The ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, spacecraft captured a glimpse of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on Oct. 15–26. During this time period, the spacecraft’s Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument suite spotted the comet crossing its field of view from approximately 222 million miles (358 million kilometers) away, […]
NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during its passage through the inner solar system. The mission’s ability to observe areas of the sky near the Sun allowed PUNCH to track the comet as it passed close to our star, when few other observatories could. This image was created from multiple observations taken […]
Lucy’s high-resolution, black-and-white imager, L’LORRI, captured a series of photos between Sept. 15–17, as the comet was zooming toward Mars. Lucy was 240 million miles away from 3I/ATLAS, well beyond the orbit of Mars, on its way to explore eight asteroids out of two swarms of asteroids that share an orbit with Jupiter, collectively known as the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
Life science and physics topped the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as the Expedition 73 crew studied heart health, stem cells, fluid physics, and spacecraft fire safety. The orbital residents also completed work on a spacesuit and inspected ventilation and electrical systems while continuing other scientific operations.
Expedition 73 kicked off the week exploring how to prevent space-caused vision problems and what happens to the respiratory system in microgravity. The International Space Station residents also worked on combustion research and Earth observation gear, organized food and cargo inventory, and serviced life support systems.
Mission controllers for Sentinel-6B received full acquisition of signal from the spacecraft at 1:54 a.m. EST Monday, Nov. 17. After cross-calibrating its data, Sentinel-6B will take over from Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, launched Nov. 21, 2020, to monitor sea levels, measure wind and wave conditions, and improve both short and long-term weather predications. It is expected […]
The Sentinel-6B satellite is flying on its own after separating from the SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage. Satellite-6B, part of a mission led jointly by NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), EUMETSAT (the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding support from the European Commission […]
The SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage completed its second burn, and in just a few minutes the Sentinel-6B spacecraft will separate from the rocket.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage successfully touched down on Landing Zone 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California following launch of Sentinel-6B. The Falcon 9 second stage will continue to coast for approximately 45 minutes before igniting for a brief, one-minute burn to align its trajectory with its intended destination in […]
The Falcon 9’s second stage Merlin engine, carrying Sentinel-6B, ignited, marking the first of two planned burns that will deliver the satellite to its designated orbit. The rocket’s protective payload fairing separated and is on way back to Earth, where SpaceX plans to recover it.
