by David Todd | Jun 27, 2014 | NASA, Space Shuttle, Technology
One of the great what-ifs of the US space programme is: if the leading edge damage of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) had been confirmed after its launch on 16 January 2003, could anything have been done about it to prevent the crew meeting their fiery demise...
by David Todd | Jun 27, 2014 | commercial launch services, ESA, Technology
In an attempt to make Europe’s launch industry more competitive, rocket maker Airbus Defence and Space (formerly Astrium) and jet and rocket engine manufacturer, Safran, have decided to create a new rocket company. The joint venture would become prime contractor for...
by David Todd | Jun 27, 2014 | Military space, Seradata News, Technology
After a series of three consecutive interception test failures the latest of which involved the interceptor not detaching from its carrier rocket in July 2013, the anti-ballistic missile system that protects the United States of America at last had some good news. In...
by David Todd | Jun 12, 2014 | History, Satellites, Technology
While rumours about the move had been circulating for some time, it was finally confirmed on 10 June 2014 that the Internet search engine giant Google had made a successful bid to acquire the satellite imaging constellation firm Skybox. Google has offered US$500...
by David Todd | Jun 4, 2014 | Add category, Satellites, Seradata News, Technology
While the old US Space Fence radar tracking system (officially called the Air Force Space Surveillance System) which had tracked crossing orbiting objects since 1961, was retired for cost reasons in 2013, plans for its replacement are now well underway. A contract...
by David Todd | May 27, 2014 | Commercial human spaceflight, Personal spaceflight, Seradata News, Space tourism, Technology, Virgin Galactic
While it still has notional plans to make its first full suborbital spaceflight launch before the end of 2014, there remains doubts amongst Virgin Galactic’s critics whether this is still possible – not least because it has been revealed that the firm...
