Infrastructure
International Space Station Damage Triggers Apparent Detente
A micrometeorite the width of a pencil tip sliced through a Soyuz spacecraft docked at the International Space Station at nearly 16,000 mph, wrecking a radiator for the spacecraft’s computers and delaying the return of three astronauts in orbit by months, officials from NASA and Russian space agency Roscosmos said during a rare joint news conference Wednesday.
Launch Log, 2023
Interested in this year’s global space launch vehicle activity? Keep track of orbital launch trends with our 2023 launch log. Launch data is updated every day during weekdays, excluding U.S. holidays.
Artemis I Mission Highlights
NASA’s Artemis program is off to a successful start after Orion splashed down safely on Dec. 11, 2022. Launched on the inaugural Space Launch System (SLS) flight in November, the Orion spacecraft had several key milestones along its 25-day lunar flyby.
Successful SLS Launch Kickstarts Artemis Program
After months of delays, NASA’s Artemis I mission rocketed to space from Kennedy Space Center at 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16, 2022.
The maiden flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) carried the Orion spacecraft to orbit to begin its first journey around the Moon.
Lunar Missions
After decades of relatively little activity, missions to the Moon are becoming more frequent. Well-established space agencies like NASA and Roscosmos are ramping up their lunar programs.
New Leader Takes Space Force Helm as Dangers in Orbit Loom
Pentagon leaders emphasized the growing importance of missions in orbit Wednesday as they welcomed the second general to command the Space Force. The new chief of space operations, Gen. Chance Saltzman, pledged to get his young service ready for war.
November Space Council Meetings Could Shape Commercial Regulations
The National Space Council asked for comment on new commercial space systems and how the commercial space sector could be regulated during a pair of online meetings set for November. The council wants input from industry and the public. The move is part of a Biden Administration push to deal with issues including crowded orbits and the safety of space tourists.
New Spacesuit Design Promises to Fit Diverse Generation of Future Astronauts
NASA’s newest spacesuits, under a contract announced in September, will be rented by the agency much like tuxedos for a wedding or high-school prom night. Unlike suits in use since the Space Shuttle program, they’re designed to fit astronauts of any size, taking the agency back to the early days when all those headed to space got a custom suit.
Rivals Launch Military Satellites Amid U.S.-led Space Defense Drills
A flurry of military and intelligence satellite launches by rival powers this month came as the United States and two dozen partner nations wrapped up the largest global space defense wargame in history.
Russia launched what some leaders have described as a spy satellite for Iran and its own on-orbit snooping satellite Cosmos-2558, which is circling Earth in an orbit conspicuously close to a recently launched U.S. National Reconnaissance Office satellite, a Netherlands researcher confirmed.
Solving Space Junk Problem Could Net Federal Prize
A grand prize could be in the offing for inventors who come up with new methods to prevent orbiting debris or design tools that can clean up space junk, according to recommendations from the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.