Latest news with #Bandwagon-3
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX set for lunchtime rocket launch Wednesday from Florida's Space Coast
SpaceX crews are preparing to light up the sky on Florida's Space Coast on Wednesday. The company is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket in support of its Starlink satellite system. Crews are planning to launch the rocket at 12:38 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX said this launch will be the fourth flight for the first-stage rocket booster supporting this mission. The booster has previously launched the SES O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, and Bandwagon-3 missions. SpaceX plans to land the booster again after launch on one of its ships in the Atlantic Ocean. If Wednesday's planned launch is delayed, a backup opportunity is available at 11:17 a.m. on Thursday. Channel 9 will have live coverage of the launch on Eyewitness News. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
See photos snapped in space by Europe's 1st private reentry capsule
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A European reentry capsule notched some important milestones on its first-ever spaceflight last week — and took some photos to commemorate the trip. Phoenix 1, a prototype spacecraft built by German company Atmos Space Cargo, rode to the final frontier on April 21 via SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission. Phoenix 1 was tasked with demonstrating some key reentry tech, such as the capsule's inflatable heat shield. Atmos also aimed to collect information about the flight and record scientific data from the customer experiments that flew aboard Phoenix 1 as well. All of these objectives were indeed met during the flight, according to Atmos. "Phoenix 1 was a milestone mission that showcased the incredible capabilities of our team," Marta Oliveira, Atmos' co-founder and chief operating officer, said in an April 23 update. "This mission proves that we're not only solving the technical challenge of re-entry — we're laying the groundwork for a future where space is accessible, testable and impactful for innovation here on Earth." That update included two photos of Phoenix 1 in space. In one image, it's still attached to the Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage; in the other, the capsule has just separated and started its return to Earth. Phoenix 1 reentered Earth's atmosphere southeast of the Brazilian coast about two hours after launch, according to update. The capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers) offshore. Atmos could not retrieve data from the final stages of Phoenix 1's descent; the company didn't recover the capsule and said in the update that it hadn't planned to, given how far out to sea the craft landed. Related stories: — SpaceX launches European reentry capsule on 'Bandwagon-3' rideshare mission (video) — Private Varda Space capsule returns to Earth with space-grown antiviral drug aboard — Off-Earth manufacturing could help astronauts explore the moon and Mars Atmos says it developed the Phoenix 1 pathfinder in less than a year. The recently completed mission will help the company build Phoenix 2, which is expected to launch in 2026 and will be more capable than its predecessor. "Atmos' current roadmap for Phoenix 2 confirms to feature its own propulsion system, enabling the capsule to choose its reentry trajectory and splashdown zone, enabling swift recovery," the company wrote in the April 23 update. Over the longer haul, Atmos aims to provide customers with a cost-effective and efficient way to bring valuable materials from space down to Earth. "Our mission is to revolutionize space logistics, enabling groundbreaking advancements in microgravity research, in-orbit manufacturing, defense applications and life sciences," the company's website reads.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Doughnut-Shaped Spacecraft That Will Float Precious Cargo Back To Earth Successfully Completes First Test Flight
A doughnut-shaped spacecraft built to bring cargo back to Earth has completed its first test flight. Atmos Space Cargo, a German start-up, called the Phoenix mission a full success after splashdown 2,000 km off Brazil. Launched on 21 April aboard SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 mission, the craft met key objectives and gathered vital data. Sebastian Klaus, Atmos CEO, said the goals were flight data collection, payload operation, and testing an inflatable heat shield. Klaus confirmed all four payloads activated and sent back crucial information. Atmos plans to apply these findings to its next Phoenix test, scheduled for next year.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German startup's donut-shaped spacecraft reentry a ‘success', despite difficult reentry
German startup Atmos Space Cargo has called the first flight of its donut-shaped reentry vehicle a success. Atmos' Phoenix spacecraft was launched by SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission on April 21. The company claims it gathered a wealth of data from the first flight test of its Phoenix spacecraft. Unfortunately, though, SpaceX announced a sudden change in trajectory for Bandwagon-3 just five weeks before launch. This meant the reentry location for Phoenix was completely changed. The vehicle also performed a much steeper reentry due to the new trajectory. The result is that Atmos was not able to recover its spacecraft. Atmos spent half a year making plans for a reentry in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, near the island of Réunion. This included chartering ships to recover its Phoenix spacecraft after splashdown and aircraft to collect reentry data. However, just over a month before launch, SpaceX informed Atmos of a change in trajectory to Bandwagon-3. The mission, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, would have to change its trajectory due to "operational constraints" of the primary payload, a South Korean reconnaissance satellite. Ultimately, this resulted in Phoenix performing a splashdown some 1,243 miles (2,000 kilometers) off the coast of Brazil. This ruled out any attempt to recover the spacecraft. The steeper trajectory also lead to higher loads on the spacecraft during reentry. Still, Atoms claims its first flight test was a success. The donut-shaped Phoenix spacecraft separated from the Falcon 9 upper stage roughly 90 minutes after liftoff. About 30 minutes later, it began reentry over the South Atlantic Ocean. During a media briefing on Aprill 22, Atmos CEO Sebastian Klaus said the company's Phoenix flight test had three key goals: Collecting data during flight; operating and collecting data from the spacecraft's payloads; and collecting data on Phoenix's inflatable heat shield during reentry. "What is confirmed is that we got a lot of flight data,' Klaus said, according to a SpaceNews report. All four payloads turned on and returned data, he added. 'We can call that a full success." Prior to the altered launch of Bandwagon-3, Atmos positioned new ground stations in South America to communicate with Phoenix during its descent. It also chartered an aircraft that would attempt to collect data. On the day, Klaus explained, the aircraft was out of range of the splashdown location. Cloud cover also prevented Atmos from collecting imagery of the reentry. According to Klaus, the heat shield data goal was "partly successful", though it is continuing to analyze the data. Some of that data suggests the heat shield did inflate. However, Klaus did admit that, due to the distance, it was "very difficult" to collect data during Phoenix's final moments. "All in all, it's a very successful mission," Klaus said, adding that the data collected would help the company improve its second Phoenix reentry vehicle, scheduled for launch next year. 'It would be much better to have more data on the critical last phase of the flight,' he continued. 'But then on the other side, there's a lot we have learned about all other systems and operational aspects.'
The Irish Sun
24-04-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Incredible plans for giant DOUGHNUT-shaped spacecraft to float precious cargo back to Earth as it completes test mission
AN INCREDIBLE doughnut-shape spacecraft designed to fly precious cargo back to Earth has completed its first test mission. Atmos Space Cargo been hailed their daring mission a "success" after the dessert-shaped spaceship splashed down about 2,000 kilometres off the coast of Brazil. Advertisement 8 An incredible doughnut-shaped spaceship has been hailed a success Credit: Atmos Space Cargo 8 Atmos Space Cargo's design is made to float back materials to Earth Credit: Atmos Space Cargo 8 It splashed down about 2,000 kilometres off the coast of Brazil Credit: Atmos Space Cargo The German startup's Phoenix vehicle was launched by SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission April 21. And the firm claimed it gathered a wide range of data from the first flight test of its Sebastian Klaus, chief executive of Atmos, said that the space mission had three main targets. Firstly, they aimed to collect data from the Advertisement read more science news Secondly, they wanted to operate and return data from payloads in the spacecraft. And finally the firm aimed to collect data on the performance of the They chief executive confirmed that they "got a lot of flight data", saying that all four of their payloads turned on and produced He praised the mission as a "full success". Advertisement Most read in Science Exclusive But unfortunately for the German firm, the craft's heat shield analysis could not take place, due to an unexpected change in scheduling. Nasa astronauts FINALLY splash down on Earth after nine hellish months stranded in space on International Space Station Atmos had previously planned for a reentry in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, near the island of Réunion. Klaus said the company spent six whole months preparing the area for reentry at this point. This apparatus included ships to recover the Advertisement But in an unfortunate change of plans - SpaceX informed Atmos of "operational constraints" just five weeks before the launch. This completely changed the location of the upcoming splashdown, instead directing the spacecraft down towards the coast of Brazil . 8 Simulations showed the doughnut inflating Credit: Atmos Space Cargo 8 The Phoenix vehicle flew as one of the payloads on SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission April 21 Credit: Atmos Space Cargo Advertisement 8 The firm had to adjust to a change in splashdown location Credit: Atmos Space Cargo The company then had to line up new ground stations in South America to communicate with the spacecraft during key phases of flight. It also had to charter a plane to attempt to collect data during reentry. But the splashdown location ended up being way beyond the range of the aircraft. Advertisement The extra distance, along with cloud cover, prevented the Atmos from getting useful imagery of the doughnut-ship's reentry. Klaus therefore said Atmos considered that third target 'partly successful'. He added that it would be "very difficult" to get data from Phoenix. But the defiant boss said that the data it did collect would help the firm with its second Phoenix reentry vehicle, which it plans to test next year. Advertisement "It would be much better to have more data on the critical last phase of the flight," Klaus said. "But then on the other side, there's a lot we have learned about all other systems and operational aspects." He concluded that the whole operation was a "very successful mission". 8 A simulation showed how the spaceship would work Credit: Atmos Space Cargo Advertisement 8 They firm called it a success despite limited data on how it performed during reentry Credit: Atmos Space Cargo
