Latest news with #low-Earth
Broadcast Pro
a day ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Sierra Space wins NASA contract for lunar habitat study
The NextSTEP-2 Appendix R contract positions Sierra Space as a leader in lunar logistics, including transport, storage, tracking, and waste management. Sierra Space has won a significant contract from NASA to study the use of the companys expandable space station technology on the moon. Sierra Space has been awarded a major contract by NASA to study the potential use of its expandable space station technology on the lunar surface. The agreement, part of NASAs NextSTEP-2 Appendix R initiative for Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies, places the company at the forefront of efforts to develop advanced systems that will support future moon-to-Mars missions. The contract focuses on exploring how Sierra Spaces inflatable LIFE habitat and related technologies can be adapted to meet a range of logistical and habitation needs on the moon. This includes applications such as tunnel systems around lunar bases, storage and tracking of equipment and supplies, waste management, and the integration of comprehensive frameworks for sustained human presence on the lunar surface. Sierra Space brings considerable expertise to the project, with prior experience in design and analysis of lunar landers, rovers, and habitats. The company has also worked closely with teams supporting human landing systems and lunar terrain vehiclescritical components for building a long-term lunar infrastructure. Earlier this year, in April, Sierra Space completed hypervelocity impact tests at NASAs White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. These trials, which used a .50 caliber two-stage light gas gun to simulate micrometeoroid and orbital debris strikes, were aimed at reinforcing the structural integrity of the LIFE habitat. The successful results marked a key milestone in adapting the habitat for potential lunar and orbital deployment. Dr Tom Marshburn, Chief Astronaut and Vice President of Human Factors Engineering at Sierra Space, said: 'We believe our expandable softgoods space station technology can thrive in low-Earth orbit for commercial uses and for deep space exploration with NASA. Sierra Space is able to leverage existing technologies to deliver robust and scalable solutions that support both near-term and long-term mission objectives on the moon. Weve developed a versatile technology with our expandable habitation products that we feel supports NASAs moon to Mars goals.'
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Science
- Irish Independent
Eruptions from sun taking out SpaceX Starlink satellites, Nasa says
Anthony Cuthbertson ©UK Independent Yesterday at 21:30 Eruptions from the sun are causing SpaceX's Starlink satellites to fall to Earth 'faster than expected', according to Nasa scientists. A team from the US space agency's Goddard Space Flight Centre made the discovery after investigating the impact of solar activity on the lifespan of satellites in low-Earth orbit.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California rocket launch: Firefly to investigate 'mishap' during test for Lockheed Martin
A rocket launch from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base did not go to plan after the spacecraft experienced a midair "mishap." Firefly Aerospace, the Texas-based spaceflight company that manufactured the rocket in question, said the issue prevented a prototype satellite owned by Lockheed Martin from reaching orbit following an early-morning takeoff April 29. Instead, the satellite crashed into the Pacific Ocean with part of the rocket. The failed mission was Firefly's sixth flight of its Alpha rocket, which it is developing for commercial launches to compete in a market long dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. The company also achieved a major victory earlier in 2025 when it landed a spacecraft on the moon in March as part of a mission funded by NASA. Firefly provided a live stream of the Tuesday, April 29, launch as its Alpha rocket ascended into low-Earth orbit following a takeoff at 6:37 a.m. PT from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. But during the webcast, several particles could be seen flying off the rocket during stage separation as the second stage propelled Lockheed's satellite further into space, Reuters reported. While the Lockheed satellite remained intact, a camera on the second stage showed its engine firing without its nozzle. The mission, known as "message in a booster," was the first of a planned 25 launches in the next five years under an agreement between Firefly and Lockheed Martin. The Alpha rocket's payload was a Lockheed demonstration satellite called LM 400 Technology Demonstrator, which is meant to advance space technologies for both commercial and military customers, like the Pentagon. 'Our customers have told us they need rapid advancement of new mission capabilities,' Bob Behnken, a director at Lockheed Martin Space, said in a statement at the time. 'This agreement with Firefly further diversifies our access to space, allowing us to continue quickly flight demonstrating the cutting-edge technology we are developing for them." The Alpha rocket itself is classified as a small-lift launch vehicle capable of carrying more than 2,200 pounds of cargo to orbit. Firefly said in a mission update that it will investigate the cause of the "mishap" with Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Space Force and the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial launches. Engineers believe the problem occurred during separation of Alpha's core stage booster with its second stage less than three minutes into the flight. The faulty separation "impacted the Stage 2 Lightning engine nozzle, putting the vehicle in a lower than planned orbit," Firefly wrote in an update on social media site X. In an afternoon update, Firefly said the loss of the nozzle reduced the engine's thrust, preventing the the upper stage from reaching orbit and causing it to crash into the Pacific Ocean north of Antarctica with the Lockheed satellite. Firefly made a name for itself earlier this year when its Blue Ghost lunar lander became the second-ever commercial spacecraft to make it to the surface of the moon. After launching Jan. 15, 2025, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft managed to touch down about six weeks later on March 3 on the moon's Earth-facing side on a mission to deploy 10 NASA science instruments. The ensuing 14 days of surface operations were meant to help the U.S. space agency pave the way for humans to return in the years ahead under its Artemis program. This article has been updated to add new information. Contributing: Reuters Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Vandenberg launch: Firefly to investigate 'mishap' during rocket test
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
System glitch delays Australian-made rocket launch
SYDNEY: An Australian aerospace firm said Thursday it has delayed a historic first attempt to launch a locally developed rocket into orbit, with a jar of Vegemite as its payload. Gilmour Space Technologies said a ground system glitch forced it to postpone the first test launch of its three-stage Eris rocket by a day until Friday. 'The issue was with an external power system we use during system checks,' communications chief Michelle Gilmour told AFP. 'We've identified the fix but ran out of time to implement it and fuel the rocket within today's launch window.' The rocket has a multi-day launch window to fly from a spaceport near the east coast township of Bowen, about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) up from the Queensland capital Brisbane. If successful, it would be the first Australian-made rocket to make an orbital launch from Australian soil. The 23-metre (75-foot) vehicle is designed to launch small satellites into low-Earth orbit but on the first launch it will carry a jar of Vegemite -- a popular Australian toast topping. Chief executive Adam Gilmour said the firm is not expecting things to go smoothly on the first test. If it orbits Earth 'I would probably have a heart attack, actually, because I'll be so surprised, but deliriously happy', Gilmour told AFP this week. 'We're going to be happy if it gets off the pad -- 10, 20, 30 seconds of flight time: fantastic. So orbit is just not in the realm of my belief right now, even though it's theoretically possible.' The rocket design is for a capacity of 100-200 kilogrammes (220-440 pounds), with further upgrades being developed. Weighing 30 tonnes fully fuelled, it has a hybrid propulsion system, using a solid inert fuel and a liquid oxidiser, which provides the oxygen for it to burn, Gilmour said. Gilmour Space Technologies is backed by private investors including venture capital group Blackbird and pension fund HESTA. The company, which has 230 employees, hopes to start commercial launches in late 2026 or early 2027, Gilmour said, and then to rapidly grow revenues.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Australia Delays Historic Rocket Launch Over Glitch
SYDNEY: An Australian aerospace firm said Thursday it has delayed a historic first attempt to launch a locally developed rocket into orbit, with a jar of Vegemite as its payload. Gilmour Space Technologies said a ground system glitch forced it to postpone the first test launch of its three-stage Eris rocket by a day until Friday. 'The issue was with an external power system we use during system checks,' communications chief Michelle Gilmour told AFP. 'We've identified the fix but ran out of time to implement it and fuel the rocket within today's launch window.' The rocket has a multi-day launch window to fly from a spaceport near the east coast township of Bowen, about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) up from the Queensland capital Brisbane. If successful, it would be the first Australian-made rocket to make an orbital launch from Australian soil. The 23-metre (75-foot) vehicle is designed to launch small satellites into low-Earth orbit but on the first launch it will carry a jar of Vegemite -- a popular Australian toast topping. Chief executive Adam Gilmour said the firm is not expecting things to go smoothly on the first test. If it orbits Earth 'I would probably have a heart attack, actually, because I'll be so surprised, but deliriously happy', Gilmour told AFP this week. 'We're going to be happy if it gets off the pad -- 10, 20, 30 seconds of flight time: fantastic. So orbit is just not in the realm of my belief right now, even though it's theoretically possible.' The rocket design is for a capacity of 100-200 kilogrammes (220-440 pounds), with further upgrades being developed. Weighing 30 tonnes fully fuelled, it has a hybrid propulsion system, using a solid inert fuel and a liquid oxidiser, which provides the oxygen for it to burn, Gilmour said. Gilmour Space Technologies is backed by private investors including venture capital group Blackbird and pension fund HESTA. The company, which has 230 employees, hopes to start commercial launches in late 2026 or early 2027, Gilmour said, and then to rapidly grow revenues.
