Tag

Nasa

All articles tagged with #nasa

science2 hours ago•5 min saved

NASA Bids Farewell to Mars' Atmosphere Explorer MAVEN

NASA has decommissioned the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter after more than a decade mapping how Mars loses its atmosphere. Last contact occurred after it rotated behind Mars, with a review deeming the craft unrecoverable as its power drained. MAVEN’s observations advanced understanding of atmospheric escape and Mars’ transition from potentially habitable to cold and dry, and other orbiters will continue data relays as MAVEN slowly deorbits over the coming decades.

via The New York Times|

#mars-atmosphere #maven #nasa

space3 hours ago•14 min saved

Blue Origin eyes year-end return for New Glenn after pad damage

Blue Origin says damage to Launch Complex 36 from the May 28 New Glenn test explosion isn’t as severe as feared and the vehicle could fly again by year’s end, with tanks for cryogens and the main tower largely intact and a new vertical-conop planned to avoid needing a transporter-erector. Repairs and investigations could wrap in about seven months. NASA timelines, including Artemis 3, remain under review as lunar missions and related programs proceed.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis-3 #blue-origin #launch-pad-36

science4 hours ago•1 min saved

Cape Cod meteor likely iron with unusual density, NASA finds

NASA says the Cape Cod Bay meteor was likely an iron meteorite, unusually dense at about 8,000 kg/m³, broke apart around 31 miles up with few small fragments, and could potentially be recovered from the ocean floor; the density estimate is preliminary and awaits further analysis.

via The Boston Globe|

#cape-cod #density #iron

space7 hours ago•72 min saved

NASA's Roman Space Telescope Passes Final Mirror Check, Set for Launch

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has passed its final prelaunch checks, including a last-look inspection of its 2.4-meter primary mirror and a shake test to ensure it can withstand launch. The mirror performed flawlessly, and the telescope is now being prepared for shipping to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a launch window as early as Aug. 30 or in early September.

via Space|

#launch #mirror #nasa

science7 hours ago•57 min saved

Starliner Flight Schedule Under Review as NASA Weighs Readiness

NASA says Boeing's Starliner-1 uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station is 'under review' as teams assess operational readiness and ISS traffic, with upgrades implemented after the 2024 mission and a plan to certify Starliner as a second crew vehicle, though the April 2026 launch target is being reevaluated for the earliest feasible window.

via Yahoo News Canada|

#boeing-starliner #international-space-station #nasa

technology7 hours ago•6 min saved

Sea Landings vs Ground Landings: The Evolving Art of Returning Spacecraft

NASA’s Orion relies on ocean splashdowns to simplify recovery and cushion impact, a method chosen over precise land landings due to technical and safety trade-offs; Russia’s Soyuz uses a ground touchdown with a last-second retrorocket burst, trading weight and crew capacity for a firm, flat landing. Boeing’s Starliner is experimenting with ground landings using inflatable airbags, while SpaceX’s Dragon remains water-based and Starship aims for fully reusable, ground-based landings at spaceports in the future, potentially ending the era of ocean recoveries.

via Jalopnik|

#nasa #orion #soyuz

space9 hours ago•1 min saved

NASA ends MAVEN Mars mission after six months of silence

NASA has declared its MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after six months of radio silence. Launched in 2013 to study Mars’ atmosphere, MAVEN went silent after passing behind the planet in December, then spun and drained its batteries. A NASA review board concluded the spacecraft is unrecoverable, ending more than a decade of atmospheric observations and its role in relaying data from other Mars rovers.

via NBC News|

#mars #maven #nasa

space10 hours ago•71 min saved

NASA’s MAVEN Mars orbiter ends its mission after months of radio silence

NASA has declared its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission dead after months of radio silence. Last contact came on December 6 as MAVEN went behind Mars and entered a safe, tumbling state that led to a loss of power; repeated attempts to reestablish communication have failed. Launched in 2013 and arriving in 2014 to study Mars’ atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind, MAVEN exceeded its original one-year plan and even served as a relay for surface rovers. With MAVEN’s loss, only Odyssey and MRO remain in Mars orbit. NASA will hold a briefing and notes that MAVEN’s data will continue to benefit Mars science for decades while the exact cause of the incident is still under investigation.

via Space|

#mars #maven #nasa

space13 hours ago•6 min saved

NASA ends MAVEN mission after 11 years mapping Mars' atmosphere

NASA has decommissioned MAVEN after more than 11 years in Martian orbit; last contact occurred Dec. 6 after MAVEN passed behind Mars, and an anomaly review found the spacecraft unrecoverable due to a battery depletion after an unusual rotation. The agency will archive the full dataset and close out operations. MAVEN significantly advanced understanding of Mars’ atmospheric loss driven by the Sun and solar wind, revealed Mars-specific auroras, measured atmospheric sputtering, studied dust-storm effects on water escape, and even supported observations of comet 3I/ATLAS, producing more than 800 publications and playing a key role in NASA's Mars Relay Network. A media teleconference to discuss its achievements is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT.

via NASA (.gov)|

#mars #maven #nasa

science19 hours ago•38 min saved

NASA's $4 Billion Roman Space Telescope Heads to Florida for Launch Prep

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a $4 billion infrared observatory built to probe dark energy and exoplanets, has been moved to Florida for final assembly and testing ahead of its planned launch, marking a major milestone for next-generation space astronomy.

via Forbes|

#astronomy #launch #nasa

space21 hours ago•4 min saved

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Explodes During Ground Test, Pad Damaged and Artemis Plans Questioned

An anomaly during a May 28 hot-fire test of Blue Origin’s New Glenn at Cape Canaveral caused an explosion that damaged LC-36A but left all personnel safe; the incident could delay Artemis HLS work, though Blue Origin says major systems survived and production for the 7x2 configuration will continue while it investigates causes and plans pad rebuilding, which could take over a year.

via Universe Today|

#artemis #blue-origin #nasa

space22 hours ago•5 min saved

NASA Trials Mobile Wastewater System to Sustain Future Moon Bases

NASA is testing a mobile Divergent Deployable Wastewater Treatment Facility—built at Kennedy Space Center—to process crew wastewater into water and nutrients for a hydroponic garden as part of simulating long-duration lunar and Martian habitats. The 8.5-by-24-foot trailer carries three bioreactors and autonomous controls to treat separate waste streams (urine, hygiene, laundry, fecal, and food waste) and integrate with an analog habitat at the University of North Dakota, helping assess operations, training needs, system reliability, and potential links to in-space manufacturing and closed-loop life support.

via NASA (.gov)|

#bioregenerative #life-support #moon

space1 day ago•72 min saved

Northeast meteor blast equals 300 tons of TNT, NASA confirms

A daytime meteor exploded over the Northeast on May 30, releasing energy about 300 tons of TNT. NASA confirmed the event using eyewitness reports and GOES-19 satellite imagery, noting the bolide likely fragmented at ~40 miles altitude; meteorites reportedly fell into Cape Cod Bay, with no land recoveries.

via Space|

#cape-cod-bay #goes-19 #meteor

science1 day ago•3 min saved

NASA planes map Houston atmosphere in June study

From June 3–13, five NASA research aircraft will fly parallel patterns over Houston and the Gulf Coast as part of the Student Airborne Research Program, using lidar, radar, and spectrometers to study atmospheric gases and coastal processes; one plane will fly as low as 1,000 feet and the flights are trackable in real time.

via KHOU|

#atmospheric-science #ellington-airport #houston

technology1 day ago•5 min saved

Blue Origin eyes six-month return-to-flight for New Glenn after pad setback

Blue Origin says the LC-36A pad and propulsion systems survived the May 28 failure and plans to rebuild and fly again with the 7×2 New Glenn, targeting end-2026; however, industry experts consider 12–18 months a more realistic window, while NASA and the Space Force back expedited reviews to speed the effort.

via Ars Technica|

#blue-origin #lc-36a #nasa