Space Exploration

The Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), a key instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) has successfully passed all its functional tests including subsystems and mechanisms, Airbus said. The NIRSpec commissioning team, including experts from Airbus, performed the required tests as Webb continues cooling down to cryogenic temperatures.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts safely returned to Earth aboard the Dragon Endurance spacecraft in the Gulf of Mexico, completing the agency’s third long-duration commercial crew mission to the ISS, spending 177 days in orbit. NASA astronauts Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer were recovered by SpaceX recovery vessels after a parachute-assisted splashdown

NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), who has a 20% share of the program and its costs, will conclude the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) mission, after a successful eight years of science, NASA announced. The observatory will end operations by the end of September this year.

The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) proudly presented the 2022 IAF Young Space Leaders. The Young Space Leaders Recognition Programme awards exceptional students and young professionals who contribute to astronautics, the IAF said. These young people share knowledge and experiences with their peers and communities.

China is planning to set up a lunar communication and navigation satellite constellation around the Moon to aid future operations on the lunar surface, CNSA said. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that China will take the lead in demonstrating a lunar relay satellite system.

Firefly says it has completed the Integration Readiness Review (IRR) of Blue Ghost M1, during which the team achieved key progress milestones across multiple areas. These include propulsion, core avionics, battery production, harness production, and facilities readiness to support lander integration.

Crew Dragon Freedom has successfully docked to the ISS, carrying ESA astronaut and mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti and NASA astronauts  Kjell Lindgren (commander), Robert Hines (pilot) and Jessica Watkins (mission specialist). The crew has begun a six-month-long science mission as part of Expedition 67 and later Expedition 68.

SpaceWatch.Global is pleased to present: The Space Cafe Podcast #053: ESA director Géraldine Naja on the commercialization of ESA, the Russian absence, and why ESA might just be waiting for your job application. The European Space Agency (ESA) has set sail to begin commercial operations. But what does that mean?

Japanese start-up ispace’s futuristic lunar lander is taking shape in ArianeGroup’s clean room after four years of the program’s launch. The project is scheduled to launch to the lunar surface at the end of this year. Under the agreement signed by the two companies, ArianeGroup supplies the components for the propulsion system.

Astrobotic unveiled the flight model of its Peregrine lunar lander that will fly to the Moon on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket in Q4 2022 as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Peregrine’s unveiling took place at Astrobotic’s headquarters in Pittsburgh with Congressman Matt Cartwright, NASA’s Bill Nelson, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, and James Reuter attending.