The cost of NASA’s Mars Sample Return project has doubled from a projected US$5.3 billion to US$11 billion, prompting many to question whether it is worth continuing with the mission. In response, the US space agency has turned to its field centres for cost cutting...
Crew Dragon Endeavour, with NASA Crew 8 onboard, was successfully launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Centre, US at 0353 GMT on 4 March. The crew comprised Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin. The initial orbit was 215...
Farah Ghouri looks back at the life, barely begun, of OSAM-1 after the refuelling demonstration mission is axed by NASA The idea for OSAM-1 (On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1), first known as RESTORE-L, was conceived in 2015, in a bid to help extend...
Farah Ghouri and David Todd followed the launch, descent, landing and subsequent communications of the first private spacecraft lunar landing “Odysseus is alive and well” was the first update on IM-1 from its operator after the lander touched down on the Moon, making...
The NASA/CalTech Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) field centre has laid off 530 people. The latest cuts, which affect 8 per cent of the workforce, include space scientists and engineers with significant experience. JPL is also releasing 40 contractors in addition to...
While drones are commonplace on Earth, where amateur versions are often used as toys, their use on other planets is still being explored. It is clear that the technology will provide significant benefits. Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), for example, can be...
