Inspiration4 Mission Announces Splashdown Time to Return from Orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL, September 17, 2021 – Tonight Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight mission to orbit, shared the crew would return tomorrow, September 18, with a targeted splashdown at 7:06 p.m. EDT in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. To prepare for this return, Dragon completed two burns tonight to reduce Read More

What’s going on with the ozone?

ESA World governments agreed in the late 1980s to protect Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out ozone-depleting substances emitted by human activities, under the Montreal Protocol. The phase out of these substances has not only helped protect the ozone layer for future generations but has also protected human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful Read More

Solar cell system

Low-cost solar cells developed by Italian company CESI for terrestrial uses can now be employed in space too. Individually, each business-card-sized solar cell cannot provide sufficient power to do much. But interconnectors allow them to be stringed together and linked into grids, until they are able to generate sufficient current and voltage to satisfy mission Read More

Inspiration4 Crew Launches First All-Civilian Orbital Mission to Space – with photos

On September 15 the crew of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight mission to orbit, officially ushered in a new era of space exploration at 8:02:56 PM EDT as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. “Our crew carries the responsibility and importance of this mission Read More

Combined tests start for Ariane 6 at Europe’s Spaceport

Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is performing the first combined test in preparation for the inaugural flight of Ariane 6, Europe’s new generation launch vehicle.  Fermeture coiffe et pose sur LVA au BAF HE This test confirms the operations and electrical and mechanical equipment required for integration of the upper part of the launch vehicle. Read More

California continues to burn

ESA While wildfires are a natural part of California’s landscape, a severe drought, coupled with extreme temperatures, have sustained several major fires for much of August. As of 14 September, more than 7000 wildfires have been recorded, burning over 900 000 hectares across the state. The Dixie megablaze, the largest wildfire of the 2021 fire Read More

ENAIRE and the Government of Navarre sign an action protocol to promote R&D in the field of aviation

• The Minister of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, noted that the agreement provides a boost for the implementation of urban air mobility in our country • ENAIRE assumes the management of automated operations that demand technologies, infrastructures and concepts involving simultaneous drone operations in densely populated environments, and alongside manned aircraft Read More

Vulcan Centaur: Pathfinder fueling tests planned

Pathfinder operations using a flight-configuration Vulcan Centaur core stage at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are transitioning to Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 for a series of fueling tests in the coming weeks to systematically validate launch pad infrastructure with the rocket, evaluate countdown procedures and train the launch team in advance of the inaugural Vulcan mission. Read More