SSI News
FARNBOROUGH: LauncherOne detail scarce but Sir Richard Branson’s space family steals show anyway
Despite displays by and order annoucements for Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the Farnborough International Air Show was stolen yesterday. The perpetrator was that master of showmanship Sir Richard Branson. Surrounded by fans, clients and his close family, Sir Richard announced that Virgin Galactic’s satellite launch vehicle concept dubbed would go ahead. In his press conference presentation Sir Richard noted that there was a “new race to space” going on and that it was the right to take advantage of this business opportunity.
Ariane launches two satellites
An Ariane 5 ECA successfully launched the Echostar 17 and MSG 3 satellite at 2136 GMT on 5 July from the ELA 3 launch pad at Kourou in French Guiana. With a launch mass of 6100 kilograms the Echostar 17 satellite carries an all Ka band payload to supply internet...
Galileo passes milestone with GIOVE retirement
Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system has reached a milestone of sorts with the retirement of the first technology validation spacecraft, GIOVE-A (Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element), which has been in orbit since December 2005. GIOVE-A's mission - to secure...
Higg’s Boson sub-atomic particle believed found at last
Some 45 years after it as first postulated by Prof. Peter Higgs, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider in Cern on the Franco-Swiss border, believe that they have discovered the Higgs Boson (aka the “God Particle”), the particle that is said to unify subatomic particle theories.
Aerospace cadets salute Eric Sykes
We are sad to report the death of comedy writer and comedian Eric Sykes who has passed away after a short illness at the age of 89. Apart from writing and appearing in his own television shows and short films, Sykes also appeared in that favourite movie for aerospace enthusiasts: Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965).
“Seven minutes of terror” faces Mars Curiosity rover during landing
As it awaits its 6th August landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover (aka Mars Science Laboratory) which was launched on 26 November last year, NASA has been showing a video detailing the engineering challenges and technology of re-entry and landing. The landing technique uses a “skycrane” method to gently lower the rover onto the surface from a rocket powered landing stage. The idea of this is not to kick ujp too much dust onto the instruments. The video is titled “Seven minutes of Terror” to illustrate just how risky the whole procedure is for the mission. And how much its watching engineers and scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena will be suffereing.<
Former Shuttle astronaut killed in jet ski accident
Former US Navy pilot and Space Shuttle astronaut, Captain Alan Poindexter, 50, has been killed in a jet ski accident on 1 July. Poindexter piloted the Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-122 in February 2008 and was commander on the Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-131 in April 2010. Our condolences go to Alan Poindexter’s family and friends.
Shenzhou 9’s docking mission success carrying China’s first space woman may make others rue wrong turns
China made further progress in its manned space programme. Not only did it make its first manned docking as its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft linked up with the Tiangong mini-space station, on board the craft as part of its three “taikonaut” crew was China’s first female astronaut.
Soyuz TMA-03M returns home
SOYUZ TMA-03M undocked from the International Space Station at 0448 GMT on 1 July carrying Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers. The crew had been launched to the Space Station on 21 December 2011. The craft...
Shenzhou 9 returns to Earth
SHENZHOU 9 re-entered Earth's atmosphere and landed in Siziwang Banner county in Inner Mongolia at 0202 GMT on 29 June. The crew were reported to be in good health after their mission.
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