Space Explored

Perseverance rover is back at it with an image of a rock formation that’s getting the Internet talking. On Friday (June 23), the NASA rover captured a photo of a dark rocky object that, oddly enough, resembles a doughnut…

NASA announced last Thursday that its all-electric aircraft project will be shutting down later this year after years of research and development. The program will conclude without any flights of the X-57 Maxwell aircraft; however, the agency still considers the program a success with plenty of lessons learned.

This is a significant week for Virgin Galactic as it completes its first commercial flight for its VSS Unity spaceplane. However, that is not the only launch taking place this week. As expected, SpaceX will also make an appearance.

SpaceX has completed its rocket launches for the first half of 2023, prompting a review of their accomplishments thus far. Additionally, it begs the question of whether they are on track to achieve their goal of 100 missions this year.

Today is a somber day for all explorers, serving as a stark reminder that exploration, regardless of its form, carries inherent risks. Whether utilizing cutting-edge technology to traverse the heavens, conquering Earth’s highest peaks, or delving into the depths of the sea, every explorer willingly accepts these risks. We must never forget the sacrifices they make.

Early Thursday morning, ULA launched its first mission of the year, which also happened to be the company’s largest offering, the Delta IV Heavy. The launch was a bittersweet moment, as this now means only one more of this original “big orange rocket” is left to fly.

Last week NASA announced several partnerships with commercial companies that will provide NASA personnel and expertise to them as they work to develop new technologies. Most of them have to do with commercial space stations, but one stood out: Blue Origin’s crewed spacecraft.

Just hours ago, the teams operating BepiColombo, Europe and Japan’s mission to travel to and orbit Mercury, released images from the spacecraft’s third flyby of the closest planet to our sun. With each pass, the spacecraft gets closer, takes more images, and reveals never-before-seen views of the elusive rocky surface.

We have an exciting week ahead with a rocket launch we don’t get to see often (and I will miss it). This week, ULA plans to launch its second to last Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral for the National Reconnaissance Office. Not to be forgotten about, SpaceX will be on deck with two launches of Starlink satellites this week.

Relativity has now filed a permit to upgrade Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as the company moves full steam ahead with their reusable launch vehicle, Terran R. This comes after the company announced it was discontinuing the Terran 1 program so teams could solely focus on the upcoming launch vehicle. With the first launch of Terran R expected no earlier than 2026, the company is getting to work in Florida so the launch complex is prepared.

In Rocket Lab’s most secretive launch yet, they went sub-orbital. Utilizing its new Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE), the company performed its first test of this new launch vehicle.

The end of an era is just around the corner with the final launch of Ariane 5, a heavy-lift launch that has delivered the most revered of payloads to a range of orbits. Famously, Ariane 5 launched the James Webb Space Telescope on Christmas Day in 2021. The 117th flight has been delayed, extending the rocket’s final moments on Earth.

Astra shareholders voted to perform a reverse stock split in the company’s annual shareholder meeting. As the company’s stock remains below the NASDAQ limit, this quick fix could give Astra more time to get its Launch System 2 online.

Here we are again looking at another crazy timeline from SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk on when Starship could fly again. However, a lot of work is going on down at Starbase, so maybe it’s not so far out this time?

To further fuel the hot subject of aliens this week, scientists have detected the presence of phosphorus in the vast subsurface ocean of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus. A discovery that provides further evidence of the moon’s potential to support life.

After Monday’s doubleheader of launches, SpaceX shared a graphic showing the company’s launches since the first Falcon 1 in 2008. The graphic gives us a great way to visualize how far the company has come.

Dryer and hotter weather worldwide, but specifically in Canada, has caused a crazy wildfire season, and they’re only one month into it. The fires have caused extensive damage, evacuations, and smoke… so much smoke. That smoke has covered the northern parts of the United States and has even been seen by satellites in space.

In a week of not great news for The Boeing Company, a lawsuit has been opened up against them by a smaller specialty aerospace company claiming Boeing stole trade secrets. While this is just an accusation, the plaintiffs believe they have a strong case.

Friday, NASA astronauts on the ISS completed a six-hour spacewalk to install and deploy one of the two new solar panels brought up on the most recent commercial cargo mission. This brings the total to five new iROSA solar panels on the ISS.

Wednesday evening, ULA completed a short start-up of the two Blue Origin BE-4 engines on the bottom of its Vulcan rocket at SLC-41. This was part of a final test before getting the rocket ready to fly its first mission later this year.

Two high-ranking Department of Defense officials have stated the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ laws like Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill has put the Air Force and Space Force readiness at risk due to the need to relocate families of bullied children.