Archive for February, 2016

Know When to Hold’em: SpaceX Scrubs Again (Update)

Know When to Hold’em: SpaceX Scrubs Again (Update)

  After considering a Tuesday evening launch, SpaceX has now reset SES-9 to Friday due to wind shear at high altitudes. Pushing launch to Friday due to extreme high altitude wind shear. Hits like a sledgehammer when going up supersonic pic.twitter.com/Gr8T5upaLd — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 1, 2016 Original story: Sometimes, it just isn’t your […]

Posted in: SpaceX
SpaceX Now Counting Down to Sunday Evening Launch

SpaceX Now Counting Down to Sunday Evening Launch

Although there has been little official word regarding the exact cause of last Thursday’s launch scrub, SpaceX and SES are now targeting this evening at 6:46 pm ET for launch of the SES-9 mission. While the launch window runs to 8:20 pm, the expectations are that if the Falcon 9 Full Thrust does not lift […]

Posted in: SpaceX
Gorgeous Milky Way Image from the European Southern Observatory

Gorgeous Milky Way Image from the European Southern Observatory

Innerspace is happy to resume its traditional nod to “Science Friday” and end the work week with stunning images from the European Southern Observatory. Sometimes nothing fuels the passion to get on with the exploration of space than to take a moment and contemplate just how beautiful it can be. From the ESO: A spectacular […]

SpaceX Lands Five More Cargo Missions to ISS in NASA Award

SpaceX Lands Five More Cargo Missions to ISS in NASA Award

  SpaceX has picked up NASA orders for five more commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station, according to an article in Space News. The agreement, which was signed in December, bring the total number of Dragon missions to ISS under the original CRS-1 contract to 20. The original order called for 12 flights, […]

“Hold, Hold, Hold”: SpaceX SES-9 Launch Scrubbed

“Hold, Hold, Hold”: SpaceX SES-9 Launch Scrubbed

After foregoing a launch attempt on the first day of a two day window, the SpaceX SES-9 was scrubbed at T-1:41 on the countdown clock Thursday evening. Based on flight commentary by SpaceX’s John Insprucker, initial indications seemed to suggest that the launch team actually ran out of time in the effort to conduct propellant […]

Posted in: SpaceX
New Day, New Play: SpaceX Counting Down to Falcon 9 Launch, Possible Landing

New Day, New Play: SpaceX Counting Down to Falcon 9 Launch, Possible Landing

After delaying the launch for 24 hours to allow the maximum possible densification of super chilled liquid oxygen propellant, SpaceX is once again counting down to the launch of the SES-9 mission to geostationary orbit. The launch window opens at 6:46 PM Eastern, with the launch broadcast beginning approximately 20 minutes earlier. This will be […]

Posted in: SpaceX
NASA Concept: 30% Light Speed in 10 Minutes With Photonic Propulsion

NASA Concept: 30% Light Speed in 10 Minutes With Photonic Propulsion

A paper submitted to the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society by Philip Lubin of the UC Santa Barbara Physics Department last April, is suddenly drawing a great deal of attention, in part because it resulted in a NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) award. The title of the paper, A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight, and of […]

Posted in: Advanced propulsion
German, Japanese Space Programs Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement

German, Japanese Space Programs Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement

The German and Japanese Space agencies have announced a strategic partnership agreement which seeks to leverage both nations’ technological expertise to strengthen commercial and scientific space efforts. Among the items specifically cited in the press release is research into reusable launchers. DLR and JAXA strengthen cooperation JAXA Press Release: Today (25 February 2016), the German […]

“Remember the Cant” : Cassini Captures Stunning View of Three Water Rich Moons at Saturn

“Remember the Cant” : Cassini Captures Stunning View of Three Water Rich Moons at Saturn

  NASA released this photo of three of Saturn’s moons yesterday. The image, which was taken by the Cassini spacecraft in December shows Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas cast against the absurdly photogenic backdrop of Saturn’s rings. The original caption was “Three Times the Fun,” but perhaps it could also hae been called “Three Times the […]

Paragon Aims for 98% Water Recovery on ISS

Paragon Aims for 98% Water Recovery on ISS

Paragon Space Development Corporation Press Release:  Paragon Space Development Corporation® Wins NASA ISS Water Processor Development Contract TUCSON, AZ (February 22, 2016) – NASA has awarded Paragon with a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract for the patented Ionomer-membrane Water Processor (IWP) System. IWP will provide the platform for up to 98% water […]

Posted in: ISS, NASA
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