On June 27, 2024, NASA confirmed that it had instructed crew members stationed on the ISS to 鈥渟helter in their respective spacecraft鈥� after debris from the Russian satellite, RESURS-P1, circulated at an altitude near the station.听听

According to the space agency the order was given around 21:00 Eastern Daylight Time, while mission control was monitoring the debris path. 

Of the nine astronauts on board the ISS, two took sanctuary in the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and three inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, while the remainder took cover in the Russian Soyuz capsule.听

鈥淎fter about an hour the crew was cleared to exit their spacecraft and the station resumed normal operations,鈥� NASA said in a post on X (formally known as Twitter). 

US Space Command also monitored the break-up of the Russian-owned decommissioned satellite.听

statement on the break-up of RESURS-P1 (#39186):

— U.S. Space Command (@US_SpaceCom)

In a statement, Space Command said that it observed 鈥渘o immediate threats鈥� but was nevertheless continuing to conduct assessments to 鈥渟upport the safety and sustainability of the space domain鈥�. 

鈥淯SSPACECOM has notified commercial, governmental, Allied and Partner organizations via Space-Track.org, to include Russia as the satellite owner,鈥� Space Command said in a statement.  

The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, but there have been widespread concerns in recent years regarding satellite and debris congestion in low Earth orbit.听听听

SpaceX wins NASA contract to build deorbit vehicle for space station destruction

• Space

byIan Molyneaux

2024-06-27

The SpaceX spacecraft精东影业 mission will be to deorbit the space station from its location, ensuring that the procedure poses no risks to any populated areas on Earth.听

It is expected that both the International Space Station and the deorbit vehicle will 鈥渄estructively breakup鈥� as part of the re-entry process into the Earth精东影业 atmosphere. 

鈥淪electing a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations. This decision also supports NASA精东影业 plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth,鈥� said Ken Bowersox, Associate Administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.  

Bowersox added: 鈥淭he orbital laboratory remains a blueprint for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all.鈥� 

In a statement on (formally known as Twitter) following the announcement on June 26, 2024, SpaceX said it was 鈥渉onored to be entrusted by @NASA to support this critical mission鈥�.听听

While SpaceX will develop the deorbit spacecraft, NASA will take ownership after development and operate it throughout its mission.   

The International Space Station (ISS) will eventually be replaced by commercially owned space destinations closer to home. 

Since 1998, space agencies from Europe, Russia, Japan, Canada, and the United States (US) have all managed the ISS and all five are responsible for ensuring it is safely deorbited.  

ISS crew members conduct experiments across multiple disciplines of research, including Earth and space science, biology, human physiology, physical sciences, and technology demonstrations not possible on Earth.   

The launch service provider for the deorbit vehicle will be decided at a later date following a procurement process.听听

NASA denies ISS medical emergency after SpaceX training drill airs on livestream

• Space

byIan Molyneaux

2024-06-13

Distressing audio was broadcast on the channel which appeared to confirm that an astronaut onboard the ISS was in trouble after suffering from decompression sickness (DCS).听

A female voice could be heard telling people to 鈥済et the commander back in his suit鈥� and for crew members to check for a pulse 鈥渙ne more time鈥�. 

鈥淪o, if we could get the commander back in his suit, get it sealed 鈥� for suited hyperbaric treatment 鈥� Prior to sealing, closing the visor, and pressurizing the suit, I would like you to check his pulse one more time,鈥� the female voice said. 

Later the female voice, who was identified as a flight surgeon working at the SpaceX mission control center in Hawthorne, California, said that she was concerned there are 鈥渟ome severe DCS hits鈥� and that the prognosis for the commander was 鈥渞elatively tenuous鈥�. 

After concerns for crew members grew on social media, NASA clarified the situation on X (formally known as Twitter) and denied that any real-life emergency had transpired. 

鈥淭here is no emergency situation going on aboard the International Space Station. At approximately 5:28 p.m. CDT, audio was aired on the NASA livestream from a simulation audio channel on the ground indicating a crew member was experiencing effects related to decompression sickness,鈥� NASA confirmed through its ISS social media account.听听

There is no emergency situation going on aboard the International Space Station. At approximately 5:28 p.m. CDT, audio was aired on the NASA livestream from a simulation audio channel on the ground indicating a crew member was experiencing effects related to decompression鈥�

— International Space Station (@Space_Station)

NASA added: 鈥淭his audio was inadvertently misrouted from an ongoing simulation where crew members and ground teams train for various scenarios in space and is not related to a real emergency.鈥� 

The agency confirmed that the ISS crew had all been asleep at the time the audio was streamed and unaware of the drama that had unfolded. 

SpaceX later confirmed on X that the simulation was only a test and confirmed that the 鈥渃rew training in Hawthorne is safe and healthy as is the Dragon spacecraft docked to the @space_station鈥�.听

Boeing’s Starliner return to Earth delayed, new helium leaks discovered

• Space

byIan Molyneaux

2024-06-12

The next crucial phase was a “controlled” return to Earth, guiding the Starship back to Earth and ultimately touching down in the Indian Ocean. However, the spacecraft was lost during reentry, 48 minutes into its flight.

The rocket had known two explosive setbacks during its previous test flights in April and November 2023.

This latest test flight is a significant milestone for SpaceX as it continues to refine and develop its ambitious Starship project. The project holds promise for future space exploration endeavors.

Elon Musk’s company is relying on Starship to achieve its stated goal of installing an autonomous colony on Mars, making humanity a multi-planetary species. NASA is also counting on this spacecraft to land its astronauts on the Moon during its Artemis 3 mission, planned for 2026.

SpaceX’s Starship second test launch ends in explosion

• Space

byClement Charpentreau

2023-11-19

Coming more than fifty years after the conclusion of the Apollo program, this achievement signals the return of the US to the lunar surface and marks the first time that a private company has landed on Earth’s natural satellite. 

鈥淎fter troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data,鈥� Intuitive Machines announced on X (formerly Twitter). 鈥淩ight now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface.鈥� 

The mission, IM-1, was successfully launched on February 15, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Odysseus carries six instruments owned by NASA aimed at gathering information about the lunar environment, as part of the Artemis manned space program which plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2026. The contract value for this initial exploration mission with the company stands at $118 million. 

In early January 2024, the US company Astrobotic, also contracted by NASA to transport its instruments to the Moon, attempted to touch down its Peregrine lander on the lunar surface. However, the mission encountered issues with fuel leaks and misaligned solar panels, resulting in failure.  

In April 2019, the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet, one of the early private initiatives in this realm, crashed on the Moon. A few years later, in April 2023, a lander operated by the Japanese company Ispace lost contact and likely crashed onto the lunar surface while attempting to land. 

Japanese Hakuto-R spacecraft likely crashed on the Moon

• Space

byClement Charpentreau

2023-04-26

On August 23, 2023, Indian lunar probe Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed near the Moon精东影业 South Pole, making India the first country to land a probe in the region.听

Indian lunar probe Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on Moon’s South Pole: video

• Space

byEmilia Stankeviciute

2023-08-23

Intuitive Machines was selected by NASA in 2018 as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative (CLPS), which outsources certain missions to private operators. Companies taking part in this program are responsible for managing the launch arrangements, technology design and operations on the surface of the Moon. 

IM-1 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and will land on the Moon精东影业 South Pole near a crater known as Malapert A. It carries onboard a Nova-C lunar lander and six NASA payloads, which will be used to further the exploration of the Earth精东影业 satellite and prepare for the future arrival of astronauts. 

Intuitive Machines is providing regular updates about the status of the mission and the different maneuvers of the spacecraft on its social media channels.听

Intuitive Machines is one of five private operators selected for the CLPS initiative. Altogether, they are expected to deliver 40 payloads to the Moon between 2024 and 2026. 

The 3D metal printer was created and designed by Airbus for the (ESA), with hopes that the washing-machine-sized contraption will aid future missions to Mars and the Moon.听

There are currently several plastic 3D printers on board the ISS which are frequently used by astronauts. However, the tools to produce metal objects in this way have not been available until now. 

Astronauts based on the ISS can often wait months for metal replacements to be delivered from Earth, so there are hopes that the metal 3D printer may be a game changer. 

Gwena毛lle Aridon, Airbus Space Assembly lead engineer, said: 鈥淭he metal 3D printer will bring new on-orbit manufacturing capabilities, including the possibility to produce load-bearing structural parts that are more resilient than a plastic equivalent. Astronauts will be able to directly manufacture tools such as wrenches or mounting interfaces that could connect several parts together. The flexibility and rapid availability of 3D printing will greatly improve astronauts鈥� autonomy.鈥� 

Printing metal in space poses a raft of unique problems and Airbus will be gathering data about how the new machine performs.  

The average 3D printer normally requires a 10m虏 laboratory as a minimum, so Airbus engineers have had to significantly reduce the size.听

Another consideration involved ensuring that the space station is protected from the laser and the heat generated by the metal 3D printer.  

Although the printer sits in a safe-like box, the melting point of metal alloys compatible with this process can be far over 1,200掳C degrees, compared to around 200掳C degrees for plastic. 

鈥淕ravity management is also key, which is why we chose wire-based printing technology. The wire is independent of gravity unlike the powder-based system, which always has to fall to the ground,鈥� S茅bastien Girault, metal 3D printer System Engineer at Airbus, said. 

Whether from plastic or metal, fumes are emitted that must be passed through filters and captured inside the machine so that they do not contaminate the air within the ISS. 

An exact replica of the 3D printer on Earth will mirror some of the work completed by the space-based machine.  

Four sample parts made by the 3D printer on the ISS will be sent back to Airbus for comparison against those produced by the Earth-based machine. 

The metal 3D printer was developed by a consortium comprising Airbus Defense and Space, AddUp, Cranfield University and Highftech Engineering, under a program run and funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).听

The metal 3D printer took off for the ISS aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 20, 2024.

RAF Voyager laden with 80 tons of fuel suffers tire blowout takeoff scare: video听听

• Defense

byIan Molyneaux

2024-01-31

In a recent statement, SpaceX announced that the Falcon Heavy rocket’s launch, scheduled for December 10, 2023, from NASA精东影业 Kennedy Space Center in Florida, has been moved to occur on December 11, 2023.

鈥渋s targeting Monday, December 11 at 8:14 p.m. ET for Falcon Heavy精东影业 launch of the USSF-52 mission to orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA精东影业 Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available during the same time on Tuesday, December 12. A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff,鈥� the company wrote.

鈥淭his will be the fifth launch and landing of these Falcon Heavy side boosters, which previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67, Hughes JUPTER 3, and NASA精东影业 Psyche mission. Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy精东影业 two side boosters will land on SpaceX精东影业 Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida,鈥� SpaceX concluded.

Originally scheduled for December 7, 2023, the launch faced delays that were reportedly related to logistical challenges and pad availability issues, leading to the rescheduling.

Out of this world: Japanese restaurateur sends ramen into space on SpaceX rocket

• Space

byEmilia Stankeviciute

2023-11-16

According to the , since its inaugural launch in 2010, the X-37B space drone has spent 3,774 days in space. In the upcoming mission, the uncrewed vehicle will conduct various tests, including 鈥渆xperimenting with space domain awareness technologies and investigating the radiation effects on NASA materials,鈥� the Space Force explained.

SpaceX精东影业 Starship explodes minutes after launch in first test flight听

• Space

byMiquel Ros

2023-04-20

It will be the first time the Boeing-built space drone flies with SpaceX.

The 120-meter-high rocket, soaring from SpaceX’s base in Boca Chica, southern Texas, experienced another dramatic test flight after a previous attempt ended in a massive explosion in April 2023.

The liftoff occurred shortly after 7 am local time on November 18, 2023, and early indications were positive.

As the rocket climbed into the skies, the Starship module successfully detached from the Super Heavy propulsion stage.

However, the celebration was short-lived as the Super Heavy stage, responsible for powering the initial ascent, exploded during its scheduled descent, failing to reach the ground.

The separation marked a crucial phase in the test flight. But excitement turned to disappointment when both stages of the Starship rocket experienced what SpaceX referred to as an “unplanned rapid disassembly”.

The Starship module, intended for crewed missions and deep-space exploration, and the Super Heavy stage, equipped with a staggering 33 engines, were both destroyed during the test.

SpaceX, founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, acknowledged the challenges faced during the test.

“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today精东影业 test will help us improve Starship精东影业 reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary,” the company commented.

Following the launch, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it would oversee the mishap investigation to ensure SpaceX complies with regulatory requirements.

The objective of the Starship program is for SpaceX to develop a vehicle capable of coming and going into space, hence the needed capability to take off and land vertically. The program is particularly crucial to NASA, as Starship is due to land astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis 3 mission, officially scheduled for 2025.

NASA, DARPA to develop nuclear-powered rocket to reach Mars

• Space

byClement Charpentreau

2023-01-25

But the purpose of the launch has nothing to do with delivering food. Instead, the mission精东影业 primary goal is to expose ingredients such as noodles and pork, alongside ramen bowls and other payloads, to cosmic rays for six months at the International Space Station (ISS).听 听

Once the mission is completed, the cosmic-radiated ingredients will be returned to Earth in the fall of 2024 and used to create a special Meteorite Ramen Bowl at a grand event in time for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai International Expo, Japanese ramen chain UNCHI said in a statement released on November 15, 2023.  

Ramen that精东影业 out of this world听

The project saw UNCHI精东影业 signature ramen ingredients blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on board SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, on November 10, 2023, as part of a space delivery project called 鈥楻ETURN to EARTH鈥�. 听

In a press release issued by Space BD on October 26, 2023, the Japanese space startup said once the items arrive at the ISS astronauts will attach the payload 鈥渢o an extravehicular platform and expose it to outer space鈥�.  

Promotion of UNCHI was also cited as one of the project objectives.   

鈥淭he mission of UNCHI is to change the world with the power of ramen,鈥� UNCHI CEO Takahiro Matsumura was quoted in the Space BD press release.  

鈥淭hrough this project, we will take the lead in bringing more energy to Osaka and the world!鈥� Matsumura added. 听

The payload includes other items from research centers, educational institutions, and private sector companies. Among these are a Masa Hayami art piece and research materials, such as a small simple exposure experiment device (ExBAS).  

According to Space BD精东影业 October press release, the items will also be subjected to space conditions, highlighting the project’s diverse applications ranging from research and development to promotion.   

This is the third time Space BD has transported a variety of items to space under the 鈥淩ETURN to EARTH鈥� project. Previously, the project, which began at the end of 2021, launched payloads, including diamonds, wood, and glue, from a variety of Japanese and international companies into space. 

What we left behind: how human activity has already littered the Moon

• Space

byEmilia Stankeviciute

2023-11-02