Related topics: nasa

US space chief updates on asteroid lasso mission (Update)

Surrounded by engineers, NASA chief Charles Bolden inspected a prototype spacecraft engine that could power an audacious mission to lasso an asteroid and tow it closer to Earth for astronauts to explore.

Eye exam for a satellite

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 ...

Survival: Terrifying moments in space flight

Space is a dangerous and sometimes fatal business, but happily there were moments where a situation happened and the astronauts were able to recover.

Video: Dragon grappled and berthed at Space Station

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 ...

SpaceX company fixes Dragon capsule problem (Update)

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 ...

Magnetic shielding of ion beam thruster walls

Electric rocket engines known as Hall thrusters, which use a super high-velocity stream of ions to propel a spacecraft in space, have been used successfully onboard many missions for half a century. Erosion of the discharge ...

Could plasma jet thrusters 'kickstart' interplanetary travel?

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 ...

Mighty Eagle scores longest, highest flight yet

(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 ...

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