Tag: spacecraft
NASA still tracking towards mid-to-late May SpaceX crew launch despite parachute mishap
NASA provided an official update about the status of its Commercial Crew program, the project it’s working on with partners SpaceX and Boeing to return astronaut launch capabilities to American soil via private launch partners. This week, SpaceX encountered an issue while testing the parachute system that will be used…
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Prototype thrusters designed for use on the Moon undergo key hot-fire testing
NASA’s renewed efforts to return to the Moon may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but works still proceeds on a number of projects related to the effort, including a series of hot-fire test of thrusters designed by NASA and partner Frontier Aerospace. These tests, more than 60 in total…
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SpaceX encounters first launch delay due to coronavirus
SpaceX has thus far managed to avoid much in the way of impact to its upcoming launch schedule, despite the widespread global coronavirus pandemic. The company successfully launched 60 more of its Starlink satellites just last week, and appears to be on track for its current mid-to-late May launch schedule…
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NASA confirms Commercial Crew still a priority, but James Webb Telescope testing and other activities paused
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has been sharing regular updates about how his agency is approaching the rapidly changing global coronavirus pandemic situation. This week, NASA escalated its response multiple times due to changing circumstances, including changing the state of working conditions at all of its facilities across the country, and…
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OneWeb confirms layoffs and potential launch schedule delays amid reported bankruptcy considerations
Satellite operator OneWeb has confirmed that its workforce has been reduced via layoffs, after TechCrunch learned that it reduced its workforce by as much as 10 percent this week. The company did not confirm the total size of the layoff, but provided a statement to TechCrunch regarding the current state…
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NASA suspends work on its Moon and Mars spacecraft due to coronavirus pandemic
NASA has temporarily paused work on the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule that will be used for its forthcoming Artemis missions, which will ultimately return the next American man and the first American woman to the surface of the Moon. The rocket and spacecraft were undergoing production and…
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