News

[Update: New images] Ever Given, the cargo ship stuck in the Suez Canal as viewed from space

The man-made Suez Canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea has been blocked by a massive 1,300 feet long cargo ship. This happened earlier this week and has brought the entire shipping lane to a halt. Now with the power of Earth-observing satellite constellations, you can see the stuck ship from space.

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Space Explored Podcast 18: For All Mankind midseason review, ‘Month of Ingenuity’, Falcon Heavy is coming, and more

space explored podcast

This week join Space Explored’s Seth Kurkowski and Zac Hall as we discuss Apple TV+’s For All Mankind series so far, a month’s worth of Ingenuity flights is coming, a new podcast from ULA, ships stuck in a canal, and lots of SpaceX news.

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[Update: Launch Video] SpaceX to send up 23rd batch of Starlink internet satellites

After a week-long hiatus of launches, SpaceX is planning to launch another batch of 60 satellites for their Starlink internet constellation. This will use up to 12,000 satellites to provide high-speed internet service around the globe with zero interruption. If launched by the end of the month, this will tie SpaceX’s record of 4 launches in a single calendar month.

Date: Wednesday, March 24th, 4:28 AM EDT

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Final booster for first SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch of this year completes testing in McGregor, Texas

While the Falcon 9 continues to smash launch cadence records with already 9 flights this year, its bigger sibling the Falcon Heavy still hasn’t been seen since 2019. SpaceX plans to launch 1 maybe even 2 this year if schedules can hold, the first of which is getting closer to being ready for flight.

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HoppAR brings close-up virtual rocket launch viewing to iPhone and Android

HoppAR was developed by Josef Grunig, a freelance developer and passionate space fan. The app was his passion project during quarantine and a gift to all fans of space exploration. Free to download on both iOS and Android, this is as close as you can get to viewing a launch in person without actually being there — you can also get far closer than you ever could to a real thing.

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JPL gives Ingenuity helicopter a flight date and honors former engineer with spot on Mars

Today, during a press briefing on the first flight of Mars Helicopter Ingenuity, new information was revealed for the upcoming flight of Ingenuity. This first flight is currently targeting April 8th. When Perseverance first touched down, they determined that it landed right on the edge of an acceptable flight zone for Ingenuity.

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KSC Visitor Complex Updates: Delta II rocket display and Apollo/Saturn V Center now open

The Visitor Complex at Kennedy Space Center has reopened one of its must-see exhibits and just unveiled the Delta II display! With the Coronavirus still very much a hazard, the KSC Visitor Complex has implemented new procedures to keep you safe while still being able to see the amazing Saturn V. Additionally, the latest addition to the Rocket Garden was officially unveiled today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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[Update: Launched!] Rocket Lab prepares for next Electron launch, ‘They Go Up So Fast’

Rocket Lab is preparing for the 19th Mission of their Electron later today, at 6:30 pm Eastern time. This rideshare launch, “They Go Up So Fast”, will deliver 7 satellites into orbit for customers including BlackSky, the University of New South Wales, and the US Army’s Space and Missile Defense command.

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LEGO debuts 2,300-piece NASA Space Shuttle Discovery with Hubble telescope payload

Update: LEGO’s new 2,300-piece NASA Space Shuttle Discovery set is now available for purchase.

Today, The LEGO Group is expanding its collection of out-of-this-world creations with a new NASA-inspired model. Bringing the iconic Space Shuttle Discovery into brick-built form for only the second time, this massive 2,354-piece model is the largest recreation to date measuring over 21 inches long. Complete with plenty of authentic details, you’ll also find an included Hubble telescope build, accurate crew cabin, and much more. Head below for all of the details on the new LEGO Space Shuttle Discovery set.

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Unistellar launches new telescope with focus on conducting cutting edge science with just your iPhone

Unistellar is a start-up building the most powerful digital telescopes that allow the average user to not only enjoy the beauty of the night sky but also contribute to scientific research and discoveries using nothing but the iPhone or iPad. We reviewed Unistellar’s eVscope a few months back, and today the company announced its new digital telescope tailored towards the scientific community: the eQuinox.

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Perseverance rover releases debris shield covering Ingenuity Mars helicopter

Yesterday, NASA’s Perseverance rover released the debris shield which protected the Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity. This marks the beginning of the deployment for Ingenuity; which is expected to take 10 Martian days (sols). The next major step in the process will be Perseverance driving to the center of the helipad which has been selected.

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Space Explored Podcast 17: New NASA chief, SLS Green Run, SpaceX fleet additions, and Starship SN11 update

space explored podcast

This week join Space Explored’s Seth Kurkowski and Derek Wise as we discuss President Biden’s nomination for NASA, what happened to SLS during its second Green Run test, a week’s worth of SpaceX news, and what’s happening with Starship SN11.

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[Confirmed: Seen with test fairing] SpaceX could add a colorful new ship to their growing fleet

While the rocket boosters and drone ships get all the fame on live streams there’s a fleet of hard-working support ships that follow along to make sure SpaceX’s missions go on without any issues. These ships all with unique roles during each mission support SpaceX’s goal to make rides to space cheaper.

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