Tag

Reentry

All articles tagged with #reentry

science-space4 hours ago•203 min saved

Rescue attempt for NASA's Swift observatory ends in failure

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, in orbit for nearly 22 years, is steadily losing altitude and is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere later this year. A companion LINK satellite launched to boost Swift could not complete the rescue due to ongoing attitude-control issues, delaying rendezvous and preventing a higher orbit, with NASA and its partner reframing the mission as a demonstration for future in-space servicing while other observatories fill the observational gap.

via CNN|

#link-satellite #nasa #reentry

science5 days ago•5 min saved

Rescue mission for Swift gamma-ray telescope canceled as reentry looms

NASA and Katalyst have canceled the Link rescue mission intended to reach and boost the Swift gamma-ray observatory into a higher orbit. Ongoing attitude-control issues—two reaction wheels failed and thrusters struggled—prevented Link from completing the rendezvous. Without the rescue, Swift is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere later this year, though the teams will continue to extract technical value and demonstrate aspects of proximity operations that could inform future servicing missions.

via Ars Technica|

#nasa #reentry #satellite-servicing

space1 month ago•12 min saved

Skylab ends a six-year orbit as debris in Western Australia becomes museums and a rain-catching keepsake

Skylab, NASA’s first space station, cost roughly $2.2 billion, hosted nine astronauts on three missions for a combined 171 days, and spent just over six years in orbit before re-entering in July 1979. Debris scattered over Western Australia, with pieces ending up in museums, private collections, and even a rain-catching trough made from an oxygen-tank lid. The project demonstrated long-duration spaceflight, orbital maintenance, and helped lay groundwork for later programs like Shuttle–Mir and the International Space Station.

via Space Daily|

#nasa #reentry #skylab

space1 month ago•124 min saved

Space Balls in Australia Spotlight Gaps in Debris Reentry Knowledge

A metallic sphere found on Forrest Beach, Queensland, in July 2026 is believed to be space debris—likely a pressure vessel from a rocket stage—highlighting how some reentries survive atmospheric burn-up, especially when made of titanium. The incident adds to a pattern of debris from past missions and underscores lingering gaps in understanding debris behavior. The Australian Space Agency has issued three steps for safely handling suspected debris and urges reporting to authorities, while experts say better tracking and the possibility of controlled reentries are needed as space activity increases.

via Space|

#australia #pressure-vessel #reentry

science1 month ago•2 min saved

Metallic space debris found on Australian beach traced to rocket re-entry

Metallic spheres found on Forrest Beach in Queensland were identified by the Australian Space Agency as space debris—likely pressure vessels from a rocket that re-entered Earth's atmosphere—leading to beach closures for recovery. Officials note such debris can survive re-entry and may come from satellites or launch vehicles, and this marks Australia’s third similar incident in five years, with ongoing international efforts to confirm the debris' origin.

via NBC News|

#australia #australian-space-agency #reentry

space1 month ago•102 min saved

Mysterious spheres found on Australian shore likely space debris from foreign rocket

Metal spheres washed up at Forrest Beach, Queensland, are being described by the Australian Space Agency as likely pressure vessels from a foreign space-launch vehicle, consistent with debris re-entering Earth from orbit; authorities are coordinating with international partners to confirm the launch vehicle and country, and residents are advised not to touch the objects and to report any finds.

via Space|

#australia #forrest-beach #reentry

space1 month ago•3 min saved

A Paper Airplane Thrown in Space Would Orbit for About 80 Hours Before Burning Up

University of Tokyo researchers used a numerical model and wind tunnel to simulate an A4 paper airplane released from the ISS. The plane would orbit for about 80 hours, then plunge into the atmosphere and burn up on reentry, though a wind-tunnel test showed it could briefly endure extreme speeds and heat with some edge singeing. The study notes the low cost of paper planes could enable many deployments for small science experiments, but in practice it's probably impractical.

via Jalopnik|

#iss #orbital-dynamics #paper-airplane

science1 month ago•4 min saved

NASA taps three-armed robot to rescue Swift from decay and reentry

NASA is launching a $30 million rescue mission using Katalyst Space Technologies’ autonomous three-armed Link to rendezvous with the Swift Observatory and move it from about 360 km to 600 km, delaying its reentry after solar activity accelerated orbital decay; the operation could start this week from the Marshall Islands, with Swift potentially back online by September if successful, and the effort could pave the way for future in-space satellite servicing.

via ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos|

#nasa #reentry #robotics

space2 months ago•3 min saved

SpaceX launches secret Starfall reentry demo for microgravity research

SpaceX launched the Starfall Demo mission from Cape Canaveral to test a new reentry capsule designed for in-space manufacturing and microgravity research; the flight focused on demonstrating controlled flight and a reentry splashdown in the Pacific, but the company offered few details and did not confirm recovery or future plans, with FAA filings indicating a ~2,100 kg spacecraft that could carry up to ~1,000 kg of payload. The mission marks SpaceX’s entry into the microgravity market alongside startups like Varda Space and ElevationSpace, potentially reshaping the sector.

via SpaceNews|

#in-space-manufacturing #microgravity #reentry

space2 months ago•4 min saved

53-Year Orbit Ends as Soviet Venus Probe Kosmos 482 Returns to Earth

Kosmos 482, a Venus-landing capsule from the Soviet Venera program launched in 1972, failed at launch and spent 53 years in Earth orbit before re-entering on 10 May 2025; its titanium descent capsule, built to withstand Venus’ extreme conditions, may have survived re-entry and landed in the eastern Indian Ocean, though no debris has been confirmed; it stands as the last surviving relic of the Soviet Venus program and a remarkable twist in space history.

via The Times of India|

#kosmos-482 #reentry #space

technology2 months ago•4 min saved

SpaceX’s Starfall eyes fast global cargo via orbital delivery

SpaceX is testing Starfall, a small disc-shaped cargo reentry pod designed to deliver goods from low-Earth orbit. Launched on a Falcon 9, Starfall would orbit briefly before reentry and a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific, with the first demo planned for Tuesday within a 6:43 am EDT launch window. The FAA environmental assessment describes Starfall as enabling rapid, point-to-point deliveries and potential access to in-space manufacturing, possibly attracting military interest; Starfall weighs about 4,600 lb and can carry roughly 2,200 lb of payload and relies on its carrier for deorbiting.

via Ars Technica|

#cargo #orbital-delivery #reentry

space2 months ago•96 min saved

SpaceX readies Starfall cargo capsule for first reentry demo on June 23

SpaceX will launch its Starfall cargo capsule on June 23 from Cape Canaveral for the first Starfall reentry demo. The non-propulsive capsule is designed to haul payloads to low Earth orbit and return them to Earth, featuring a dual section with a carbon-fiber heat shield and relying on Falcon 9’s second stage for the deorbit, with a Pacific splashdown planned about 700 nautical miles off the West Coast and the booster targeting an Atlantic droneship landing; a backup window is set for June 24. Starfall can carry up to 2,200 pounds and is intended to retrieve materials from orbital manufacturing for research payloads, not to carry astronauts. The mission follows FAA filings and contrasts with prior smaller reentry efforts by companies like Varda Space.

via Space|

#cape-canaveral #falcon-9 #reentry

technology2 months ago•2 min saved

SpaceX Gears Up for Starfall Demo to Test In-Orbit Manufacturing

SpaceX is set to launch the Starfall Demo, a disk-shaped reentry capsule for in‑orbit manufacturing and cargo delivery, on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on June 23 (backup June 24). FAA filings show Starfall reentries are approved into the Pacific off California, and the capsules can carry up to 1,000 kg with a parachute-based splashdown. If successful, Starfall could kick off mass production in microgravity and compete with Varda Space Industries, while SpaceX reserves options for future Starship launches; live streams are available on SpaceX and X.

via Gizmodo|

#in-orbit-manufacturing #reentry #rocket-launches

space2 months ago•4 min saved

FAA clears SpaceX Starfall reentry tests for in-space manufacturing and rapid cargo

The FAA issued an environmental assessment and a record of decision approving two Starfall reentry tests off the California/Mexico coast as SpaceX explores a mass-producible reentry capsule for in-space manufacturing and rapid space-to-Earth cargo delivery, with up to 1,000 kg payload, parachute descent, heat shield jettisoned before splashdown, and boat-based recovery; exact test dates and future missions were not disclosed.

via SpaceNews|

#faa #in-space-manufacturing #reentry

science3 months ago•11 min saved

The $400 Littering Ticket That Turned Skylab Debris Into Folklore

In 1979, Skylab debris dispersed across Western Australia. The Shire of Esperance issued NASA a $400 littering ticket as a joke; NASA did not pay, and the unpaid fine was settled in 2009 when listeners funded the amount, turning the episode into local folklore about space debris.

via Space Daily|

#debris #esperance #littering