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NASA

Airbus wins contract for ExoMars lander platform

WASHINGTON — Airbus Defence and Space will build the landing platform for the European Space Agency’s ExoMars rover, replacing a critical component originally to be provided by Russia.Airbus announced late March 28 (Eastern time) that it was selected by ESA and Thales Alenia Space, the prime contractor for the mission, to build the landing platform for that rover mission, scheduled to launch in 2028.The landing platform is the part of the ExoMars spacecraft that handles the final phases of its descent to the Martian surface in 2030, including performing the final landing burn. After landing, the platform will deploy ramps to allow the ExoMars rover, named Rosalind Franklin, to roll onto the Martian surface.Airbus did not disclose the value of the contract. ESA awarded a contract wor...

NASA switches Starliner crew to SpaceX Dragon as testing continues on troubled Boeing capsule – Spaceflight Now

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SpaceX

NASA switches Starliner crew to SpaceX Dragon as testing continues on troubled Boeing capsule – Spaceflight Now

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 members stand inside the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Nov. 13, 2024. From left are Mission Specialist Kimiya Yui from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Commander NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Mission Specialist Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos, and Pilot NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. Image: NASA/Josh Valcarcel The makeup of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station was announced publicly Thursday evening and it includes three astronauts who were previously assigned to other missions. Leading the flight, scheduled for no earlier than July 2025, is NASA astronaut Zena Cardman. She will be joined by fellow NASA astronaut and pilot Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiy...

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Astronomy

March Night Sky 2025 – Astronotes

Welcome to our quick take on top celestial wonders to spot in the March night sky! Well we’ve certainly been spoiled for entertainment so far this year with the heavyweights of our Solar System -Earth’s planetary neighbours gathering together on the same side of the Sun to put on the first ever ‘Grand Parade’ of the planets – it would seem, primarily for our enjoyment! An amazing event that no doubt filled all able to witness it in the Northern hemisphere with awe and wonder. If you missed seeing all the big guns of the Solar System within the same skyscape last month – don’t worry as the brightest-looking planets: Mars, Venus, and Jupiter can still be spotted. Image Credit: TheSpaceway/Pixabay.com But what’s new for us to see this month? Well on the 23rd March we will be able to watch Sat...

U.S. Space Force certifies ULA’s Vulcan rocket to begin launching national security missions – Spaceflight Now

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SpaceX

U.S. Space Force certifies ULA’s Vulcan rocket to begin launching national security missions – Spaceflight Now

Vulcan climbs away from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station shortly after sunrise on Oct. 4, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. In an announcement highly anticipated by United Launch Alliance and others in the spaceflight community, the U.S. Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) office affirmed that the Vulcan rocket is now fully certified to launch national security payloads. The completion of this multi-year process means that the USSF’s Space Systems Command can begin launching National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions on the two-stage, heavy-lift rocket. “Assured access to space is a core function of the Space Force and a critical element of national security,” said Brig. Gen. Panzenhagen, Program Executive Officer for AAST, in a stat...

The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks Opens Today at Space Center Houston

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NASA

The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks Opens Today at Space Center Houston

Experience the 50-minute film across three walls and floor of Space Center Theater Tom Hanks in Lightroom. (Photo Courtesy, Justin Sutcliffe) HOUSTON, TEXAS (FEBRUARY 14, 2025) – Experience a cinematic masterpiece with The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks, presented by Lightroom at Space Center Houston. The Moonwalkers takes audiences behind the scenes of the Apollo missions in stunning detail, with narration by the iconic Tom Hanks. Space Center Houston is the first in the Americas to premiere The Moonwalkers. A VIP reception and screening was held on February 13 with Artemis II astronauts, NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, and Apollo 11 Flight Director Gene Kranz in attendance. “I’m delighted to be bringing this project home to the place where the ...