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How do spacecraft avoid collisions in the asteroid belt?

Astronomy Staff — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

How do spacecraft avoid collisions when passing through the asteroid belt? Val-David SmithsonPleasant Grove, Utah Let’s begin by reviewing some astronomical “history”: Han Solo and his rebel cohorts Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and C-3PO are nestled uncomfortably together in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit while their ship is pursued by a battalion of Imperial fighters. Unable toContinue reading "How do spacecraft avoid collisions in the asteroid belt?"

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FAA approves SpaceX for more Starship test missions

Mark Zastrow — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:12:12 +0000

SpaceX has the FAA’s green light to launch more test missions of its colossal Starship spacecraft, the largest and most powerful rocket to ever fly. The aviation regulator last week issued SpaceX a modified Part 450 launch license, allowing the firm to conduct multiple missions of Starship and the Super Heavy booster under the configurationContinue reading "FAA approves SpaceX for more Starship test missions"

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Pearl Young, the first woman to work in a technical role at NASA, overcame barriers and ‘raised hell’

Alison Klesman — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Thirteen years before any other woman joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics – or the NACA, NASA’s predecessor – in a technical role, a young lab assistant named Pearl Young was making waves in the agency. Her legacy as an outspoken and persistent advocate for herself and her team would pave the way for women inContinue reading "Pearl Young, the first woman to work in a technical role at NASA, overcame barriers and ‘raised hell’"

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What happened to the jettisoned Apollo lunar modules?

Astronomy Staff — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

What became of the discarded lunar modules from the Apollo missions? James JarvisSan Francisco, California All but one of the Apollo program’s used lunar modules either crashed into the Moon’s surface or burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. Apollo 10’s lunar module, Snoopy, is still out there, drifting aimlessly around the solar system, waiting for someContinue reading "What happened to the jettisoned Apollo lunar modules? "

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Astronomers urge FCC to research impacts of space junk

Samantha Hill — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000

Citing environmental concerns, 120 astronomers and researchers implored the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an Oct. 24 letter to halt launches of internet satellites like SpaceX’s Starlink. The letter, which was organized by the Public Interest Research Group, also urged FCC Space Bureau Chief Julie Kearney to investigate the potential negative environmental and health impactsContinue reading "Astronomers urge FCC to research impacts of space junk"

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OPINION: An aerospace expert on NASA’s Orion crew capsule heat shield issues during Artemis I

shill — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Off the coast of Baja California in December 2022, sun sparkled over the rippling sea as waves sloshed around the USS Portland dock ship. Navy officials on the deck scrutinized the sky in search of a sign. The glow appeared suddenly. A tiny spot at first, it gradually grew to a round circle falling atContinue reading "OPINION: An aerospace expert on NASA’s Orion crew capsule heat shield issues during Artemis I"

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NASA conducts first otherworldly aircraft accident investigation

Mark Zastrow — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 22:28:08 +0000

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA oversee investigations of aircraft accidents in U.S. airspace. But what happens when a crash occurs hundreds of millions of miles away in outer space? Engineers with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) manufacturer Aerovironment, a prominent aerospace and defense contractor, areContinue reading "NASA conducts first otherworldly aircraft accident investigation"

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The largest space merch retailer in the world opens its first brick-and-mortar retail store in downtown Chattanooga

Astronomy Staff — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:25:15 +0000

PRESS RELEASEFor immediate release Contact:Erik Spangenberg(203)-550-3196erik@firecrown.com CHATTANOOGA, TN — The Space Store, an e-commerce retailer specializing in space-themed merchandise, has opened its first physical retail space in downtown Chattanooga. The Space Store got its start in 1996, as one of the first e-commerce businesses on the internet. For the past 28 years, The Space StoreContinue reading "The largest space merch retailer in the world opens its first brick-and-mortar retail store in downtown Chattanooga"

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A look back at NEOWISE, the NASA mission that cataloged objects around Earth for over a decade

Alison Klesman — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

The NASA project NEOWISE, which has given astronomers a detailed view of near-Earth objects – some of which could strike the Earth – ended its mission and burned on re-entering the atmosphere after over a decade. On a clear night, the sky is full of bright objects – from stars, large planets and galaxies toContinue reading "A look back at NEOWISE, the NASA mission that cataloged objects around Earth for over a decade"

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NASA releases new infrared images from retired NEOWISE mission

Samantha Hill — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Although it completed its mission in July, NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) still has interesting archival data covering the solar system thanks to the team at the Infrared Processing & Analysis Center (IPAC) at Caltech. After the spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere in November, IPAC completed a final data release ofContinue reading "NASA releases new infrared images from retired NEOWISE mission"

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