NASA ASTRONAUTS TO EXTEND SPACE STATION STAY AS ENGINEERS TROUBLESHOOT BOEING CAPSULE - Two NASA astronauts will stay longer at the International Space Station as engineers troubleshoot problems on Boeing’s new space capsule that cropped up on the trip there. NASA on Friday did not set a return date until testing on the ground was complete and said the astronauts were safe. “We’re not in any rush to come home,” said NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich. More (Source: NPR - Jul 1)
JAPAN LAUNCHES ADVANCED EARTH-OBSERVING SATELLITE ON 3RD FLIGHT OF H3 ROCKET - apan's new H3 rocket flew for the third time ever tonight (June 30). The H3 launched the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4; also known as DAICHI-4) from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center tonight, rising off the pad at 11:06 p.m. EDT (0306 GMT and 12:06 p.m. Japan Standard Time on July 1). ALOS-4 was deployed into low Earth orbit as planned about 16 minutes after liftoff, commentators said on the webcast provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). More (Source: Space.com - Jul 1)
UARIZONA'S FIRST SATELLITE BUILT BY STUDENTS IS READY FOR LAUNCH - CatSat is a small satellite, also known as a CubeSat. The project kickoff was in 2016. For the past several years, students suited up in lab coats, hairnets and masks to meticulously wire up the satellite inside a clean room in the university's Drake Building. Henley and Rahmer were part of the CatSat integration team, which also included team leads Hilly Paige and Del Spangler, both UArizona alumni, and engineering student Sarah Li. More (Source: University of Arizona News - Jun 30)
EUMETSAT MOVES WEATHER SATELLITE FROM ARIANE 6 TO FALCON 9 - European weather satellite operator Eumetsat has shifted the upcoming launch of a weather satellite from an Ariane 6 to a Falcon 9, a move that surprised and frustrated European space officials. In a statement late June 28, Eumetsat said the Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder 1 (MTG-S1) geostationary weather satellite will now launch on a Falcon 9 in 2025. The spacecraft was planned to launch as soon as early 2025 on an Ariane 6. “This decision was driven by exceptional circumstances,” Phil Evans, director-general of Eumetsat, said in a statement, but did not elaborate on those circumstances. “It does not compromise our standard policy of supporting European partners, and we look forward to a successful SpaceX launch for this masterpiece of European technology.” More (Source: SpaceNews - Jun 30)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 2ND BATCH OF NEXT-GEN US SPY SATELLITES - SpaceX launched another set of U.S. spy satellites tonight (June 28). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base tonight at 11:14 p.m. EDT (8:14 p.m. local California time; 0314 GMT on June 29). The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about 8 minutes after liftoff tonight as planned, landing on the SpaceX drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean. More (Source: Space.com - Jun 29)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 23 STARLINK SATELLITES, LANDS FALCON 9 ROCKET ON RECORD 22ND FLIGHT - SpaceX launched 23 of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit today, marking a new milestone in the company's reusability mission. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:14 a.m. EDT (1114 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Aboard the rocket was a batch of 23 Starlink spacecraft, adding to the company's ever-growing megaconstellation of broadband internet satellites. More (Source: Space.com - Jun 29)
STARLINER LANDING NOW ON INDEFINITE HOLD FOR MORE TESTS, BUT NASA INSISTS CREW NOT ‘STRANDED’ IN SPACE - The return to Earth of Boeing’s Starliner capsule is on indefinite hold pending results of new thruster tests and ongoing analysis of helium leaks that cropped up during the ship’s rendezvous with the International Space Station, NASA announced Friday. But agency officials insisted Starliner commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams are not “stranded” in space. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 29)
RUSSIAN SATELLITE BREAKS UP, CREATING DEBRIS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT - A Russian satellite in low Earth orbit broke up June 26, creating more than 100 pieces of trackable debris and briefly causing the International Space Station crew to take shelter. The satellite, Resurs P1, suffered some kind of event at around 12 p.m. Eastern June 26, U.S Space Command (USSPACECOM) said in a June 27 statement, creating more than 100 pieces of debris. The statement did not indicate any potential cause for the breakup. “USSPACECOM has observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain,” it stated. More (Source: SpaceNews - Jun 28)
NASA SELECTS INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION US DEORBIT VEHICLE - NASA is fostering continued scientific, educational, and technological developments in low Earth orbit to benefit humanity, while also supporting deep space exploration at the Moon and Mars. As the agency transitions to commercially owned space destinations closer to home, it is crucial to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the International Space Station in a controlled manner after the end of its operational life in 2030. NASA announced SpaceX has been selected to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle that will provide the capability to deorbit the space station and ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas. More (Source: NASA - Jun 28)
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