A NASA small satellite is set to launch on a commercial rideshare mission to test rapid, low-cost deployment of multiple technology prototypes in low Earth orbit, along with three other NASA funded small-scale satellites. The R5-S7 (Realizing Rapid, Reduced-cost high-Risk Research project Spacecraft 7) CubeSat, developed by NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, is […]
A NASA mission that studied the interior of hurricanes collected its final data on Nov. 12, as the last two CubeSats in its fleet were powered down prior to re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. The TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission originally consisted of four identical, milk carton-sized satellites that […]
NASA continues to study how autonomy will assist future exploration to the Moon, Mars, and other worlds. As exploration continues to evolve, future spacecraft swarms will one day “see” and communicate with each other autonomously, navigating new destinations more efficiently. The success of NASA’s Starling mission extension, called Starling 1.5+, shows greater autonomy in space […]
Payload commissioning is underway for NASA’s PExT (Polylingual Experimental Terminal), a first-of-its-kind space communications demonstration designed to allow spacecraft to communicate with government and commercial networks. After launching on July 23, York Space Systems established first contact with their Bard satellite, the host spacecraft for PExT, and began bus commissioning on schedule. Over the next […]
Commissioning has been completed for NASA’s Arcstone instrument and the bus. Themain structure of the satellite, or bus, and instrument testing began shortly after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California July 23 on a SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission. On Aug. 13, the Arcstone spectrometer, the first instrument dedicated to improving the accuracy of […]
The twin cube satellites will operate through at least September 2026, expanding focus from the poles to the whole planet to improve modelling and weather forecasts. NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission has been extended through September 2026 and is broadening its focus from Earth’s poles to the entire globe. The […]
Following a successful launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, NASA’s Athena EPIC (Economical Payload Integration Cost) satellite was deployed on July 23. However, the small satellite has yet to send an expected beacon signal to help track its orbit. Mission partners are collaborating at the NovaWurks data operations […]
NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) twin satellites are in orbit after the spacecraft launched at 11:13 a.m. PDT (2:13 p.m. EDT) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Station in California as part of a commercial rideshare mission with several other payloads. […]
NASA-funded payloads, PExT (Polylingual Experimental Terminal) technology demonstration, and the REAL (Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss) CubeSat deployed around 55 minutes following launch of NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission. The first of the twin TRACERS satellites is preparing to deploy in about 40 minutes, followed by the second approximately six […]
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off with NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base California at 11:13 a.m. PDT (2:13 p.m. EDT) today. Also launching on this flight will be three additional NASA-funded payloads: the Athena EPIC (Economical Payload Integration Cost) […]
