Carrying NASA science and technology, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander continues on a trajectory toward Earth and is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on Thursday about 4 p.m. EST. To ensure a controlled, safe re-entry, Astrobotic in coordination with NASA and other government agencies, changed the spacecraft’s projected re-entry location to a remote area of the …
Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) is go for launch as four private astronauts gear up to head to the space station later this afternoon. Space botany and fluid research continue into Thursday for the Expedition 70 crew members as they await the arrival of Ax-3. The third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station is …
By Rick Smith Italian astrophysicist Elisabetta Cavazzuti spends her spare time rappelling down steep cliffs and waterfalls. This sport, called "canyoning," combines a sharp respect for physics and precision engineering with a deep love for the beauty of nature. The rest of the time, her focus is on the stars, which demand the same precise, …
As part of NASA’s efforts to open access to space, SpaceX and Axiom Space now are targeting no earlier than 4:49 p.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 18, for launch of the third private mission to the International Space Station. The date adjustment for Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) allows additional time for SpaceX to complete data analysis …
Crew members set to fly aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission recently visited the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to rehearse launch day activities and get a close look at the spacecraft that will take them to the International Space Station. As part of the Crew Equipment Interface Test, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael …
Payloads: Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Internal Ball Camera 2: The crew performed JEM Camera Robot 2 checkout and demonstration activities. JEM Internal Ball Camera 2 demonstrates technology for automating video and photos of research activities. Crew time is one of the most valuable resources on the ISS, and many simple, repetitive tasks could be automated. …
NASA’s Starling mission accomplished a significant objective for the StarFOX (Starling Formation-Flying Optical Experiment) experiment, a test of autonomous navigation, co-location, and situational awareness in space. Using downlinked images from onboard “star tracker” sensors, the team used ground-based software to demonstrate StarFOX’s ability to autonomously differentiate the background field of stars and other orbiting spacecraft from fellow …
If your New Year’s resolution included more skygazing, you’ll have many fantastic opportunities to view some showstopping astronomical events. Kick off the year by watching the skies on Jan. 17 as the Moon pairs up with Jupiter, appearing high in the southwest, for two evenings. After a near year-long fade from the naked eye, Mars …
Payloads: ECHO: The crew performed maintenance and troubleshooting tasks on the ECHO unit. The purpose of the ECHO investigation is to evaluate a tele-operated ultrasound system, equipped with motorized probes that are controlled by flight controllers on the ground. Additionally, this investigation serves to perform the commissioning of the Echo instrument, which is planned to …
