[ad_1] The other Soyuz vessel would be used for a space tourist flight due in late 2021, although this would help free resources for other missions. Not surprisingly, Russia used the order as a chance to criticize American planning. The country reportedly warned the US that it should have asked for more seats in advance […]
Category: international space station
Watch Boeing’s Starliner capsule launch abort test at 9AM ET
[ad_1] There’s a three-hour window in case weather or other complications delay the test. Don’t expect this particular vehicle to carry forward — it’s not poised to survive. If all goes well, Starliner will join SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and other vehicles as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which aims to have American vehicles once […]
Astronauts bioprint beef in space for the first time
[ad_1] It’s far from ready for mass production. However, Aleph’s Yoav Reisler told Space.com that the company planned to build on the experiment and make synthetic beef steaks available on terra firma using large-scale “bio-farms.” This could be particularly helpful for astronauts. Spacecraft crews don’t have the luxury of raising farm animals — meat-eating astronauts […]
The ISS’ spherical robot helper has returned to Earth
[ad_1] The partners have been working on a successor that should build on the lessons learned from the first-generation robot. The new CIMON will have a “more robust” computer, better mics, improved flight control and a more conversational system that recognizes speech, determines intent and includes a call history. It’s expected to reach the ISS […]
Watch SpaceX launch a twice-used Dragon capsule at 6:24PM ET (updated)
[ad_1] There will be ample cargo aboard the capsule, including an experiment for 3D-printing human tissue, a study of the effects of tissue healing in microgravity, a test for how microbes interact with rocks and a second docking adapter for new capsules like the Crew Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner. It’s also a symbolic mission. The […]
Watch astronauts reach space on Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary
[ad_1] The mission is a relatively routine one, but symbolizes how much spaceflight and the US space program have changed in half a century, for better or for worse. In 1969, the US and Russia were the only two countries to have sent people into space — while they’re still dominant, it’s now common for […]
NASA’s Astrobee cube robot flies in space for the first time
[ad_1] Future tests will have Bumble perform “increasingly complex” moves to show that it’s ready for service. There’s another robot (Honey) already present on the ISS, while a third robot (Queen) is expected to launch in July. Eventually, NASA wants robots like the Astrobee series to serve as custodians. They’ll perform some of the upkeep […]
NASA opens the International Space Station to commercial ventures
[ad_1] “Providing expanded opportunities at the International Space Station to manufacture, market and promote commercial products and services will help catalyze and expand space exploration markets for many businesses,” the agency said. Private astronauts will be granted missions of up to 30 days to work on commercial projects, and we might see products manufactured in […]
NASA’s Astrobee cube robot completes first hardware tests in space
[ad_1] The robot and one of its companions, Honey, flew to the station on April 17th. When in service, the Astrobee robots will effectively become spaceborne Roombas — they’ll test how well robots can handle day-to-day maintenance and assist the crew. Ideally, future robots will take care of this drudgery so that humans can focus […]
SpaceX says its Crew Dragon capsule was destroyed during test
[ad_1] During the briefing about the incident, SpaceX president of mission assurance Hans Koenigsmann highlighted how much of the test went right. The Dragon capsule powered up as expected and the Draco thrusters on the Cargo Dragon were fired off successfully for five seconds each. According to Koenigsmann, the anomaly occurred just before firing the […]