January 2014

Hello, Newton: Virgin Galactic unveils its ‘other’ rocket engine

January 23rd, 2014|Categories: News, Photography|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

MOJAVE, Calif. — Even as Virgin Galactic is testing the hybrid rocket motor that powers its SpaceShipTwo suborbital space plane, it's developing a different rocket engine for orbital flights. Now the company is taking the wraps off that kerosene-fueled powerhouse, known as the Newton. Two types of Newton engines have [...]

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Sleeping Rosetta spacecraft wakes up for historic comet rendezvous and landing

January 21st, 2014|Categories: News, Photography|Tags: , , , , , , , |

A European probe awoke from a deep sleep Monday to gear up for an unprecedented comet rendezvous and landing this year that will cap a 10-year voyage across the solar system. After two and a half years in hibernation, the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft emerged from its slumber while [...]

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Space Fishing: Japan to test ‘magnetic net’ for space junk

January 15th, 2014|Categories: News, Photography|Tags: , , , , , , |

Japan’s space agency is subcontracting a fishing net company to develop a technology to clean up the space junk that poses a direct threat to Earth’s communication networks. The mission is planned for 2019, with first tests scheduled for this February. Tokyo’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Nitto Seimo Co, [...]

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Cygnus arrives at International Space Station

January 13th, 2014|Categories: News, Photography|Tags: , , , , , |

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. – Christmas has finally arrived for the six space station astronauts. A privately launched supply ship reached the International Space Station on Sunday morning, three days after blasting off from Virginia. The space station crew used a hefty robot arm to capture the Cygnus capsule as the [...]

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