International Space Station

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit announces to fire 85% of its workforce

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit is letting go of almost its entire work force with the satellite launch company finding it difficult to secure funding three months after a failed mission. The company, headquartered in Long Beach, California, will cut 675 jobs, about 85% of its workforce, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Earlier this month Virgin Orbit said that it was pausing all operations amid reports of possible job cuts. At the time the company confirmed that it was putting all work on hold, but didn't say for how long. In January, a mission by Virgin Orbit to launch the first satellites into orbit from Europe failed after a rocket's upper stage prematurely shut down. It was a setback in the United Kingdom which had hoped that the launch from Cornwall in southwest England would mark the beginning of more commercial opportunities for the U.K. space industry. The company said in February that an investigation found that its rocket's

Indian-origin engineer to lead NASA's latest Moon to Mars Programme

Amit Kshatriya, a decorated Indian-American software and robotics engineer was appointed as the first head of NASA's newly-established Moon to Mars Programme that will help the agency ensure a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity's next giant leap to the Red Planet. Kshatriya will serve as NASA's first head of the office, with immediate effect, the agency announced on Thursday. The new office aims to carry out the agency's human exploration activities on the Moon and Mars for the benefit of humanity, a NASA press release said. The golden age of exploration is happening right now, and this new office will help ensure that NASA successfully establishes a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity's next giant leap to the Red Planet," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The Moon to Mars Programme Office will help prepare NASA to carry out our bold missions to the Moon and land the first humans on Mars, Nelson explained. The new office resides within t

NASA-SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts dock safely at ISS after hour-long delay

NASA-SpaceX's Crew-6 astronauts arrived safely at the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, after a 26-hour journey

SpaceX launches four astronauts from US, Russia, and UAE to space station

SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Thursday, including the first person from the Arab world going up for an extended monthslong stay. The Falcon rocket bolted from Kennedy Space Center shortly after midnight, illuminating the night sky as it headed up the East Coast.. Nearly 80 spectators from the United Arab Emirates watched from the launch site as astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi only the second Emirati to fly to space blasted off on his six-month mission. Half a world away in Dubai and elsewhere across the UAE, schools and offices planned to broadcast the launch live. Also riding the Dragon capsule that's due at the space station on Friday: NASA's Stephen Bowen, a retired Navy submariner who logged three space shuttle flights, and Warren Woody Hoburg, a former research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and space newbie, and Andrei Fedyaev, a space rookie who's retired from the Russian Air Force. The first attempt to launc

Russia launches rescue ship for two cosmonauts to space station after leaks

Russia launched a rescue ship on Friday for two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut whose original ride home sprang a dangerous leak while parked at the International Space Station. The new, empty Soyuz capsule should arrive at the orbiting lab on Sunday. The capsule leak in December was blamed on a micrometeorite that punctured an external radiator, draining it of coolant. The same thing appeared to happen again earlier this month, this time on a docked Russian cargo ship. Camera views showed a small hole in each spacecraft. The Russian Space Agency delayed the launch of the replacement Soyuz, looking for any manufacturing defects. No issues were found, and the agency proceeded with Friday's predawn launch from Kazakhstan of the capsule with bundles of supplies strapped into the three seats. Given the urgent need for this capsule, two top NASA officials travelled from the US to observe the launch in person. To everyone's relief, the capsule safely reached orbit nine minutes after lift

Nasa astronauts successfully install new roll-out solar array on ISS

NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio have successfully installed Roll-Out Solar Array on the starboard truss structure of the space station

Start-ups line up for space glory, but still very far from 'SpaceX moment'

Roughly 70% of these start-ups were launched after 2020; of $245 mn that the sector has received in last seven years, $198 mn came after 2020

Global space cooperation integral part of Indian space programme: Offficial

Global space cooperation is an integral part of India's space programme, a top Indian space scientist has said and supported the idea of nations coming together to replicate the International Space Station for another outpost in space. In this entire journey of the Indian space programme, global space cooperation has always been an integral part, Krunal Joshi who is currently a counsellor, Space (ISRO) at the Embassy of India told a recent ASCEND Conference. Participating in two-panel discussions at the prestigious ASCEND conference, hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in Las Vegas from October 24 to October 26, Joshi told the space scientific community that India has launched more than 350 satellites from 33 countries. In the 1960s, India dedicated Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station to the UN and a variety of research and launch experiments were done from here. India today has more than 230 agreements with over 55 countries and five ...

SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts splash down in Atlantic after 170 days in orbit

NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts, who spent 170 days in orbit aboard the Dragon spacecraft, completed the agency's fourth commercial crew mission to the International Space Station

Russian cosmonaut launched to space from US, first time in 20 years

For the first time in 20 years, a Russian cosmonaut rocketed from the U.S. on Wednesday, launching to the International Space Station alongside NASA and Japanese astronauts despite tensions over the war in Ukraine. Their SpaceX flight was delayed by Hurricane Ian, which ripped across the state last week. I hope with this launch we will brighten up the skies over Florida a little bit for everyone, said the Japan Space Agency's Koichi Wakata, who is making his fifth spaceflight. Joining him on a five-month mission are three new to space: Marine Col. Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman bound for orbit; Navy Capt. Josh Cassada and Russia's lone female cosmonaut, Anna Kikina. They're due to arrive at the space station Thursday, 29 hours after departing NASA's Kennedy Space Center, and won't be back on Earth until March. They're replacing a U.S.-Italian crew that arrived in April. Kikina is the Russian Space Agency's exchange for NASA's Frank Rubio, who launched to the space ..

Nasa to use SpaceX's Dragon to boost Hubble telescope to higher orbit

The deal signed by NASA and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. called for collaborating on a feasibility study of such a mission, though NASA has yet to commit to such a flight.

International Space Station gets 3 new residents after Russian launch

The International Space Station welcomed three new residents Wednesday following a smooth Russian launch. The Soyuz capsule rocketed into orbit from Kazakhstan and, just three hours later, pulled up at the space station. American Frank Rubio checked in for a six-month stay along with Russians Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. Rubio, a doctor and former Army parachutist from Miami, rode up on the Soyuz under a new crew swap agreement between the two countries. The agreement was finalized in July despite tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine, a sign of continuing Russia-US cooperation in space. Under this cash-free barter, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina will fly SpaceX to the space station from Florida in less than two weeks. NASA and the Russian Space Agency want to keep exchanging seats like this to ensure a constant US and Russian presence at the space station. NASA astronauts routinely launched on Russian Soyuz rockets for tens of millions of dollars apiece until SpaceX start

NASA, Axiom Space signs pact for sending private astronauts to ISS in 2023

NASA and American space infrastructure developer Axiom Space have signed a pact for the second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, to take place in the second quarter of 2023

Russia to replace International Space Station after 2024: Roscosmos

Russia is looking into potential projects to replace the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024 and is currently working on extending the operation of the ISS past 2024.

Russia to partner with International Space Station till at least 2028

Russia may not be leaving the International Space Station (ISS) partnership with US space agency NASA at least till 2028, as hinted earlier, according to a media report

After Russian withdrawal, what next for International Space Station?

The International Space Station was a symbol of post-Cold War peace and cooperation, and the Russian announcement of withdrawal after 2024 signifies the reversal of that cooperation

Russia will withdraw from International Space Station project after 2024

The decision comes amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West over the Kremlin's military action in Ukraine

Boeing's Starliner capsule docks with space station in uncrewed flight test

Starliner lifted off on Thursday atop an Atlas V rocket furnished by the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA)

Wealthy nations carve up space and its riches, leave others behind

In the not-so-distant future, the ability to extract resources from the Moon and asteroids could become a major point of difference between the space haves and have-nots.

SpaceX brings 4 astronauts home with midnight splashdown

The three U.S. astronauts and one German in the capsule were bobbing off the Florida coast, near Tampa, less than 24 hours after leaving the International Space Station