jonathan mcdowell
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Massive Pallet of Old Batteries Re-Enters Earth’s Atmosphere, Marking Heaviest ISS Trash Return Yet
Last week, a pallet of used batteries from the International Space Station (ISS) reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Gulf of Mexico following an unpredictable journey through orbit. The pallet contained nine batteries and weighed in at 2.9 tons. It had been tossed by the Canadarm2 robotic arm in March 2021 and and has since been…
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Humanity Just Witnessed Its First Space Battle
In what may be the first known instance of combat occurring in space, an Israeli defence system destroyed a ballistic missile above Earth’s atmosphere.
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U.S. Space Force Taps SpaceX for $70 Million Starshield Contract
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has secured a Pentagon contract for its military satellite network, Starshield. This news, first reported by Bloomberg, marks the Pentagon’s first confirmed Starshield contract with SpaceX. A U.S. Space Force spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that the contract was awarded on September 1, with a ceiling value of $US70 million. The initial commitment…