and flight controllers scrambled to fix the problem. http://phys.org/news281366430.html Space & Earth Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:20:39 EST news281366430 A great offshoot from commercial space companies getting a foothold in real missions to orbit is that the old entrepreneurial space spirit seems to have been revived. People are attempting to develop and build what could be breakout space technologies, sometimes in their garages or basements. A new Kickstarter project is especially exciting, as it is looking to build a prototype electric pulsed plasma jet thruster, and the engineers behind the project say this could be used for reliable, high performance, low cost interplanetary space transportation. http://phys.org/news271062796.html Space & Earth Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:13:28 EST news271062796 (Phys.org)—The "Mighty Eagle," a NASA robotic prototype lander, reached its highest altitude and velocity—and longest duration—on Oct. 25 when it soared to a height of more than 150 feet during a flight that lasted about 45 seconds. http://phys.org/news270984714.html Space & Earth Thu, 01 Nov 2012 10:32:06 EST news270984714 (AP)—Two spacewalking astronauts worked on a leaky radiator system outside the International Space Station on Thursday, just hours after barely dodging a menacing piece of orbiting junk. http://phys.org/news270980958.html Space & Earth Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:29:33 EST news270980958 One asteroid down, one to go. After spending a year gazing at Vesta, NASA's Dawn spacecraft was set to cruise toward the most massive space rock in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter—a voyage that will take nearly three years. http://phys.org/news266046653.html Space & Earth Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:50:59 EST news266046653 NASA's "Mighty Eagle" successfully found its target during a 32-second free flight Aug. 16 at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. This small, versatile robotic lander prototype demonstrates technologies applicable for the final descent of an autonomous controlled landing on the moon, asteroids or other celestial bodies. http://phys.org/news264410267.html Space & Earth Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:40:01 EST news264410267 Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne has successfully completed a series of tests on a thruster destined for Boeing's Commercial Space Transportation spacecraft, designated CST-100. http://phys.org/news259988965.html Space & Earth Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:09:31 EST news259988965 (Phys.org) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft made its closest approach to Saturn's tiny moon Methone as part of a trajectory that will take it on a close flyby of another of Saturn's moons, Titan. The Titan flyby will put the spacecraft in an orbit around Saturn that is inclined, or tilted, relative to the plane of the planet's equator. The flyby of Methone took place on May 20 at a distance of about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers). It was Cassini's closest flyby of the 2-mile-wide (3-kilometer-wide) moon. The best previous Cassini images were taken on June 8, 2005, at a distance of about 140,000 miles (225,000 kilometers), and they barely resolved this object. http://phys.org/news256894204.html Space & Earth Tue, 22 May 2012 08:30:27 EST news256894204 Firing on all engines, NASA's latest rover to Mars executed a course adjustment Wednesday that put it on track for a landing on the red planet in August. http://phys.org/news245529110.html Space & Earth Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:10:49 EST news245529110 A NASA spacecraft hurtling toward Mars prepared to fire its thrusters Wednesday to put itself on course for an August landing. http://phys.org/news245486811.html Space & Earth Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:47:33 EST news245486811 (PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Voyager 2 has successfully switched to the backup set of thrusters that controls the roll of the spacecraft. Deep Space Network personnel sent commands to the spacecraft to make the change on Nov. 4 and received confirmation today that the switch has been made. http://phys.org/news240579990.html Space & Earth Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:40:01 EST news240579990 (PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Deep Space Network personnel sent commands to the Voyager 2 spacecraft Nov. 4 to switch to the backup set of thrusters that controls the roll of the spacecraft. Confirmation was received today that the spacecraft accepted the commands. The change will allow the 34-year-old spacecraft to reduce the amount of power it requires to operate and use previously unused thrusters as it continues its journey toward interstellar space, beyond our solar system. http://phys.org/news239872850.html Space & Earth Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:21:27 EST news239872850 (PhysOrg.com) -- NASA will conduct a 100-foot robotic lander altitude test flight Friday, Nov. 4, to mature the technology needed to develop a new generation of small, smart, versatile robotic landers capable of achieving scientific and exploration goals on the surface of the moon, asteroids or other airless bodies. http://phys.org/news239273880.html Space & Earth Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:01:02 EST news239273880 (PhysOrg.com) -- During a recent test at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., the robotic lander prototype, known as Mighty Eagle, performed a hover test flying up to three feet and then translated, or moved itself sideways, to perform a controlled, safe landing 13 feet from the launch pad. This is a complex maneuver for the lander to perform accurately since a robotic lander may need to right itself autonomously when it comes in for landing on an airless body or planet with no atmosphere. The robotic lander team cancels out the Earth's gravity, which is six times the gravity a vehicle will experience on the moon, simulating a lunar environment by using a gravity cancelling thruster during test. http://phys.org/news233486621.html Space & Earth Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:24:08 EST news233486621 A piece of Soviet space debris is not likely to collide with the International Space Station after all, and astronauts have moved ahead with restocking the orbiting lab, NASA said Monday. http://phys.org/news229597556.html Space & Earth Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:06:17 EST news229597556 A European freighter will be destroyed by atmospheric burn-up next week after completing its supply mission to mankind's orbital outpost, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Friday. http://phys.org/news227532291.html Space & Earth Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:25:05 EST news227532291 With the click of a mouse, Sandy Freund Kasper sent a command to NASA's comet-hunting Stardust space probe to burn all its fuel, starting a sequence that would shut the spacecraft down after a 12-year run. http://phys.org/news220249355.html Space & Earth Fri, 25 Mar 2011 05:23:04 EST news220249355 (PhysOrg.com) -- Just over two weeks before its flyby of comet Tempel 1, NASA's Stardust spacecraft fired its thrusters to help refine its flight path toward the comet. The Stardust-NExT mission will fly past comet Tempel 1 on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14, 2011). http://phys.org/news215862020.html Space & Earth Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:40:34 EST news215862020 (PhysOrg.com) -- Eighty-six days out from its appointment with a comet, NASA's Stardust spacecraft fired its thrusters to help refine its flight path. The Stardust-NExT mission will fly past comet Tempel 1 next Valentine's Day (Feb. 14, 2011). It will perform NASA's second comet flyby within four months. http://phys.org/news209727304.html Space & Earth Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:00:01 EST news209727304 (PhysOrg.com) -- The Ares I-X rocket stood more than 325 feet tall on the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Spectators watched in awe as its massive solid rocket motor blazed to life with a thunderous roar, and the spacecraft rose off the launch pad. http://phys.org/news179156798.html Space & Earth Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:47:44 EST news179156798 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have won a $6.5 million grant to develop improved components that will boost the efficiency of electric propulsion systems used to control the positions of satellites and planetary probes. http://phys.org/news175365546.html Nanotechnology Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:30:01 EST news175365546 (PhysOrg.com) -- Last Wednesday, the Ad Astra Rocket Company tested what is currently the most powerful plasma rocket in the world. As the Webster, Texas, company announced, the VASIMR VX-200 engine ran at 201 kilowatts in a vacuum chamber, passing the 200-kilowatt mark for the first time. The test also marks the first time that a small-scale prototype of the company's VASIMR (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket) rocket engine has been demonstrated at full power. http://phys.org/news174031552.html Space & Earth Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:07:36 EST news174031552 (AP) -- Their mission almost complete, space shuttle Discovery's astronauts checked out their ship's flight systems Friday to ensure a safe return to NASA's spaceport. http://phys.org/news157376663.html Space & Earth Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:45:01 EST news157376663 (PhysOrg.com) -- Early this morning the Cassini spacecraft relayed information that it had successfully swapped to a backup set of propulsion thrusters late Wednesday. http://phys.org/news156102106.html Space & Earth Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:42:44 EST news156102106 (PhysOrg.com) -- Tuesday's spacewalk with Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov concluded at 5:11 p.m. EDT when the Pirs docking module airlock was closed. The spacewalk concluded ahead of schedule, lasting 4 hours and 49 minutes. http://phys.org/news155940871.html Space & Earth Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:55:15 EST news155940871 (PhysOrg.com) -- The Cassini spacecraft will swap to a backup set of propulsion thrusters in mid-March due to degradation in the performance of the current set of thrusters. http://phys.org/news152814954.html Space & Earth Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:36:27 EST news152814954