WATCH HOW SPACEX'S CREW DRAGON WILL LAUNCH ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE IN THIS NEW VIDEO - If you're not yet hyped about the upcoming first crewed flight of SpaceX's astronaut taxi, a new video could help get you there. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk posted the 2.5-minute animation on Twitter on Dec. 29, 2019. It takes viewers through many of the key phases of the Demo-2 mission, during which the company's Crew Dragon capsule will ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 5)

SPACEX STARLINK LAUNCH: HOW TO WATCH FALCON 9 DELIVER 60 MORE SATELLITES TO SPACE - We're only a few days into 2020 and SpaceX is already gearing up for its first launch of the year. On Jan. 6, the workhorse Falcon 9 booster will be sending a batch of 60 Starlink satellites into low-earth orbit, part of the company's plans to deliver broadband internet across the globe. If you want to watch the launch and landing live (launches are always thrilling), here's how you can do it. The launch has been delayed several times, but the Falcon 9 is now scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, at approximately 9:19 p.m. ET (6:19 p.m. PT).   More
(Source: CNET - Jan 5)

EARTH OBSERVATION STARTUP SKYWATCH RAISES $7.5 MILLION - Canadian startup SkyWatch Space Applications has raised $7.5 million to continue developing software that makes satellite imagery more accessible. SkyWatch is building up a distribution platform for satellite imagery, and software optimized for ground systems of remote-sensing satellites. The Waterloo company has raised $10.9 million to date, counting this Series A and a 2018 seed round led by Space Angels and Sinai Ventures.    More
(Source: Space News - Jan 5)

AUSTRALIA’S MASSIVE FIRES, AS SEEN FROM SPACE - The massive bushfires in Australia are still spreading as heat, high winds, and dry weather are pushing flames through much of the southeastern part of the country. The blazes have proved deadly and destructive, burning through more than 14.8 million acres, or 23,000 square miles, an area almost as large as the state of West Virginia. The fires have now killed at least 20 people and destroyed more than 1,400 homes.   More
(Source: Vox - Jan 5)

NASA SAYS FAREWELL TO TINY SATELLITE THAT PAVED THE WAY FOR EXOPLANET DISCOVERY - NASA has lost contact with one of its tiniest explorers, a miniature satellite called ASTERIA (Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics). Operators have been unable to contact the satellite since December 5, 2019, though they will continue attempting to make contact until March this year. ASTERIA was deployed into low Earth orbit from the International Space Station on November 20, 2017, from where it observed nearby stars in order to precisely measure their brightness.   More
(Source: Digital Trends - Jan 5)

LONG MARCH, SOYUZ AND FALCON ROCKETS TOPPED 2019’S LAUNCH LEADERBOARD - China led the world with 34 orbital launch attempts in 2019 — including two failures — followed by 22 flights from Russian-operated launch pads and 21 satellite delivery missions originating from U.S. spaceports, all of which were successful. There were 102 orbital launch attempts worldwide in 2019, 97 of which reached orbit. That’s down from 114 orbital launch attempts in 2018, of which 112 achieved orbit, but 2019’s final launch tally was above the annual average from the last five years.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 4)

SATELLITE SPOTS IRAQI PROTESTS AT US EMBASSY FROM SPACE - A Maxar Technologies satellite in orbit has spotted the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, showing views of the New Year's Day demonstration from above. Maxar's WorldView-3 Earth-observation satellite captured images of crowds of demonstrators at the U.S. Embassy Compound in Baghdad on Jan. 1. The photos show protesters at the entrance of the compound, with the black plume from a small fire visible in one image.    More
(Source: Space.com - Jan 3)

INDIA BOOSTS RADAR SATELLITE COUNT WITH TWO LAUNCHES IN 2019 - Among the significant but low-profile Indian space missions of 2019 were the launches of two Radar Imaging Satellites, RISAT-2B and RISAT-2BR1. Earth observation (EO) satellites that use a radar, thus giving them all-weather vision, have been around since 1978. India entered this field in 2009 with RISAT-2 using an Israeli built payload. Ten years on, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has now increased to four its tally of SAR, or synthetic aperture radar, satellites.    More
(Source: The Hindu - Jan 3)

KOCH MARKS RECORD STAY IN SPACE FOR FEMALE ASTRONAUT - Astronaut Christina Koch, launched to the International Space Station in March, marks her 289th day in space Saturday, breaking retired astronaut Peggy Whitson’s world record for the longest single spaceflight by a female. Along the way, Koch has participated in four spacewalks, joining astronaut Jessica Meir for history’s first all-female excursion in October.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 2)

Previous Next