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New Horizons offers a closer look at Pluto's desolate surface
When NASA's New Horizons spacecraft shot past Pluto, the agency released some stunning photos to celebrate the occasion. The last couple of months have been quiet, however, because the spacecraft has only been sending back data collected by its energetic particle, solar wind and space dust instruments. While this has led to some new discoveries, many of us have been itching to see a little more of the icy dwarf planet. Well, good news! NASA now has a fresh batch of photos for us to drool over. The most eye-catching one is a mosaic (above) that shows what the planet would look like if you were stood 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) above the equator. Looking north-east, you can see a cratered region called Cthulhu Regio and some icy plains named Sputnik Planum.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crash was due to co-pilot error (updated)
After nearly 9 months of investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board has an official explanation for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crash. As suspected, the accident happened when the co-pilot triggered the "feathering" system (moving the tail wings to increase drag for reentry) well below the intended Mach 1.4 speed -- the premature resistance led to the suborbital craft breaking up and plummeting into the Mojave Desert. More details are forthcoming, but Virgin Galactic says that it welcomes the findings. Hopefully, the lessons learned prevent future accidents and keep private spaceflight on track. Update: The NTSB has published the full ruling, and says that there also wasn't enough done to either prevent this mistake or educate pilots about what would happen. Even the FAA is partly to blame, since it didn't check to make sure that the requirements behind a hazard waiver were implemented properly. In other words, the co-pilot's slip-up was the last piece of a larger puzzle. [Image credit: AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu]
NASA prepares its Jupiter probe for arrival
It's been a long time in coming, but NASA's Juno probe is finally close to reaching Jupiter. NASA reports that the spacecraft is "on track" to arrive on July 4th, 2016 (how American!), and that the ground crew is tweaking the flight plan to at once give Juno more time and complete tasks ahead of schedule. The ship's initial orbit is splitting into two in order to test instruments before the science gathering starts. Also, it'll take 14 days to complete an orbit rather than the originally planned 11. That will extend the mission from 15 months to 20, but it should both get basic mapping data sooner (8 orbits instead of 15) and offer more leeway in case the Jovian world's magnetism and radiation create havoc. Hopefully, all this extra work will ensure that scientists understand not just the beginnings of Jupiter and the Solar System, but also the behavior of gas giants around alien stars. [Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]
NASA's Pluto probe will spend 'days' recovering from a glitch (updated)
Don't expect to hear more from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft for a while. The Pluto observer recently encountered a glitch that made it lose contact for an hour and a half. That doesn't sound like much of a problem, but it was enough to kick the probe into a safe mode that doesn't collect scientific data. The mission team believes it could take up to "several days" to get back to normal due to the distance from Earth -- and that's slightly worrying when the mission's all-important Pluto flyby should take place on July 14th. While there's a good chance that New Horizons will be back to normal by the time it's close to the dwarf planet, it's clear that every day of downtime will matter. Update: NASA expects business as usual to resume on July 7th. The problem was an obscure "timing flaw" in the flyby command sequence, and there are no plans to repeat that sequence again. Also, the downtime will have a "minimal" impact on New Horizon's secondary scientific goals.
Vital Russian cargo ship reaches the International Space Station
After two failed attempts in a row, the International Space Station is once again getting fresh supplies. Russia's Progress 60 cargo spacecraft has successfully docked, bringing with it important batches of equipment, food and fuel. While the station already had enough supplies to hold out until October, the arrival is a huge relief -- the string of disasters (including the Orbital Sciences explosion last year) was spurring talk of returning the crew to Earth if things got much worse. And this isn't the only resupply mission this summer, either. Japan's H-2 craft should launch on August 16th, so the ISS may resume some semblance of normalcy before long. [Image credit: NASA TV]
LightSail solar spaceship ends test flight in fiery descent
And just like that, LightSail's inaugural flight is over. The Planetary Society has determined that its experimental solar sailer likely entered Earth's atmosphere (and met a fiery end) near the South Atlantic Ocean at 1:23PM Eastern on Monday. Don't bemoan the fate of the Carl Sagan-inspired spacecraft, however. While LightSail ran into more than a little trouble on its 25-day run, its mission was ultimately a success -- the only real goal was to deploy the ship's namesake sails and prove that the vehicle was spaceworthy. The real challenge comes late in 2016, when the Society expects to fly a second model that will actually use its photon-powered sails to get around.
The LightSail solar spacecraft is in dire straits once again (update: it's back!)
Unfortunately, the LightSail spacecraft's recovery wasn't quite as miraculous as its creators first thought. The Planetary Society reports that it hasn't heard back from its sailer since Wednesday, shortly after the vehicle deployed its solar panels. The ground crew suspects that the failure might be due to a battery glitch, since the energy cells largely stopped drawing a current after the panels deployed. Attempts to wake up LightSail with "blind" commands (that is, without confirmed contact) haven't helped, so there's no simple fix.
Russia's broken ISS supply vessel burns up in the atmosphere
An out-of-control Russian spacecraft has finally met its demise after re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. Progress M-27M was supposed to perform a resupply mission with the ISS, but ground control quickly lost contact after its launch on April 28th. Since then, the craft has been orbiting and slowly descending towards the Earth due to natural atmospheric drag and the planet's gravitational pull. Now, Russia's Roscosmos space agency has confirmed that Progress M-27M broke through over the central Pacific Ocean on Friday morning (May 8th). Most of the craft is expected to have burnt up during re-entry, but there's a chance some debris survived. Engineers are still trying to work out why they lost control in the first place -- it occurred after separation with the Soyuz 2-1A rocket, although reports suggest the rocket, rather than Progress, was to blame. Thankfully, no-one was hurt and the ISS is in no immediate danger, given the crew still has plenty of supplies.
Russia's latest ISS supply ship is spinning out of control
The International Space Station has yet another problem on its hands. Russia's Progress 59 supply ship (you're looking at Progress 47 above) appears to have suffered a communications breakdown shortly after entering orbit, and it's been spinning out of control ever since. As you can see in the dizzying video below, it's not about to dock with the ISS any time soon. Ground control had originally hoped that it could get things in order for an April 30th rendezvous, but it's scuttling those plans unless it can rein in this wayward spacecraft. It's safe to say that the station crew would like a recovery as soon as possible. When Progress 59 is carrying 6,000 pounds of food, fuel and other essentials, a significant delay could cause more than a few headaches. [Image credit: NASA]
NASA needs lightweight spacecraft materials to explore the universe
While NASA has been able to go where it wants using existing materials for spacecraft, lightweight ones will enable the agency to explore more places in our solar system and beyond. That's why NASA is now investing in the development of ultra-lightweight (ULW) materials that could reduce a spacecraft's mass by up to 40 percent. That will allow the agency to save on fuel and carry more payload -- or people, in the case of manned missions -- if necessary. In its quest to find light but strong materials, NASA has chosen three proposals from American companies listed below the fold.
Jeff Bezos' spaceship is set to lift off later this year
With the recent completion of its BE-3 engine, the New Shepard space capsule from Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin LLC is almost ready for liftoff, the company's president told reporters on Tuesday. "The engine is ready for flight...and ready for other commercial users," Blue Origins president Rob Meyerson said. The New Shepard is designed to carry three passengers and cargo on suborbital spaceflights. This could include deliveries to the International Space Station or using just the motor itself to launch satellites into orbit.
Lockheed is getting into the reusable spacecraft business
Far and away, the most expensive part of manned spaceflight involves just getting the payload off the ground. But as humanity expands its extraterrestrial influence beyond the International Space Station to the moon, Mars and beyond, space-faring nations are increasingly turning to reusable shuttle vehicles to do much of the heavy lifting. Currently, Orbital ATK's Cygnus space vehicle and SpaceX's Dragon capsule are the only two systems cleared to dock at the ISS. On Thursday, however, Lockheed Martin unveiled its proposal for a third such system: the proprietary cargo pod, Exoliner, and autonomous space tug, Jupiter.
Here's what astronauts aboard Orion will see during re-entry
Most of us will never be astronauts -- sorry to break it to ya -- but we can at least pretend to be aboard the Orion capsule with this video (below the fold), courtesy of NASA. Orion's camera captured 10 minutes of footage from the time it started blazing through Earth's atmosphere until it deployed its parachutes to slow down its descent into the ocean. You'll even see the plasma (created by friction between the atmosphere and the heat shield) change colors as the capsule speeds up and temperature increases. NASA launched a test flight of the Lockheed-made spacecraft in early December to test its components, especially its heat shield.
Relive Orion's deep-space test flight in pictures and videos
On December 5th, NASA's Orion capsule successfully lifted off from its platform at Cape Canaveral in Florida, reaching a max altitude of 3,600 miles in outer space. During the four-and-a-half hour test flight, it entered the Van Allen radiation belt, orbited the planet, survived its fiery re-entry into our atmosphere and dove into the Pacific Ocean to be retrieved by the Navy. Below, you can see images that represent each stage of the spacecraft's flight, from launch to splashdown.
Unmanned Orbital Sciences Antares rocket explodes on liftoff (video)
The Orbital Sciences Antares rocket attempted to take off this evening at the Wallops Flight Facility (yesterday's attempt was scrubbed due to a boat that wandered into a restricted area), but it exploded just six seconds after launching. In a tweet Orbital Sciences confirmed a "vehicle anomaly", and NASA says the company is evaluating the mission. There was no crew on board as it was intended to be Orbital's third unmanned resupply mission for the ISS, carrying some 5,000 lbs of food, supplies and science experiments, like the Radiometer Atmospheric CubeSat Experiment (RACE) and 26 Flock 1d satellites from Planet Labs. One thing that was not onboard was the Kickstarter-backed ARKYD telescope -- this mission was carrying an A3 spacecraft intended to test out the equipment that ARKYD will use next year. Orbital Sciences is the second private company -- after SpaceX -- that runs missions to the ISS, and its Cygnus spacecraft made the first successful delivery about a year ago. NASA's live stream from the launch pad is embedded after the break, as well as a video replay of the failed launch. Update: Orbital Sciences says it has "formed an anomaly investigation board" to figure out what went wrong. EVP Frank Culbertson said that while the company focuses on the safety and security of those involved in recovery operations, "As soon as we understand the cause we will begin the necessary work to return to flight to support our customers and the nation's space program." NASA and Orbital are planning a press conference that will begin at 8:45PM ET, streaming on NASA TV. You can watch here, or in the embedded player after the break. Update 2: During the press conference, NASA said that the ISS is in good shape regarding its consumables (food, water), with supplies that will last into "well into" next year, perhaps as far as March. If anyone finds debris from the explosion they should stay away from it and call 757-824-1295 to pick it up. Orbital's Culbertson stated that right now, what they know is the same thing we've all seen on video. The ascent stopped, and there was "some disassembly" of the first stage, before the range safety officer sent the command to self-destruct.
The Big Picture: Philae lander snaps a selfie as it passes by comet
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Philae lander has a knack for taking selfies. Last month, it passed by Comet 67P/C-G at a distance of 50 km (31 miles) attached to the ESA's Rosetta spacecraft. This time around, Philae got even closer before snapping the picture -- coming within 16 km (10 miles). In the image above, you'll notice one of Philae's 14-meter (46-foot) long solar arrays in a snapshot that combines two images with different exposures for a proper visual. An on-board CIVA (Comet Infrared and Visible Analyser) employs a collection of micro-cameras to capture panoramas used to study the surface. The Philae lander is set to depart Rosetta next month to get an even closer look when it'll land on the comet's surface for further research. [Photo credit: ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA]
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has struck a deal with Boeing and Lockheed to build space rockets
Wondering why NASA gave Boeing the lion's share of its space taxi funding? Jeff Bezos could have something to do with it. Shortly after NASA awarded Boeing $4.2 billion in funding, the Wall Street Journal claimed the company padded its bid with a partnership with Bezos' Blue Origin. Turns out, the WSJ was right: today Blue Origin and the United Launch Alliance (a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin) entered an agreement to fund and build the Blue Origin BE-4 rocket engine. Basically, Boeing is going to build NASA's space taxi capsules and Bezos' rocket company is going to launch them out of our atmosphere.
Boeing and SpaceX will shuttle American astronauts to the ISS
There had been rumors of NASA awarding Boeing a big contract for its Commercial Crew Program, and it turns out that the claims were true -- and then some. The agency has just announced that both Boeing's CST-100 capsule and SpaceX's Dragon V2 will ferry American astronauts to the International Space Station from 2017 onward. Most of the funding ($4.2 billion) will go to Boeing's entry, but the SpaceX deal is still pretty hefty at $2.6 billion. Once both vehicles are certified and tested, they'll participate in manned scientific missions (up to six each) and serve as lifeboats in emergencies. Unfortunately, Sierra Nevada's aircraft-like Dream Chaser isn't part of the picture. It's ultimately a good day for space travel, but those hoping for a Space Shuttle-like design will be disappointed.
Boeing is expected to build most of NASA's space taxis (update: official)
NASA may have been even-handed when it started doling out money to contractors for its space taxi program, but there are hints that it's about to play favorites. The Wall Street Journal hears from anonymous officials that Boeing is now the odds-on favorite to get the majority of NASA's astronaut transportation business. SpaceX, once thought to be the frontrunner, would be relegated to a "second source" alongside Sierra Nevada. Reportedly, the agency sees Boeing's CST-100 capsule as the easy choice -- it carries relatively few risks, and is more likely to be ready for business in three years than SpaceX's Dragon V2. Update: Sure enough, NASA announced its contracts today. Boeing will get the lion's share of the business with $4.2 billion in funding, but SpaceX isn't exactly a bit player here -- it's getting $2.6 billion. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser won't be part of the picture, however.
Watch the ISEE-3 lunar flyby live, beginning at 1:30PM ET
A few months ago, the ISEE-3 Reboot Project managed to raise $160,000 to bring the spacecraft back to Earth after 36 years roaming outer space. The team behind the campaign successfully took control of the spacecraft and reactivated some of its scientific instruments, but they found it impossible to reignite its thrusters, so it's sadly never going to make its way back home. That doesn't mean you'll never be able to see the ISEE-3 for yourself, though -- on August 10th, Google will be hosting a Hangout session to livestream the spacecraft's lunar flyby as it passes the dark side of the moon. The tech giant will broadcast from McMoon's, an abandoned McDonald's near the NASA Ames Research Center, and you can tune in through a website built for this occasion called A Spacecraft for All.
