Saturday, February 8News That Matters

Tag: SpaceX

Sunita Williams Returns to Spacewalking After 12 Years, Tackles ISS Maintenance with Colleague Nick Hague

Sunita Williams Returns to Spacewalking After 12 Years, Tackles ISS Maintenance with Colleague Nick Hague

Breaking News, Space
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams stepped outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday for her first spacewalk in 12 years, alongside fellow astronaut Nick Hague. The spacewalk, designated as US Spacewalk 91, marks Williams’ eighth career extravehicular activity and Hague’s fourth. The mission, expected to last approximately six and a half hours, involves critical maintenance and upgrades to the ISS. Wearing an unmarked spacesuit as spacewalk crew member 2, Williams worked alongside Hague, who donned a suit with red stripes as spacewalk crew member 1. The duo's tasks include replacing a rate gyro assembly, which supports the station’s orientation control, and installing patches on light filters for the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray t...
Future of Space Science: ISRO Chief S Somanath Inspires Students at START 2025 Launch

Future of Space Science: ISRO Chief S Somanath Inspires Students at START 2025 Launch

Breaking News, Space
In a virtual keynote at the launch of ISRO's START 2025 programme, Chairman S Somanath painted an inspiring yet realistic picture of space science. Addressing 20,000 students from over 560 institutions, he emphasized that the field is not just about the thrill of exploring the universe but also about rigorous, time-intensive work. “Space science isn’t just excitement; it’s about crunching numbers, solving formulas, and building systems like satellites, rockets, and sensors,” he said, underlining the demanding nature of the discipline. The START programme, which runs until January 29, aims to introduce students to both the thrilling and technical aspects of space missions. “We’ll talk about our exciting space missions, but also the science behind orbits, trajectories, and rocket build...
Space Station Crew Prepares for Upcoming Spacewalks and Advances Scientific Research

Space Station Crew Prepares for Upcoming Spacewalks and Advances Scientific Research

Breaking News, Space
The Expedition 72 team aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is in full swing, balancing scientific research, astronaut training, and preparation for two upcoming spacewalks aimed at enhancing the station's capabilities. The crew's efforts exemplify the critical collaboration and ingenuity required for space exploration. NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Nick Hague focused on advancing scientific understanding and ensuring the safety of future space missions. Pettit began his day collecting biological samples for storage in the station's science freezer, contributing to ongoing studies on human health in microgravity. He then turned his attention to the Combustion Integrated Rack, swapping out experiment samples to study flame behavior in weightlessness. These findings are exp...
Rocket Fragment Crashes in Kenyan Village, Sparks Space Debris Concerns

Rocket Fragment Crashes in Kenyan Village, Sparks Space Debris Concerns

Breaking News, Environment, Space
Panic swept through Mukuku village in Kenya’s Makueni County this week when a massive metallic object, described by locals as a "huge, red-hot object," fell from the sky. The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) has identified the debris as part of a rocket, specifically a metallic ring measuring 2.5 meters in diameter and weighing approximately 500 kilograms. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon, prompting immediate action from the KSA and local authorities. Villagers quickly alerted officials, who rushed to the scene to investigate and secure the area. In a statement released on Wednesday, the KSA confirmed that the object was a fragment of a space object, most likely a separation ring from a rocket. They assured the public that the debris poses no safety risk and commended the residents for...
SpaceX Gears Up for All Major Space Missions in 2025

SpaceX Gears Up for All Major Space Missions in 2025

Breaking News, Space, Tech
Elon Musk SpaceX is set to push the boundaries of space exploration in 2025 with an impressive lineup of launches and collaborations. Since its inception in 2002, SpaceX has revolutionized the aerospace industry with innovations like reusable rockets and groundbreaking missions. Next year, the company is poised to achieve new milestones with missions that aim to advance human spaceflight, satellite deployment, and deep-space exploration. Key SpaceX Missions in 2025 Starship Flight 7 Launch Date: January 11, 2025 Location: Starbase, South Texas Objective: This mission will test Starship's thermal re-entry capabilities. The results will play a crucial role in refining SpaceX's reusable spacecraft technology. WISeSat Satellite Launch Launch Date: January 14, 2025 ...
NASA and SpaceX Set 2025 Launch for Interstellar Mapping Probe and Two Other Heliophysics Missions

NASA and SpaceX Set 2025 Launch for Interstellar Mapping Probe and Two Other Heliophysics Missions

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Space
NASA and SpaceX have announced a revised launch schedule for the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), targeting no earlier than September 2025. The adjustment allows NASA additional preparation time for the spacecraft. The IMAP mission is poised to explore the Sun's heliosphere a magnetic bubble that shields the solar system from interstellar particles. By sampling and mapping particles streaming toward Earth, the mission will offer critical insights into this protective boundary, which impacts space weather, human exploration, and even the existence of life in the universe. Rideshare Missions to L1 IMAP will share its SpaceX Falcon 9 flight with two additional heliophysics observatories: This mission will study Earth's geocorona, the ultraviolet-emitting outermo...
ispace & Firefly Aerospace to Share SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch for Lunar Missions

ispace & Firefly Aerospace to Share SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch for Lunar Missions

Breaking News, Space
Japanese lunar exploration company ispace has confirmed that its second mission to the moon, featuring the Resilience lander, will share a ride with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is set for a six-day window in mid-January, as announced during an online presentation by ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada on December 17. Details of the Dual Launch Sequence: Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander will deploy first, followed by an upper-stage burn, then ispace’s Resilience lander. Routes: Blue Ghost will orbit Earth for 25 days before performing a translunar injection, reaching the moon in four days and spending 16 days in lunar orbit before attempting a landing. Resilience will follow a low-energy trajectory, taking it over one million kilome...
SpaceX’s Sixth Starship Test Flight Marks Key Milestone for NASA’s Artemis Program

SpaceX’s Sixth Starship Test Flight Marks Key Milestone for NASA’s Artemis Program

Breaking News, Space, Tech
SpaceX achieved another major milestone on Wednesday with the successful sixth flight test of its Starship spacecraft. Launched from SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas, the uncrewed mission demonstrated the spacecraft's advanced capabilities, achieving a suborbital trajectory before reentering over the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster executed a planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. “Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting sixth flight test of Starship!” the company announced on X (formerly Twitter). The mission tested Starship’s endurance under extreme conditions, including a steeper reentry angle and reduced protective shielding. The spacecraft's Raptor engines successfully restarted in space, a critical step toward achieving orbit...
SpaceX Proposes $15 Billion Investment in Vietnam for Starlink Satellite Service

SpaceX Proposes $15 Billion Investment in Vietnam for Starlink Satellite Service

Breaking News, Space, Tech
SpaceX is looking to invest a substantial $15 billion in Vietnam, with the focus on expanding its Starlink satellite service in the near future, according to the Vietnamese government. The proposed investment was discussed in a meeting between SpaceX Senior Vice President Tim Hughes and Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, during the latter's visit to the US for the United Nations General Assembly. The Vietnamese government is currently reviewing the proposal, though no further details have been provided, and SpaceX has yet to comment on the matter. The government noted last year that SpaceX had shown interest in offering its low-Earth orbit satellite service in Vietnam, though earlier reports suggested those plans were delayed. Lam expressed that Vietnam would work wi...
SpaceX Launches First Batch of Spy Satellites for New U.S. Intelligence Network

SpaceX Launches First Batch of Spy Satellites for New U.S. Intelligence Network

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space
SpaceX successfully launched an inaugural batch of operational spy satellites on Wednesday, marking the first deployment of a new U.S. intelligence network aimed at enhancing the nation's space-based surveillance capabilities. The launch took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. The newly launched satellites are part of a vast system designed to significantly upgrade the United States' ability to rapidly detect and monitor ground targets globally. This development follows earlier reports revealing that SpaceX is constructing hundreds of satellites for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency responsible for satellite reconnaissance. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 4 a.m. EDT, carrying what the NRO described as the "first launch...