station

On China’s new space station, a robotic arm test paves way for future construction

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A large robotic arm on China’s space station has successfully grasped and maneuvered a cargo spacecraft in a crucial test ahead of upcoming module launches. The 33-foot-long (10 meters) robotic arm on the Tianhe module of China’s new Tiangong space station took hold of the Tianzhou 2 supply ship and moved it around 20 degrees, … Read more

NFT-backed vault on space station to showcase prized goods for sale

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The International Space Station is about to get its first sales showroom. Uplift Aerospace, which last year flew an artist’s paintings on the nosecone of a space-bound rocket, has announced the upcoming launch of its “Constellation Vault,” a platform for exhibiting jewelry, artwork and other precious goods on board the International Space Station. Members of … Read more

Why can’t we put a space station on the Moon?

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This article was originally published at The Conversation as part of the Curious Kids series. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insight. Ian Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University A space station on the moon could be very useful. It would provide future space missions with a stopping … Read more

Astronauts ring in New Year aboard space station to welcome 2022

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The astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station are marking the New Year, becoming only the 37th crew in history to be in space as Earth begins another revolution around the Sun. Expedition 66 crew members Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Mark Vande Hei of NASA, Matthias Maurer of the European Space … Read more

White House directs NASA to extend International Space Station operations through 2030

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The White House has given NASA a New Year’s Eve “go” to continue operations on board the International Space Station through 2030, granting the orbital outpost a six-year life extension. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was directed by the Biden-Harris administration to work with the agency’s partners, including the European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency, … Read more

Here’s 7 things the International Space Station taught us in 2021

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The International Space Station is the world’s most extreme and expensive scientific laboratory. In its more than 20 years of operations it has housed thousands of experiments, providing fascinating insights into the effects of microgravity on the human body, cultured cells or various materials and chemical processes. Here are the most interesting findings that the … Read more

China’s Tianhe space station module dodged SpaceX Starlink satellites twice this year

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China moved its Tianhe space station module twice this year to avoid SpaceX Starlink internet satellites, and the nation apparently isn’t too happy about it. Chinese officials filed a note with the United Nations (UN) earlier this month explaining that Starlink spacecraft had two “close encounters” with Tianhe this year, both of them occurring when … Read more

China Accuses US of Unsafe Space Conduct After Near-Miss With Elon Musk’s Starlink

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Beijing on Tuesday accused the United States of irresponsible and unsafe conduct in space over two “close encounters” between the Chinese space station and satellites operated by Elon Musk‘s SpaceX.   Tiangong, China’s new space station, had to maneuver to avoid colliding with one Starlink satellite in July and with another in October, according to … Read more