Tag Archives: landing

The Blue Ghost Spacecraft from Firefly completes its second commercial moon landing

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The Blue Ghost took a photo of the shadows on the moon.

Firefly Air Space

The Texas company has achieved its second commercial landing on the moon. And the first company didn't fall with a touchdown. Success comes even in the gusts of private and state moon exploration.

The Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Lander was launched on January 15th on top of the SpaceX rocket, and spent 45 days of travel to the moon. It landed at 8:34am on March 2nd. Chrysium in the Maresa smooth basin formed by a volcanic eruption three billion years ago.

Using thrusters, Blue Ghost slowed from an orbital speed of 1.7 km/sec to just 1 meter/sec, then landed on shock absorbing legs within 100 meters of the target. Jason Kim, CEO of Hotaru; I told CNN That the short height of the craft was the key to a safe landing: “It is a successful design, you see past designs and successful past designs, [they] Very similar – short and squatti. ”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqsgzztvpao

The Blue Ghost is approximately 2 metres tall and 3.5 metres wide, and features 10 scientific instruments as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program, which uses the private sector to perform various experiments prior to the planned crew mission.

These include testing of the lunar planet, which uses compressed gas blasts to mix and collect samples of lunar dust, radiation-curable computer chips, and lunar GNSS receiver experiments that pick up signals from GPS and Galileo navigation satellite constellation to bring Earth into orbit to provide timing data for the moon.

The Lander will be operating on Earth Day-Moon Day, approximately 14 days before falling into the darkness and closing around March 16th. While other landers have unexpectedly survived the harsh conditions before, a frostling moon night will likely be the end of the mission.

Last February, the Texas-based intuitive machine landed the Odysseus spacecraft on the moon, becoming the first private company to achieve a feat previously only achieved by the National Space Agency. Odysseus fell to the side while landing, but still managed to work surprisingly well.

Many moon missions are in progress or planning. Also, Blue Ghost's Launch Rocket was another commercial moon mission, Ispace's Resilience Lander, intended to land in April. It is expected that around 12 landers will reach the moon in 2025 alone.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

NASA delays lunar exploration in order to prioritize landing astronauts before China

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overview

  • NASA’s next Artemis mission, scheduled to send four astronauts to orbit the moon, has been postponed until 2026, the agency announced.
  • The delay also postpones the expected schedule for Artemis’ subsequent mission to land astronauts on the moon.
  • NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that under the new schedule, the United States would land astronauts on the moon before China.

NASA announced Thursday that the next Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the moon will be delayed until 2026. A program already years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget has been delayed further.

NASA announced in January that the Artemis II mission would launch in September 2025 instead of late 2024. Now, NASA says it is targeting an April 2026 launch to give it more time to address issues with its next-generation Orion space capsule. The problem was discovered during an unmanned Artemis test flight in 2022.

The delay will also postpone the Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole. That mission is planned for mid-2027, rather than launching in September 2026.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the adjusted schedule should still put the United States on track to return astronauts to the moon before China lands its own. .

Nelson said the mid-2027 goal is “much earlier than the Chinese government’s stated intention” to land Chinese astronauts on the moon by 2030.

China’s interest in moon exploration has sparked a new space race of sorts, with some U.S. experts and officials saying that if China reaches the moon’s surface before the United States, There are growing concerns that there may be competition for space resources, which are thought to be water ice. They will be trapped in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon’s south pole. It is believed that water on the moon could be used to make rocket fuel to power missions deep into space.

“Landing on the moon’s south pole is critical to avoid ceding part of the moon’s south pole to China,” Nelson said.

NASA officials attributed the need to delay the Artemis mission to a flaw in the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield that was discovered during the capsule’s uncrewed flight. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said, for example, that the researchers noticed that the heat shield was worn in places, with some of the outer layers cracking and peeling off due to internal pressure buildup.

Orion’s heat shield covers the bottom of the capsule and plays a key role in protecting the spacecraft and its potential astronauts from extreme temperatures upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. .

Extensive testing has determined that the Orion capsule’s unique method of returning to Earth likely eroded its heat shield. The spacecraft is designed to perform what’s called a “skip entry,” in which it enters and exits the atmosphere, dissipating energy and slowing it down.

But Melroy said this reentry caused heat to build up inside the outer layer of the heat shield, eventually causing it to crack and wear out in parts.

The delays for Artemis’ next two flights will give engineers time to address these shielding issues and prepare for what Nelson called a “modified approach trajectory.”

“Astronaut safety is always paramount in our decisions. It is our North Star,” Nelson said. “We will not fly until we are confident that we have made the flight as safe as possible for our passengers.”

With the new administration of Donald Trump set to take over the White House in January, some space industry experts are speculating that parts of the Artemis program may be revisited or even scrapped. There is.

But Melroy said the decision to proceed with the Artemis program was “pretty clear” and should not be delayed during the transition period as the incoming administration establishes its goals and priorities.

“We would like to postpone any decisions about starting or ending the program for as long as possible,” Melroy said. “We had to postpone important decisions for our new team and we haven’t had a chance to explain them to anyone since we haven’t yet accepted a transition team.”

NASA has spent more than $42 billion over more than a decade developing the new Space Launch System mega-rocket and Orion spacecraft aimed at bringing astronauts back to the moon. As part of this effort, NASA envisions launching regular missions to set up base camps on the moon before eventually heading to Mars.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Is the world’s first battery-powered plane safe for landing?

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The arrival of human flight’s future was uneventful during a time of minimal flying in June 2020 when COVID-19 was rampant all over the world. Despite the empty skies, a significant development was taking place on the ground in a small aircraft.

The Slovenian-built two-seater plane was certified safe to fly by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency). In the following years, it obtained certifications from equivalent agencies in the UK, US, and other countries. The Pipistrel Velis Electro became the world’s first fully certified electric airplane, a title it still holds today.

“This achievement showcases the growing interest and trust in electric aircraft’s reliability.” Dr. Tine Tomajic“We recently completed production of our 100th Velis Electro, a significant milestone for Pipistrel and the industry,” saidTomajic, Director of Engineering and Programs at Pipistrel.

Tomajic believes the future is already here but not equally distributed, with a focus on the development of clean aircraft. However, challenges remain regarding the alternative fuels needed for aviation and the political will required to make significant changes.

With multiple groundings behind us, could this be the turning point for green air travel, or do we still have a long way to go before achieving zero-emission flights?

Climate impacts

“Currently, aviation has a minimal impact on climate change.” Dr. Guy GluttonGratton, an associate professor at Cranfield University, is an aeronautical engineer and test pilot for experimental electric aircraft. He states that aviation contributes about 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, with growing concerns about contrail emissions potentially reaching 7%.

The industry has made progress in reducing emissions per passenger mile, but the overall emissions are still rising at a rate of 5% annually. With global air travel demand expected to double by 2040, aviation risks becoming a significant polluter unless drastic measures are taken.

To address the challenges, various alternatives are being explored, including electric aircraft like the Velis Electro for short-haul flights and hydrogen fuel cells for larger planes.

More electric planes are set to take flight following the success of the Velis Electro. Companies like Israeli Aviation, Elysian Aircraft, and Wright Electric are working on developing larger electric aircraft to meet the future demands of air travel.

Gratton, who actively tests electric planes, remains cautious about considering battery-powered planes as a complete solution to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint. He emphasizes the importance of exploring various alternative fuels to address the industry’s growing emissions.

Alternative Fuel Test Flights

How will we power net-zero flights in the future using alternative fuels like biofuels, electric fuel, electric fuel cells, and hydrogen fuel cells?

Biofuels: Biofuels could be blended with traditional jet fuel to reduce emissions, but concerns about land use and deforestation remain.

Electric Fuel: Derived from atmospheric carbon and hydrogen, electric fuel is promising but requires significant renewable energy for production.

Electric Fuel Cell: Offers zero emissions during flight, but the technology needs further development and scalability.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell: Seen as a medium-term solution for decarbonizing aviation, but requires infrastructure redesign for effective implementation.

About our experts

Dr. Tine Tomajic: Director of Engineering and Programs at Pipistrel, an expert in electric flight.

Dr. Guy Glutton: Associate professor at Cranfield University, specializing in aviation environmental sciences and experimental electric aircraft testing.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

SpaceX readies Starship for flight with innovative ‘chopstick’ landing technique

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Testing the Super Heavy booster for Starship's fifth test flight

SpaceX

SpaceX is making final preparations for its fifth and most ambitious Starship test flight yet. While the previous four flights all aimed to land on water in the ocean, this test will be the first to attempt a landing on a launch pad.

What is Starship?

This is the heaviest, most powerful rocket ever flown. SpaceX aims to develop it as a rapidly reusable launch vehicle that can carry a large payload into space, return to the launch pad, land, and be ready for the next mission within days or even hours. A series of test flights over the past two years has inched closer to that goal.

NASA has signed a contract with SpaceX to supply a variant of its Starship lunar lander to send astronauts to the moon's surface after late 2026. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's ultimate ambition is to send humans to Mars using Starship.

What will SpaceX attempt on its fifth test flight?

The fifth flight will likely be the first attempt to catch Starship's Super Heavy booster (the rocket's first stage) on the launch pad. SpaceX's launch tower, called Mechazilla, will eventually Grab boosters at specific points You can secure it and lower it the remaining distance to the ground later.

During the fourth test flight, the booster performed a “virtual landing” over the ocean, slowing its descent over the water's surface to simulate what would be required to capture a real swordfish, before splashing down on the water. Musk posted on X “I think we should try catching the booster with Mechazilla's arms on our next flight.”

When is it expected to be released?

The official release date has not yet been decided, Full-time test burning The first stage of the rocket was launched on July 15th and is currently unhindered by any obstacles.

Musk himself X Post on July 6th The launch is expected to take place within “four weeks,” tentatively around August 3, though it's worth keeping in mind that Musk has a history of insisting on delivery dates that haven't been met.

What has happened in Starship launches so far?

During the first test flight on April 20, 2023, three of the first stage's 33 engines failed to ignite, after which several more failed during the flight, causing the rocket to spin out of control and self-destruct.

The second test flight on November 18 of the same year continued, reaching an altitude high enough for the first and second stages to separate as planned, but exploded as the first stage rotated to begin its deceleration and landing procedure. The second stage continued safely to an altitude of about 90 miles (149 km), passing the Kármán line, which marks the beginning of the universe, but was destroyed by a safety mechanism after it stopped transmitting data before completing an orbit or returning to Earth.

The third test flight, on March 14 this year, was at least partially successful, as it reached space, performed a fuel transfer test, and flew farther and faster than ever before, but lost attitude control during the flight and failed to make a planned soft landing.

The fourth test flight, on June 6 this year, was the most successful to date, with Starship reaching an orbital altitude of more than 200 km and traveling at a speed of more than 27,000 km/h. Both the booster and upper stage made a soft landing in the ocean. There was a dramatic scene when the intense heat of Starship's re-entry into Earth's orbit caused the skin of one of its control wings to burn off, but the company said this was resolved with a new heat-resistant tile design.

What would happen if this launch were to fail?

The chances of Starship completing its mission perfectly are slim, so it's likely that it will fail in some way. But failure will provide data and experience that can be used to improve the design and processes for the sixth launch. SpaceX has shown it can iterate quickly and make great strides with each launch.

Still, the company's bold strategy of catching the booster on the launch pad puts not just the spacecraft at risk but also the hardware on the ground, meaning the fifth test flight will likely be the riskiest yet.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Cancellation of NASA’s VIPER lunar rover jeopardizes Artemis crewed landing in 2026

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VIPER won’t go to the moon after all

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA has announced that a completed rover scheduled for launch to the moon next year will be dismantled due to budgetary issues, leading researchers to question whether the space agency is really committed to landing a crewed spacecraft on the moon in 2026 as it currently claims.

The Volatile Investigation Polar Rover (VIPER) would be sent to the moon’s south pole in September 2025 to search for water ice. The rover, equipped with a drill, would search for subsurface ice in several locations on the moon, including in craters that are permanently in shadow.

But on July 17, NASA announced it was canceling the mission. “Decisions like these are never easy,” Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement. “But in this case, VIPER’s remaining projected costs would have forced us to cancel or terminate many other missions, so we have made the decision to abandon this particular mission.”

NASA has already spent $450 million on the rover, and canceling it is expected to save only $84 million. NASA says it welcomes “expressions of interest from U.S. industry and international partners” to purchase VIPER, but if this does not occur by August 1, VIPER will be dismantled with the aim of reusing its parts for future missions.

Phil Metzger Metzger of the University of Central Florida said canceling the mission would be a “huge mistake” for NASA, especially since the space agency has ambitious goals of landing humans on the moon’s south pole in 2026 as part of its Artemis program. It could also jeopardize plans to use lunar ice as a source of rocket fuel. “The rover with the drill is an absolutely essential part of the mission,” Metzger said. “It would definitely have some impact on plans for a human mission.”

The cancellation of VIPER could also give China an advantage in lunar resource exploration: The unmanned probes Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8, scheduled for 2026 and 2028, respectively, are set to head to the lunar south pole to search for water ice.

Grant Tremblay Researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said the cancellations highlight the budgetary challenges facing NASA and other U.S. government agencies, which have Funding is down 8.5% this year The funding came in just under $25 billion, less than the requested amount. “This is a perfect example of how tight the budget is across the board at NASA,” Tremblay said. “NASA can’t print money.”

Other NASA missions, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Mars Sample Return mission, which would bring rocks from Mars, are also facing cuts or cancellations due to shrinking budgets. “More bad news is sure to follow,” Tremblay said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

SpaceX Starship Launch: Fourth Test Successful with Both Stages Landing Safely in the Ocean

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Starship launched from Boca Chica, Texas.

SpaceX

SpaceX’s Starship, the largest rocket ever, successfully completed its fourth test flight, with the first and second stages completing their missions as planned and each landing in different oceans.

Following liftoff from the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas, at 7:50 a.m. local time, one of the 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy’s first stage failed to ignite. Despite this, the rocket continued into space and the two stages separated cleanly.

Super Heavy splashed down on schedule about seven minutes after liftoff, close to the launch site in the Gulf of Mexico. After plummeting to Earth from an altitude of more than 100 kilometers, the booster’s engines ignited normally and it slowed from more than 4,000 kilometers per hour to hover just a few meters above the sea surface, but then the live feed cut out and it plunged into the ocean.

Meanwhile, Starship reached an orbit at an altitude of more than 200 kilometers and traveled at a speed of more than 27,000 kilometers per hour. During its descent to Earth, about 60 kilometers above the surface, SpaceX’s livestream footage showed visible damage to one of its four control fins and what appeared to be a cracked camera lens. As it reached the Indian Ocean, it appeared to hover before plummeting into the water.

This fourth test flight focused on returning Starship from orbit after it had reached space for the first time in the previous test. SpaceX opted to perform a “soft splashdown” at sea, as landing on land is currently considered too risky. Instead, the craft would use its engines to slow its descent, align itself as if it were landing on a base, and then gently splash down on the water.

Eventually, the hope is that spacecraft will be able to be refurbished and reused by returning to land from space, as SpaceX already does with its Falcon 9 rocket.

Today’s launch marks the company’s fourth Starship launch and includes software and hardware upgrades, as well as changes to launch procedures based on lessons learned from previous tests. In the first test in April of last year, the first and second stages exploded before separating, and in another test in November, the second upper stage reached space but stopped transmitting data and self-destructed, and the first stage exploded shortly after separation.

SpaceX’s third Starship test flight on March 14 was at least partially successful, reaching space, conducting a fuel transfer test, and flying farther and faster than ever before, but the spacecraft lost control during the flight and failed to make a planned soft landing.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

First images from civilian lunar lander capture historic moon landing

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A privately built spacecraft on the moon has sent back new photos from the lunar surface. The images captured the spacecraft’s much-lauded descent and the moment it rolled over shortly after landing.

The Odysseus lander, built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, touched down on the moon on February 22, making it the first commercial ship to reach the moon’s surface and the first U.S. ship to reach the moon in more than 50 years. It made history as a spaceship.

The Odysseus Lunar Module took this image about 35 seconds after it rolled over on its approach to the landing site.
Intuitive machine via AP

The next day, Intuitive Machines announced that Odysseus had rolled over as it landed near a crater called Malapart A near the moon’s south pole. Company officials said the 14-foot-tall lander was operational, but part of the rover’s antenna was pointing toward the ground, limiting its ability to communicate with flight controllers on Earth. Ta.

with update MondayIntuitive Machines said it was continuing to communicate with the spacecraft, adding that flight controllers “will collect data until the lander’s solar panels are no longer exposed to light.”

Company officials said they expect to be able to communicate with Odysseus until Tuesday morning, based on the positions of the Earth and the moon. The lander was originally expected to spend about a week collecting data on the lunar surface before the lunar night begins and the spacecraft powers down.

In its latest update, the company announced that Odysseus’ instruments detected nine safe landing sites within the target zone near the moon’s south pole. The moon’s south pole region has long intrigued scientists because water ice is thought to be relatively abundant in permanently shadowed craters.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The US moon probe landing today carries five incredibly unusual objects

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Intuitive Machines is preparing to create history as the first private company to land on the moon following last week’s launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Nova-C lander named Odysseus (affectionately nicknamed “Odie”) is scheduled to touch down at 5:30pm ET (10:30pm GMT) and everything is proceeding as planned. This will be the first instance of an American-led mission reaching the moon since the end of the Apollo program over 50 years ago.

The mission is part of NASA’s Artemis Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) initiative, aiming to return humans to the moon by the end of this decade, led by a private company.

Since NASA’s Apollo 11 landed in 1969, several countries including the former Soviet Union, China, India, and Japan have successfully placed equipment on the moon.

Today’s “space race” is different not only because more countries are involved but also due to the private sector having a central role on the forefront. It is now possible for an individual or company with sufficient funds to place something on the moon.

The mission includes all of NASA’s key experiments, with a total of six experiments collecting data critical to NASA’s crewed Artemis missions later this decade. This leaves room for additional unique additions.

1. Puffer jacket

Columbia Sportswear has developed a lining for the Omni-Heat Infinity Jacket, designed to keep explorers warm in harsh environments, to be used on the Odie during the mission to protect the lander’s equipment from extreme temperatures.

Image credit: Intuitive Machines

2. Photos for the gram

Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus challenged students back in 2019 to capture photos of the landing from a third-person perspective, leading to the creation of the EagleCam which is poised to capture snapshots of the lunar landing.

The EagleCam is the first third-person photo camera for a landing and also serves as the first moon landing project built by a college student, it also uses WiFi on the moon.

3. Miniature satellite

Renowned American artist Jeff Koons has created 125 stainless steel sculptures depicting the moon as seen from Earth, along with an array of scientific equipment to be placed on the moon.

4. (Almost) All Human Knowledge

The Arch Mission Foundation is sending a permanent archive of human information along with the lander, ensuring that human knowledge is safely stored for posterity.

According to Intuitive Machines, the repository includes archives like the Rosetta Project, Long Now Foundation content, Project Gutenberg content, and other cultural archive datasets, and an English version of Wikipedia.

5. A very stylish file cabinet

Lone Star Data Holdings has secured a location for the Independence data center within the IM-1 mission, allowing the safe storage and transmission of documents on the moon.

When can we see the moon landing?

Coverage of the Intuitive Machine’s moon landing can be followed live through NASA’s web services from 4pm ET (9pm GMT). Live videos and comments can be accessed through NASA TV, NASA+ streaming service, or the NASA app.

About our experts

Science writer and journalist Joel Renstrom and computer scientist and author Peter Bentley provided insights for this story.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

European Space Agency predicts a dramatic crash landing for satellite on Earth

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A European satellite that is malfunctioning is expected to fall to Earth and plunge uncontrollably through the atmosphere on Wednesday.

The European Space Agency said that most of the dead satellite is anticipated to burn up in the atmosphere and any surviving debris is unlikely to cause harm. However, it is challenging to determine the exact time and location of the spacecraft’s fall.

According to the Latest blog posts, the space agency estimated that the re-entry time will be around 10:41 a.m. ET on Wednesday, which would take approximately two hours. Based on the satellite’s orbit, the spacecraft was expected to be somewhere off the coast of North America in the Pacific Ocean during that period.

The space agency explained that much of the uncertainty about the re-entry of satellites is due to the challenge of predicting atmospheric density. Changes in air density, influenced by solar activity, impact the drag experienced by objects passing through Earth’s atmosphere.

The space agency stated that although there is uncertainty about the re-entry point of the dead satellite, it is unlikely to pose a threat to populated areas.

“Most of the satellites will burn out, and the surviving debris will be scattered somewhat randomly over a ground orbit averaging hundreds of kilometers long and tens of kilometers wide (this is why the risks involved are so great). “The reason for this is low),” said an expert from the agency’s Space Debris Countermeasures Office. I wrote it in a blog post.

The spacecraft, known as European Remote Sensing 2 or ERS-2, was an Earth observation satellite that collected data about Earth’s oceans, polar caps, and surface. The space agency said the satellite, launched in April 1995, was also used to monitor severe floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters in remote areas of the world.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Odysseus Makes Historic Landing on the Moon as First Commercial Lander

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Houston-based company successfully launched a private lunar lander into space on its second attempt early Thursday morning. The spacecraft, developed by Intuitive Machines, took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:05 a.m. ET atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The original launch was scheduled for Wednesday but was canceled due to a problem with the rocket’s methane fuel. Intuitive Machines aims to land the first commercially built spacecraft on the moon, which would be the first U.S. moon landing in over 50 years. The lander, named Odysseus, will spend a week in space before attempting to settle on the moon’s surface on February 22nd. This mission comes after another company, Astrobotic Technology, attempted but failed to send a lander to the moon’s surface due to a severe fuel leak shortly after liftoff. Both Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic Technology are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Lander Services Program, designed to accelerate the development of lunar landers by private companies to deliver cargo to the lunar surface and transport scientific equipment. On its next flight, Odysseus will carry a combination of commercial cargo and NASA scientific equipment and is expected to land near the moon’s south pole. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program is part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon in the next few years. The timeline for upcoming Artemis missions has been delayed, and NASA eventually hopes to begin regular missions to the moon and build a base camp there.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Japan prepares for precision ‘lunar sniper’ landing mission

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TOKYO — Japan will attempt a precision landing on Friday, aiming to become the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the moon. This would be a boost for a space program that has been hit by a wave of setbacks and overshadowed by rival China.

was namedmoon sniper'', the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s spacecraft is attempting to land within 100 meters (328 feet) of its target, but JAXA says the technology is unprecedented and that it will It is said to be essential in the search for human habitability.

Japan is increasingly seeking to play a larger role in space, partnering with Washington to counter China's military and technological might.Japan boast In collaboration with many private space startup companies, astronaut To the moon as part of NASA's Artemis program.

However, JAXA has faced multiple setbacks, including launch failure In March, a new flagship rocket, the H3, was announced, aimed at matching cost competitiveness with private rocket providers like SpaceX.

JAXA's Smart Lander for Lunar Exploration (SLIM) spacecraft will begin its 20-minute touchdown phase on a one-way mission at midnight Saturday (15:00 GMT Friday), covering an area about two kinetic tracks on the lunar surface. Attempt to land at the target location. The slope of a crater just south of the moon's equator.

“No other country has achieved this. If Japan can prove that it has this technology, it will provide a huge advantage for future international missions like Artemis,” said Shinichiro Sakai, JAXA's SLIM project manager. said.

Chandrayaan 3 in India in August Had made The historic touchdown to the Moon's South Pole was a major technological feat considering the rugged terrain and underlines India's rise as a nation. Major players In space.

JAXA emphasizes that its high-precision technology will be a powerful tool in future exploration of the hilly lunar poles, which are considered a potential source of oxygen, fuel and water. Japan is also planning an unmanned lunar polar exploration jointly with India in 2025.

Professor Kazuto Saiki of Ritsumeikan University, who developed the SLIM near-infrared camera that analyzes lunar rocks after landing, says, “Japan cannot compete with the United States, China, and India in terms of resources when it comes to developing lunar surface projects.'' .

“We should focus on building popular technologies such as pinpoint landings and near-infrared cameras that foreign exploration projects aim to adopt.”

JAXA has twice landed on small asteroids, but landing on the moon is much more difficult due to gravity, as seen in many recent failures.

Last year, a Japanese probe to start ispace crashes into the moon RussiaThe Luna 25 followed suit. A lander from American startup Astrobotic suffered a fuel leak last week. Force Giving up a touchdown attempt.

“Mistakes happen, but Japan is a very experienced space power and has been conducting very complex space operations for many years,” said Bredin Bowen, an associate professor at the University of Leicester who specializes in space policy. To tell.

“Japan may not be as big as the old United States or the Soviet Union or today's China, but it has always been there in terms of capability and niche advanced technology.''

SLIM's high-precision landing “won't be a game changer,” but its demonstration and the construction of lightweight spacecraft that Japan has been pursuing could reduce the cost of each mission and bring moonshots to space agencies around the world. Bowen added that there is.

JAXA says it will take up to a month to verify whether SLIM achieved its high-precision goals after touchdown.

Upon landing, SLIM will also deploy two mini-probes, a hopping vehicle the size of a microwave oven and a wheeled rover the size of a baseball, to take photos of the spacecraft. The robot was jointly developed by technology giant Sony Group, toy maker Takara Tomy, and several Japanese universities.


Source: www.nbcnews.com

Anduril Introduces Road Runner: A Fighter Weapon with Falcon 9-Like Landing Capabilities

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Leading defense technology startup Anduril has developed a new product designed to address the proliferation of low-cost, high-power aviation threats.

The product, called Roadrunner, is a low-cost, designed, modular, twin-jet-powered, autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Anduril is also developing a variant called the Road Runner Munition, or Road Runner M, which is a “high-explosive bomb interceptor.” This means it can also carry warheads and destroy air threats defensively.

The Roadrunner is unusual in both appearance and abilities. It can take off, track and destroy targets. When there is no need to intercept a target, the vehicle can autonomously maneuver back to base, refuel and reuse. As Chris Brose, Anduril’s chief strategy officer, said in a recent interview, “We’ve developed a fighter weapon that basically lands like a Falcon 9.”

The product was built in response to the rise of high-speed, autonomous air weapons that can be produced in large quantities and at very low cost, a new type of threat, Brose said. Unlike other current solutions and previous legacy missile systems, the Roadrunner-M is also reusable.

“In my opinion, this is the first retrievable weapon ever deployed in combat,” Brose said. “That’s really great. The ability to introduce […] If it is not actually used in an operation to kill another drone, it can be recovered and reused, completely changing the way operators fight with this feature. Currently, they have a limited number of interceptors and cannot take them back if they decide to launch an attack. ”

According to Anduril, there are several other major improvements compared to previous systems. These are: a reduction in launch and takeoff time, a threefold increase in the warhead payload, a tenfold increase in the effective firing range, and a threefold increase in maneuverability in terms of gravitational acceleration. Like Andruil’s other family of systems, Roadrunner-M can be controlled by Lattice, Andruil’s AI-powered command and control software, or integrated into existing architectures.

Another big benefit is for operators. When faced with a fast-moving threat, Roadrunner can launch instantly, image it, and receive a signal to engage or not. The products are reusable and recoverable, allowing operators to act without fear of losing valuable assets.

Brose said the company has been working in tandem with unnamed U.S. government partners since it began designing the Roadrunner about two years ago.

“[National defense] A lot of times, the stereotype is right that it’s just very dull, very slow, very unimaginative, very unexciting,” Brose said. “As a company, Anduril is the antithesis of that, and Roadrunner embodies the kind of excitement that we believe exists in national defense, and I think we’re very keen to bring that back.”

Source: techcrunch.com