Control room engineers watch closely as the spacecraft they have worked tirelessly on for months approaches the Moon. Telemetry data indicates everything is running smoothly, and landing should occur soon – then all goes silent. Five of seven Surveyor spacecraft made successful uncrewed lunar landings and collected samples, successfully exploring its surface. Surveyor 1 This…
Atlas V rocket will launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral with the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 payload belonging to National Reconnaissance Office. Psyche will visit an asteroid with unusually high metal content to gain new insights into Earth’s core formation and solar system development, and advance ocean health research. Starlink Starlink is a satellite constellation…
Spacecraft are engineered to withstand the load it endures during launch and other possible events that might occur on its mission, while carrying payload such as cargo or science instruments that cover its costs. One example is the Psyche mission, which studies an asteroid believed to be left over from planet formation like Earth. Scientists…
Propulsion systems play an essential role in any mission’s success, enabling spacecraft probes to change their velocity in space and, if needed, escape Earth’s gravity. Spacecraft thrust is determined by the rate of acceleration. Due to conservation of momentum, small accelerations applied over a longer time can generate equal force as greater forces applied quickly….
Mars is home to an exciting new breed of spacecraft designed to facilitate scientific study and discovery, and one day send humans there. These spacecraft offer unprecedented access for scientific analysis. The Lander is designed in the shape of a tetrahedron with sides that open like petals, housing cameras, weather stations and a six-wheeled rover…
Spacecraft model kits are an engaging way to learn about space exploration and its vehicles. Available in various sizes and levels of complexity, some models even include display stands to make them even more visually appealing. One of the latest Nanoblock kits features a lunar module and two spacesuit-clad astronauts – an upgrade over its…
Spacecraft Collective’s acrylic knit beanie fits comfortably and stylishly no matter which way your head tilts – an excellent winter hat for outdoor enthusiasts! Stefan Hofmann and Sarah O’Brien Parker were inspired to establish Spacecraft Clothing after seeing a Tucker snowcat covered with snow at Snoqualmie’s Alpental backcountry terrain and taking part in a midnight…
Scientists can study recovered debris more closely as more and more enters Earth’s atmosphere for reentry. Reentry requires complex tracking and monitoring tools. The primary goal is to maintain equilibrium between dynamic pressure and velocity so that the spacecraft can gradually descend to Earth on an accurately calculated trajectory. To accomplish this task, thermal energy…
NASA’s spacecraft recently conducted an elaborate dress rehearsal of an asteroid’s likely arrival to Earth by colliding with an innocent rock at 14,000 miles per hour – thrilling scientists at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland who ran this mission under contract from NASA. Mission controllers at Laurel rejoiced and celebrated after…
