Tag: space

Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe makes second touchdown on asteroid: space agency

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe touched down on a distant asteroid on Thursday, the country’s space agency said, on a mission to collect samples that could shed light on the history of the solar system. “The control room received Doppler data showing that the probe appears to have touched down successfully,” Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spokesman Takayuki Tomobe told AFP. “But Doppler only shows the speed and altitude so we will need definitive […]

Hard soil, big jumps and epiphanies: what it’s like on the Moon

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Twelve American men walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972, with most describing in great detail their experiences on the dusty, low-gravity world lit by the blinding light of the Sun. Here are their impressions, collected from a series of oral history interviews by NASA during the 1990s and 2000s, unless otherwise stated. Right after landing  “That’s where you experience the most quiet moment a human being can experience […]

Great leaps in science thanks to Apollo

by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Apollo 11 mission to the Moon and back 50 years ago went down in history as mankind’s giant leap, changing the way we saw our place in the universe. But the program was also the catalyst for profound scientific and engineering breakthroughs that reverberate to this day. It required overcoming myriad technical challenges, a task made possible only by Congress’ decision to hand a blank check […]

Russian, North American astronauts return to earth

by Alexander NEMENOV DZHESKAZGAN, Afghanistan (AFP) — The first crew to blast off to the International Space Station following a launch accident that deepened doubts over Russia’s space program returned to earth safely on Tuesday. NASA astronaut Anne McClain, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, and Canadian Space Agency record-holder David Saint-Jacques emerged from the spacecraft to applause from support crews, after touching down near the Kazakh city of Dzhezkazgan. Live footage from the landing […]

Sailing among the stars: how photons could revolutionize space flight

by Ivan Couronne WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A few days from now, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will lift off from Florida, carrying a satellite the size of a loaf of bread with nothing to power it but a huge polyester “solar sail.” It’s been the stuff of scientists’ dreams for decades but has only very recently become a reality. The idea might sounds crazy: propelling a craft through the vacuum of space with […]

NASA to open International Space Station to tourists from 2020

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — NASA said Friday it will open up the International Space Station to business ventures including space tourism as it seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research lab. Price tag? Tens of millions of dollars for a round trip ticket and $35,000 a night. “NASA is opening the International Space Station to commercial opportunities and marketing these opportunities as we’ve never done before,” NASA chief financial officer Jeff DeWit […]

NASA to open International Space Station to tourists from 2020

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — NASA said Friday it will open up the International Space Station to business ventures including space tourism as it seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research lab. Price tag? Tens of millions of dollars for a round trip ticket and $35,000 a night. “NASA is opening the International Space Station to commercial opportunities and marketing these opportunities as we’ve never done before,” NASA chief financial officer Jeff […]

SpaceX satellites pose new headache for astronomers

by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — It looked like a scene from a sci-fi blockbuster: an astronomer in the Netherlands captured footage of a train of brightly-lit SpaceX satellites ascending through the night sky this weekend, stunning space enthusiasts across the globe. But the sight has also provoked an outcry among astronomers who say the constellation, which so far consists of 60 broadband-beaming satellites but could one day grow to as many as […]

SpaceX launches first 60 satellites of its internet network

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — SpaceX has launched a rocket carrying the first 60 satellites of its “Starlink” constellation, which is intended to provide internet from space in an array that could one day contain over 12,000 orbiting transponders. One of the company’s Falcon 9 rockets blasted off without incident from Cape Canaveral in Florida around 10:30 pm Thursday (0230 GMT Friday). An hour later, the rocket began to release the satellites at an […]

SpaceX launches first satellites of its internet network

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — SpaceX on Thursday launched a rocket containing the first 60 satellites of its “Starlink” constellation, which is intended to provide internet from space and could one day number 12,000 satellites. One of the company’s Falcon 9 rockets took off without incident from Cape Canaveral in Florida around 10:30 pm (0230 GMT). The second stage of the rocket will begin to release them one hour after launch, at an altitude of […]

SpaceX postpones launch of its first internet network satellites

by Ivan Couronne WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — SpaceX postponed launch of 60 satellites into low-Earth orbit that was scheduled for Thursday night, possibly until next week, citing a need for software updates. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral was to be the first of potentially thousands in its Starlink project to beam broadband internet across the planet. “Standing down to update satellite software and triple-check everything again,” said a tweet from […]

Chinese probe reveals secrets of Moon’s dark side

by Patrick GALEY PARIS, France (AFP) — Scientists on Wednesday said they could be a step closer to solving the riddle behind the Moon’s formation, unveiling the most detailed survey yet of the far side of Earth’s satellite. In January, the Chinese spacecraft Chang’e-4 — named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology — became the first ever craft to touch down on the far side of the lunar surface. Similar to other bodies in […]