SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Monday morning from Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 6:37 a.m., marking the 17th flight for the first-stage booster used in this mission. The booster, which has supported various missions including SES-22, HAKUTO-R MISSION 1, and 11 previous Starlink launches, successfully landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic … Continue reading SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket, Starlink mission from Kennedy Space Center

Mars and Jupiter are set for their closest alignment of the decade on Wednesday, appearing so close in the night sky that only a sliver of the moon could fit between them from our perspective. Despite this close visual proximity, the two planets are actually more than 575 million kilometers apart. This planetary conjunction, a rare event that occurs every three years, won’t happen this … Continue reading Mars and Jupiter get close in conjunction this week

New research using data from NASA’s retired InSight mission has uncovered evidence of a vast underground reservoir of water deep beneath Mars’ surface. Scientists estimate that this water, trapped in cracks and pores within the Martian crust, could fill oceans and cover the planet’s surface to a depth of 1 mile. The water is located 7 to 12 miles beneath the surface, making it difficult … Continue reading Underground reservoir on Mars could fill oceans on the planet’s surface

Rocket Lab successfully launched its 10th mission of the year on August 11, deploying an Earth-observing radar satellite for Capella Space. The Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand, placing the Acadia-3 satellite into orbit about 57 minutes after launch. Acadia-3 is a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite that provides high-resolution images of Earth in all weather conditions, day or night. This mission, dubbed “A … Continue reading Rocket Lab launches sharp-eyed private radar satellite to orbit

The U.S. Space Force has launched the next phase of its missile defense satellite program, inviting proposals for the design of satellites under the Missile Track Custody Epoch 2 initiative. This marks the second phase of developing a missile-tracking network in medium Earth orbit (MEO). Building on the initial Epoch 1 program, which faced delays and contract issues, the Space Force aims to test new … Continue reading Space Force to expand missile-defense satellite network in medium Earth orbit

NASA reports that asteroid 2024 OR1, an airplane-sized object with a diameter of about 110 feet, will safely pass by Earth on August 6, 2024, at a speed of 30,381 km/h. Despite being an Apollo asteroid, which typically crosses Earth’s orbit, it poses no threat due to its smaller size and distance of about 3.4 million kilometers from Earth. This event offers a valuable opportunity … Continue reading Airplane-Sized Asteroid Racing Toward Earth