China’s mysterious space plane has returned to Earth after spending over 8 months in orbit. The reusable spacecraft landed at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in a remote section of northwest China on Friday (Sept. 6). It launched from the same site atop a Long March 2F rocket on Dec. 14, 2023, on its third …
China’s Mysterious Space Plane Returns To Earth After 268 Days In Orbit. Read More »
An experimental NASA solar sail can be seen in the night sky as it orbits the Earth. NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) launched in April 2024 atop a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. The mission is designed to test solar sail technology to help NASA develop larger spacecraft in the future using this next-generation …
NASA’s Solar Sail Spacecraft Is Visible In The Night Sky. Read More »
The Senegalese Space Study Agency (ASES) has signed an agreement with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to join the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). ASES director Maram Kaire signed the agreement with the CNSA chief engineer, Li Guoping, on September 5, 2024. This was done during the opening ceremony of a two-day conference, …
The Square Kilometre Array Organisation (SKAO) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and the African Astronomical Society (AfAS). The collaboration focuses on initiatives focused on human capital development. The agreement is meant to establish cooperation for the next five years and was signed during the International Astronomical …
SpaceX continues to keep busy. One of the company’s Falcon 9 rockets lifted off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base tonight (Sept. 5) at 11:20 p.m. EDT (8:20 p.m. local California time; 0320 GMT on Sept. 6 ), sending a batch of next-gen spy satellites aloft for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). It was …
SpaceX Launches Next-Gen US Spy Satellites On 2nd Leg Of Spaceflight Doubleheader. Read More »
On April 23, NASA launched a solar sail protype to orbit around our planet — a piece of technology that could very well revolutionize the way we think about spacecraft propulsion. Then, on Aug. 29, the agency confirmed this sail successfully unfurled itself in outer space. Yet, we still didn’t have official photographic evidence of …
NASA Spacecraft Captures 1st Photo Of Its Giant Solar Sail While Tumbling In Space. Read More »
A SpaceX rocket carrying a new batch of Starlink internet satellites launched into orbit from Florida today (Sept. 5), then returned to Earth in a flawless landing. The used Falcon 9 rocket launched 21 Starlink satellites from a pad at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and landed on a SpaceX drone ship in the …
Used SpaceX Rocket Launches 7,001st Starlink Satellite (and 20 others), Lands At Sea. Read More »
SpaceX will launch a new batch of its Starlink satellites into orbit on Thursday (Sept. 5) after a one-day delay due to weather and you’ll be able to watch it live online. In fact, it’s the first of two SpaceX launches today. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 21 Starlink internet satellites to space …
Kenya recently installed the Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) in Nairobi, enhancing its radio astronomy capabilities. The installation followed a week-long training workshop at the Technical University of Kenya hosted by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) in collaboration with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and the Electronic Research Foundation of New Zealand. Researchers …
Kenya Becomes the Third African Country to Install the TART. Read More »
Europe’s Vega rocket aced its final mission tonight (Sept. 4). The Vega, which is operated by France-based company Arianespace, lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana tonight (Sept. 4) at 9:50 p.m. EDT (10:50 p.m. local time in Kourou; 0150 GMT on Sept. 5), carrying the Sentinel-2C Earth-observing satellite skyward. Launch had been …
