Schiaparelli descent data: decoding underway
Essential data from the ExoMars Schiaparelli lander sent to its mothership Trace Gas Orbiter during the module’s descent to the Red Planet’s surface yesterday has been downlinked to Earth and is currently being analysed by experts. To source
ExoMars TGO reaches Mars orbit while EDM situation under assessment
The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) of ESA’s ExoMars 2016 has successfully performed the long 139-minute burn required to be captured by Mars and entered an elliptical orbit around the Red Planet, while contact has not yet been confirmed with the mission’s test lander from the surface. To source
Orionids 2016: A Poor Year for a Good Meteor Shower
A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky left of the hoodoo named Thor’s Hammer early on August 13, 2016 in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Along with the Geminids in December and the Perseids in August, the most reliable annual display of “shooting stars” is the Orionid meteor shower in October . Unfortunately, this year, […]
Signals from Mars
Initial signals received from Mars indicate the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has completed its orbit insertion manoeuvre as planned. Mission teams continue waiting for confirmation of progress from the Schiaparelli lander To source
Lonely Planets: Alien 'Hot Earths' Have Few Friends
Artist’s illustration of the presumed view from the surface of the “hot Earth” alien planet Kepler-10b. Hot Earths — scorched, Earth-size worlds that are closer to their stars than Mercury is to the sun — may often be lonely planets, either far removed from any other worlds or the only planets in their systems, a […]
Europe's ExoMars 2016 Mars Landing: Complete Coverage
On Oct. 19, 2016, the European Space Agency’s ExoMars 2016 mission attempted to land the Schiaparelli module on Mars while its mothership, the Trace Gas Orbiter, began own mission around the Red Planet. See our full coverage of the Mars arrival below. Update for Oct. 21: RIP, Schiaparelli: European Mars Lander’s Crash Site Seen By NASA Probe […]
High Stakes: Europe Aims for 1st Successful Mars Landing Today
Spaceflight history will be made today (Oct. 19), if all goes according to plan. The Schiaparelli lander — part of the European-Russian ExoMars 2016 mission — is scheduled to touch down on the Martian surface this morning at 10:48 a.m. EDT (1448 GMT). You can follow the action live here at Space.com , courtesy of the […]
Europe's Mars Landing on Wednesday May Be Visible to NASA Rover
Approximate region in box where Schiaparelli lander may be visible above horizon by Opportunity if incoming vehicle goes long. Call it the Schiaparelli sky show — and if you happen to be NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover, it’s coming to a sky near you. On Wednesday morning (Oct. 19), the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars 2016 […]
Suspense on Mars as Europe Awaits Signal from Lander
The suspense is killing us. The Schiaparelli lander, part of the European-led ExoMars 2016 mission, was supposed to touch down on the Red Planet this morning (Oct. 19) at 10:48 a.m. EDT (1448 GMT), but the spacecraft’s handler’s still don’t know whether or not the historic maneuver was successful. You can watch a live webcast of […]
Expedition 49 Launch to the International Space Station
The Soyuz MS-02 rocket is launched with Expedition 49 Soyuz commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, flight engineer Shane Kimbrough of NASA, and flight engineer Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The crew will spend the next four months living and working aboard the International Space Station. To source
Soyuz Rocket Launches New International Space Station Crew | Video
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SpaceX to Reuse Dragon Capsules on Cargo Missions
A SpaceX Dragon capsule recovered after splashdown at the end of the CRS-5 mission in 2015. SpaceX plans to start reflying Dragon capsules in 2017. LAS CRUCES, N.M. — SpaceX plans to reuse a Dragon cargo spacecraft for the first time next year, allowing the company to focus on production of the next generation of […]
NASA's Juno Probe Sidelined Just Before Jupiter Flyby
Artist’s illustration of NASA’s Juno spacecraft flying by Jupiter. NASA’s Juno spacecraft has encountered its second problem at Jupiter in less than a week. The probe went into a protective “safe mode” at 1:47 a.m. EDT (0547 GMT) this morning (Oct. 19), preventing the spacecraft from gathering any data during today’s highly anticipated second close […]