spacecraft
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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,…
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Next-Generation Spaceplanes Are the Cutting-Edge Evolution of the Space Shuttle Dream
In recent years, we have seen a return of the spaceplane design.
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Trojan Asteroids Loom Closer as NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Fires Up Engine for First Time
The asteroid-sleuthing probe is transitioning from its orbit around the Sun to one beyond the orbit of Jupiter.