When spacecraft return to Earth, they don't need to shed all their velocity by firing retro-rockets. Instead, they use the atmosphere as a brake to slow down for a soft landing. Every planet in the solar system except Mercury ...
Space Exploration
Nov 28, 2023
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17
The Psyche mission is speeding toward its Oct. 5 launch date, preparing for the last of its launch-preparation milestones.
Space Exploration
Aug 3, 2023
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17
A prototype telescope designed and built by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers has been launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida to the International Space Station (ISS).
Astronomy
Mar 16, 2023
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45
The parachute system that will help deliver the Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover to Mars has completed the first full-scale high altitude drop test with redesigned elements following two unsuccessful tests last year. Parachute ...
Space Exploration
Nov 18, 2020
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26
This air intake collector is designed to harvest sufficient air particles as it skims the top of the atmosphere to fuel an "air-breathing" electric thruster. The aim is to help satellites to overcome atmospheric drag to operate ...
Space Exploration
Jul 22, 2020
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8
Positive steps towards solving the problems discovered with the ExoMars mission parachutes have been taken in the last month to keep on track for the July-August 2020 launch window.
Space Exploration
Oct 15, 2019
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33
A University of Manchester Ph.D. student has developed a prototype flexible heat shield for spacecraft that could reduce the cost of space travel and even aid future space missions to Mars.
Space Exploration
Aug 9, 2018
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9
The now defunct Chinese space station Tiangong-1 is en route to crash into Earth – completing its "atmospheric reentry phase". While experts have been aware that this would happen for more than a year, there has been huge ...
Space Exploration
Mar 28, 2018
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58
Will we soon see a new bright "star" visiting our evening skies? The crowd-funded Mayak CubeSat was launched along with 72 other satellites aboard a Russian Soyuz Rocket on July 14, 2017.
Space Exploration
Jul 25, 2017
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5
Some of the final results sent back by ESA's Venus Express before it plummeted down through the planet's atmosphere have revealed it to be rippling with atmospheric waves – and, at an average temperature of -157°C, colder ...
Space Exploration
Apr 19, 2016
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