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A Cygnus cargo ship launching toward the International Space Station (ISS) this weekend will carry an experiment designed to improve fire safety on moon and Mars missions. Called SoFIE (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction), the experiment is the latest in a series of in-orbit investigations that look at how fire behaves in microgravity. SoFIE is … Read more
We often refer to our expanding universe with one simple word: space. But where does space begin and, more importantly, what is it? Space is an almost perfect vacuum, nearly void of matter and with extremely low pressure. In space, sound doesn’t carry because there aren’t molecules close enough together to transmit sound between them. … Read more
The majestic Mount Etna is erupting so strongly in the Mediterranean that it’s catching the attention of the International Space Station crew. Members of Expedition 66 currently in orbit shared some views of space of the highly active volcano, which has erupted dozens of times in the past year alone. “@astro_luca’s home volcano #Etna is … Read more
The James Webb Space Telescope‘s key pointing instrument is working well in testing, according to two space agencies involved with the observatory’s commissioning work. The Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), a contribution from Honeywell on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency, successfully “locked on” to a specific guide star in tracking mode on Sunday (Feb. 13), … Read more
When you’re out exploring the universe, what kind of music should you listen to? The answer is very personal to the spaceflyer, the culture and perhaps even the decade when they flew — but what is true to say of all eras is there is a heck of a lot of great space music out … Read more
A Russian cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station early Thursday morning (Feb. 17), delivering nearly 3 tons of supplies and equipment to the orbiting lab. The Progress 80 freighter docked with the station’s Poisk compartment at 2:03 a.m. EST (0703 GMT), ending a roughly two-day orbital chase. Progress 80 launched atop a Russian … Read more
China is aiming to eclipse a new national launch record set last year while also completing its three-module space station with six related missions in 2022. The China National Space Administration is preparing to launch two new space station modules, named Wentian and Mengtian, on separate Long March 5B rockets in the coming months. The … Read more
An astronaut who launched on the first space shuttle to fly with a full crew and two crew members who flew on the last space shuttle to launch will be honored later this year for their contributions to the United States’ space program. David Leestma, Sandy Magnus and Chris Ferguson were announced as the next … Read more
A new telescope designed to peer into the twisted X-ray Universe has just sent back its first-ever imaging data. The Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), a joint project between NASA and the Italian Space Agency, fixed its gaze on one of the most famous explosions in the Milky Way: Cassiopeia A. Located 11,000 light-years … Read more
NASA and China plan to mount crewed missions to Mars in the next decade. While this represents a tremendous leap in terms of space exploration, it also presents significant logistical and technological challenges. For starters, missions can only launch for Mars every 26 months when our two planets are at the closest points in … Read more