Space – Lifeboat News: The Blog

Feb 5
2020

Virgin Orbit nearing first launch

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Virgin Orbit says it is weeks away from the first orbital launch of its LauncherOne rocket as the company makes plans to move quickly into operations if that flight is successful.

The company said in a series of tweets Jan. 31 that is in final preparations for its test launch, with the LauncherOne rocket attached to its Boeing 747 aircraft for a final series of tests and dress rehearsals at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. That includes a captive carry flight, where the plane will take off with the rocket attached for the entire flight.

The company didn’t disclose when that launch would take place beyond that it was “really close” to being ready for the flight. Dan Hart, chief executive of Virgin Orbit, said that launch would take place in the “coming weeks” during a panel discussion at the SmallSat Symposium here Feb. 4.

Feb 5
2020

NASA astronaut to set new female space record

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is set to complete the longest-ever single spaceflight by a woman.

When she returns to Earth on Thursday, Koch will have spent 328 days on the International Space Station (ISS), surpassing the previous record held by fellow American Peggy Whitson.

Ms Koch will come back in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, parachuting down to a landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Feb 5
2020

Pluto’s icy heart makes winds blow

A “beating heart” of frozen nitrogen controls Pluto’s winds and may give rise to features on its surface, according to a new study.

Feb 4
2020

Expanded Partnership with SES to Give Princess Cruises First Access to Ground-Breaking O3b mPOWER Satellite-Based Communications System

Princess Cruises to host a series of events in 2020 to demonstrate elite global connectivity.

LUXEMBOURG & SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Princess Cruises, a leading brand of the Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), has announced a new dimension in its connectivity partnership with SES (PAR/LuxSE: SESG) and will become the first global cruise ship fleet with early access to SES’s ground-breaking O3b mPOWER network augmenting the Princess MedallionClass™ experience as it scales across the fleet.

SES is enabling global, high-performance connectivity to Princess Cruises using its hybrid medium earth orbit (MEO) and geostationary (GEO) network. The combination of the globally-deployed Princess MedallionClass ships, the Ocean Guest Experience “Cloud Connected” Platform and SES’s multi-constellations satellite network not only creates unmatched and ubiquitous global Wi-Fi service levels, but ensures seamless land/sea digital experience enablement including OceanView® TV (OTT, Mobile and VOD) and is disrupting the traditional commodity satellite bandwidth model.

Feb 2
2020

Asteroid Mining Could Become a Reality in the Next Coming Years

Any nation invested on this will be able to create its own trillionares!

There’s been a lot of fuss of late about asteroid mining and what it could mean for us Earthlings. But what will it take to make this happen, and should we even be doing it?

Feb 2
2020

The design secrets NASA’s using to keep astronauts happy in space

Have always been fascinated with architecture, design, space, travel, and technology.

Big windows, fresh fruit and regular phone calls home help manage the mental health of astronauts on the International Space Station. But missions to Mars on beyond will require a whole new approach to how spaceships are designed.

Feb 1
2020

Incredible NASA visualizations reveal universe as you have never seen it before

NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory is altering our perspective on the cosmos — and it is beautiful.

Feb 1
2020

Skylab: First U.S. Space Station

Skylab represented the United States’ first effort at long human space missions.

Feb 1
2020

Our #Mars2020 rover is almost ready for its mission to the Red Planet

The only thing missing? A name! Calling:

🎒 K-12 students: Name the rover! 📋 Not K-12? Judge the contest! 🗓️ Entry closes Nov.

Learn how YOU can impact our new Martian mission: https://go.nasa.gov/2Jorflp

Feb 1
2020

Iron Sky

;-;

Directed by Timo Vuorensola. With Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Götz Otto, Udo Kier. The Nazis set up a secret base on the dark side of the moon in 1945 where they hide out and plan to return to power in 2018.