News Archive / Missions
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Long-delayed Nauka science module finally reaches space station
Derek RichardsonJuly 29th, 2021The Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module Nauka, delayed by nearly 15 years, has finally docked with the International Space Station.
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The winds of change are stirring for Starship and Starbase
Cullen DesforgesJuly 26th, 2021A static fire and new build rumors abound as SpaceX continues to make progress at its Starbase site in South Texas.
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Russian ‘Pirs’ becomes first ISS module to be decommissioned
Derek RichardsonJuly 26th, 2021After serving the International Space Station for 20 years, the Russian Pirs module was detached from the outpost and pulled away by Progress MS-16.
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Finding life on Europa requires drilling to its subsurface ocean
Laurel KornfeldJuly 24th, 2021A future mission seeking signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa will likely require drilling into its global subsurface ocean, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
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Russian Nauka module on its way to International Space Station
Derek RichardsonJuly 21st, 2021After more than a decade's worth of delays, the Russian-built Nauka science module has launched toward the International Space Station.
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SpaceX preparing for 1st Starship Super Heavy booster static fire
Cullen DesforgesJuly 19th, 2021The Orbital Launch Tower for SpaceX’s Starship launch system got its final section over the weekend as the company continues to press toward the first static fire of a Super Heavy booster.
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Raptors abound at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas
Cullen DesforgesJuly 12th, 2021Raptor engines were the hot topic last week at SpaceX’s rocket production and testing facility in Boca Chica, Texas, also known as Starbase.
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Ingenuity Mars Helicopter breaks records with 9th flight
Cullen DesforgesJuly 8th, 2021The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter that has proven itself to be the star of the Perseverance mission recently made its ninth and most daring flight to date.
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SpaceX Super Heavy Booster 3 rolled to Starbase launch pad
Cullen DesforgesJuly 5th, 2021SpaceX's Super Heavy Booster No. 3 stacked at the company’s high bay facility made an appearance last week. The vehicle was transported down Boca Chica’s Highway 4 on July 1, 2021, to a modified section of Pad A, where it is expected to begin cryo testing.
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Surface, geology of Pluto studied via opposition observations
Laurel KornfeldJuly 4th, 2021Six years after the New Horizons spacecraft returned close-up images of Pluto, researchers are teasing out more information about its geology and surface.
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Progress MS-17 cargo craft docks with International Space Station
Derek RichardsonJuly 1st, 2021Two days after launching from Kazakhstan, Russia’s unpiloted Progress MS-17 spacecraft docked with the International Space Station.
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Progress MS-17 cargo freighter sent on a two-day trek to ISS
Derek RichardsonJune 29th, 2021Just before dawn, Russia’s Progress MS-17 cargo spacecraft lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to send supplies to the International Space Station.
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NG-15 Cygnus spacecraft departs space station
Derek RichardsonJune 29th, 2021After four months at the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman’s NG-15 Cygnus cargo ship departed the outpost to begin a brief post-ISS mission.
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SpaceX founder turns 50, as Starbase launch tower expansion continues
Cullen DesforgesJune 28th, 2021The orbital launch tower for SpaceX's Starship rocket system has received its sixth tower section of the eight it is expected to comprise of when completed.
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NASA continues to troubleshoot Hubble payload computer issue
Theresa CrossJune 24th, 2021On June 13, the Hubble Space Telescope’s payload computer stopped working. Its purpose is to maintain, control, monitor and track the science instruments.
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SpaceX Starship Super Heavy booster, launch tower take shape
Cullen DesforgesJune 23rd, 2021In the last few weeks, SpaceX’s South Texas facility known as Starbase has seen significant progress in its quest to become a mass-producing entity of heavy-lift rockets.
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Astronauts complete deployment of 1st ISS roll-out solar array
Derek RichardsonJune 21st, 2021Two International Space Station astronauts finished installing the first of six new roll-out solar arrays, ensuring the outpost will have a sufficient power supply over the next decade.
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Scientists trace meteor showers back to long-period comets
Laurel KornfeldJune 19th, 2021Scientists traced up to 15 lesser-known meteor showers through which Earth travels annually to long-period comets with orbits that take up to 4,000 years.
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NASA’s InSight Mars lander solar panels cleared of some dust
Cullen DesforgesJune 18th, 2021NASA’s InSight Mars lander cleaned some dust off its solar panels using a counter-intuitive technique, which resulted in a boost in power production.
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Problems prevent spacewalkers from deploying new solar array
Derek RichardsonJune 16th, 2021A spacesuit glitch and an alignment issue prevented astronauts from fully installing a new solar array on the exterior of the International Space Station.
