spacecraft
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NASA Astronauts Set to Take the Wheel of Lunar Spacecraft for Artemis 2 Test
The Artemis 2 astronauts are gearing up for a key test of the Orion capsule, to see if the Moon crew can manage manual maneuvers prior to a lunar flyby. NASA’s Artemis 2 mission is set to launch in September 2025, carrying a four-person crew on board the Orion capsule for the first time on…
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‘The Nightmare Is Over’: NASA Resurrects VERITAS Mission to Venus
A long overdue mission to Venus is finally back on track after being put on hold due to budgeting and staffing issues at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). VERITAS, Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy, made its way back onto NASA’s budget and is on schedule to launch in 2031, according to mission…
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NASA Ends $US2 Billion Satellite Refuelling Project After Contractor Accused of ‘Poor Performance’
An ambitious NASA project designed to test satellite refueling in space, known as OSAM-1, has been discontinued after significant technical, cost, and scheduling difficulties. The cancellation comes in the wake of an October 2023 report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General that cited “poor performance” by Maxar, the primary contractor for the project. NASA announced…
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‘Too Close for Comfort’: Two Satellites Nearly Collide Above Earth
In a tense moment for space safety, two satellites—NASA’s TIMED spacecraft and the defunct Russian Cosmos 2221—came alarmingly close to smashing into each other above Earth, prompting concerns about the risks of space debris. The near miss happened Wednesday arvo as the two satellites brushed past each other some 378 miles (608 kilometers) above Earth,…