Page 15 - Nasa

Elon Musk's Polaris Dawn: All you need to know about SpaceX space mission

The company finished rehearsals and a static fire test for the Falcon-9 rocket, set to launch four astronauts on August 27 from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre

Nasa's decision to not use Boeing capsule to rescue astronauts adds to woes

NASA's announcement on Saturday that it won't use a troubled Boeing capsule to return two stranded astronauts to Earth is a yet another setback for the struggling company, although the financial damage is likely to be less than the reputational harm. Once a symbol of American engineering and technological prowess, Boeing has seen its reputation battered since two 737 Max airliners crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The safety of its products came under renewed scrutiny after a panel blew out of a Max during a flight this January. And now NASA has decided that it is safer to keep the astronauts in space until February rather than risk using the Boeing Starliner capsule that delivered them to the international space station. The capsule has been plagued by problems with its propulsion system. NASA administrator Bill Nelson said the decision to send the Boeing capsule back to Earth empty "is a result of a commitment to safety. Boeing had insisted Starliner was safe based on

Veteran Navy pilots, now astronauts, to stay for more time at space station

The two astronauts who will spend extra time at the International Space Station are Navy test pilots who have ridden out long missions before. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been holed up at the space station with seven others since the beginning of June, awaiting a verdict on how and when they would return to Earth. NASA decided Saturday they won't be flying back in their troubled Boeing capsule, but will wait for a ride with SpaceX in late February, pushing their mission to more than eight months. Their original itinerary on the test flight was eight days. Butch Wilmore Wilmore, 61, grew up in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, playing football for his high school team and later Tennessee Technological University. He joined the Navy, becoming a test pilot and racking up more than 8,000 hours of flying time and 663 aircraft carrier landings. He flew combat missions during the first Gulf War in 1991 and was serving as a flight test instructor when NASA chose him as an ...

Nasa selects Musk's SpaceX to rescue astronauts marooned in space

Boeing's spacecraft will return without people on board, the US space agency said during a Saturday news conference announcing its decision

NASA to decide on Aug 24 if Boeing's new capsule safe to fly 2 astronauts

NASA said Thursday it will decide this weekend whether Boeing's new capsule is safe enough to return two astronauts from the International Space Station, where they've been waiting since June. Administrator Bill Nelson and other top officials will meet Saturday. An announcement is expected from Houston once the meeting ends. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing's Starliner on June 5. The test flight quickly encountered thruster failures and helium leaks so serious that NASA kept the capsule parked at the station as engineers debated what to do. SpaceX could retrieve the astronauts, but that would keep them up there until next February. They were supposed to return after a week or so at the station. If NASA decides SpaceX is the way to go, Starliner would return to Earth empty in September. Engineers are evaluating a new computer model for the Starliner thrusters and how they might perform as the capsule descends out of orbit for a touchdown in the U.S.

Nokia joins hands with Axiom space for Nasa's human mission to moon

Nokia has joined hands with Axiom Space to integrate advanced 4G/LTE communication capabilities into the next-generation spacesuits that will be used for the Artemis III mission, NASA's ambitious plans to land humans at the south pole of the moon. The Artemis-III mission is likely to be launched in 2026 and Nokia plans to build the first cellular network on the moon, which would be in-built in the space suits used by astronauts. Nokia and Axiom Space will incorporate high-speed cellular-network capabilities in the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), supporting HD video, telemetry data and voice transmission over multiple kilometers on the Moon, a company statement said. "Adding high-speed 4G/LTE network capability on the Moon will serve as a vital bridge linking astronauts to Earth, facilitating crucial data exchange, and enabling high-definition video communication over long distances," Russell Ralston, Axiom Space executive vice president of extravehicular activity, said i

Indian likely to fly to ISS by April next year under Nasa-Isro program

An Indian astronaut is likely to fly to the International Space Station by April next year as part of the NASA-ISRO collaborative initiative, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. Two Indian astronaut-designates Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair are undergoing training in the US for the Axiom Space Ax-4 mission. ISRO has assigned Shukla for the Ax-4 mission while Nair would be the backup candidate. "An Indian astronaut will travel to the ISS by April next year," Singh told a press conference here ahead of the first-ever National Space Day celebrations to mark the landing of Vikram lander on the Moon on August 23 last year. The theme for the National Space Day is 'Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India's Space Saga'. On the occasion, ISRO will release on August 23 the scientific data collected by the Chandrayaan-3 mission that could be used by researchers. More than one thousand events have been organised across the .

Nasa astronauts could vapourize to death if they return on faulty Starliner

Former US military Space System Commander, Rudy Ridolfi, lays down three possible scenarios of the stranded astronauts' return to earth onboard Starliner. Here's all you need to know

Here's how a billionaire and his buddies are taking space to the next level

The billionaire and his friends will spend five days aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, reaching altitudes higher than any human since Nasa's Apollo missions in the 1970s

SpaceX to launch methane satellite to hold super polluters accountable

Developed by Planet Labs PBC with technology from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Tanager-1 will be able to help pinpoint methane and carbon dioxide emissions from individual facilities

NASA needs more time to decide length of Boeing astronaut ISS stay

NASA said last week that it was working with Elon Musk's SpaceX on plans to return two astronauts to Earth in February 2025

Nasa yet to decide if 2 astronauts will stay at space station into next yr

NASA said Wednesday it's still deciding whether to keep two astronauts at the International Space Station until early next year and send their troubled Boeing capsule back empty. Rather than flying Boeing's Starliner back to Earth, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams would catch a ride on SpaceX's next flight. That option would keep them at the space station until next February. The test pilots anticipated being away just a week or so when they rocketed away as Starliner's first crew. But thruster failures and helium leaks marred the capsule's trip to the space station, raising doubts about its ability to return safely and leaving the astronauts in limbo. NASA officials said they're analyzing more data before making a decision by end of next week or beginning of the next. These thrusters are crucial for holding the capsule in the right position when it comes time to descend from orbit. We've got time available before we bring Starliner home and we want to use that time wisely," said Ke

Sunita Williams faces radiation, muscle loss risk on extended ISS mission

Prolonged exposure to space radiation can lead to multiple health problems such as an increased risk of cancer, tissue damage, and complications in the nervous system

Was July 2023 or July 2024 hottest month on record? Depends on who you ask

Last week, Copernicus - the EU's climate science service - said July was the second hottest month ever recorded. But this week, NASA and the US NOAA said it was the world's hottest

New study finds ocean's worth of water hiding beneath the surface of Mars

Nasa's robotic InSight lander collected data that revealed that enough water is hiding deep under the surface of Mars to form an ocean covering the planet

Could Sunita Williams stay stranded in space till Feb 2025? Nasa weighs in

Nasa is now considering a backup plan that could see astronaut Sunita Williams return aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon, but not before February 2025

Nasa delays Spacex Crew-9 mission as Boeing's Starliner struggles continue

The Starliner has been docked at the ISS for seven weeks longer than expected due to thruster issues and helium leaks, delaying its return to Earth

NASA delays next crew launch to buy more time for Boeing's troubled capsule

NASA is delaying its next astronaut launch to buy more time at the International Space Station for Boeing's troubled new crew capsule. The space agency said Tuesday it's bumping SpaceX's four-person flight from this month to next. It's now targeted for Sept. 24 at the earliest. Officials said that will give them more time to analyze thruster and leak problems that hit Boeing's Starliner capsule after its June liftoff, its first with a crew on board. Tuesday marked the two-month point at the space station for Starliner's test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who should have been back by mid-June. NASA is weighing all its options for returning the two veteran astronauts, including a ride home in a SpaceX capsule. NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft's readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner's return, NASA said in a statement. Further details were expected at a news conference set for Wednesday. Only two docking ports at the space station

Airplane-sized asteroid to pass by Earth today, NASA says no risk of impact

Asteroid 2024 OR1 is part of the Apollo asteroids, which have been making their closest approach to Earth recently

Nasa begins final countdown of Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore's return

The Boeing Starliner needs to be undocked from the International Space Station to accommodate the Crew-9 mission set to launch no earlier than August 18