Tag Archives: Nasa

Join us in this episode of Space Cafe Podcast as Markus Mooslechner talks with Andy Rivkin about the thrilling DART mission. As its Lead Investigator, Rivkin offers a rare glimpse into the world of planetary defense, sharing the intricate dance between meticulously executed plans and the unpredictable nature of space exploration. From the collision course with Dimorphos to the anticipation of Hera's future findings, Rivkin’s narrative is a testament to human ingenuity and our relentless pursuit of cosmic knowledge.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. has announced the closing of another tranche of financing, valuing the company at $1.5 billion pre-money. Existing investors led the round, including AE Industrial Partners, LP, as well as new investors, including Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Firefly has consequently raised approximately $300 million in funding since February 2023.

Imagine that we are part of a group responsible for planning a space journey, and our primary guiding principle is to use biomimicry as a tool to inspire the solutions we will need to develop. "Biomimicry involves solving problems by studying and emulating natural processes. For example, the design of whale-inspired wind turbines draws inspiration from the humpback whale." These studies have been done through the observation of behaviors and characteristics of all types of living creatures living in this world.  It holds the key to billions of years of research and development of sustainable, circular, and regenerative solutions.

Firefly Aerospace, an American aerospace firm, announced on the 8th of November a new agreement with Fleet Space Technologies, an Australian space exploration firm. Firefly will deliver and operate Fleet’s Seismic Payload for Interplanetary Discovery, Exploration, and Research (SPIDER) on the far side of the Moon. 

Euclid, a wide-angle space telescope launched in July 2023, after a period of testing and calibrating has released the first images. Euclide is a European mission, built and operated by ESA, with contributions from NASA. The Euclid Consortium – consisting of more than 2000 scientists from 300 institutes across 13 European countries, the US, Canada and Japan – is providing the scientific instruments and scientific data analysis. 

Sierra Space has announced the completion of its first  Dream Chaser spaceplane, which will ship to NASA’s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio for environmental testing in the coming weeks. Sierra Space was able to develop the spaceplace through a substantial contract from NASA to resupply the International Space Station. The Pureplay commercial space company intends the Dream Chaser to lead the way in democratizing access to space, forging a path towards joint space exploration and international cooperation.

The Netherlands has become the newest and 31st signatory to the Artemis Accords, signing the document during a ceremony at the Dutch Ambassador’s Residence in Washington on Wednesday. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Netherlands Space Office (NSO) director Harm van de Wetering signed on behalf of the Netherlands.

Astrobotic announced on the 31st of October that the Peregrine lunar lander has arrived safely in Cape Canaveral Florida. The spacecraft was unloaded at Astrotech facilities where it will be integrated with the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan for launch on 24 December later this year. 

NASA, on behalf of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), has awarded a delivery order under the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition IV (Rapid-IV) contract to Southwest Research Institute of San Antonio for the QuickSounder spacecraft. Furthermore, the total value of the order is $54 million, with the period of performance beginning Wednesday, Oct. 25, and scheduled to run until May 2029.

Fugro's Space Automation, AI and Robotics Control Complex (SpAARC) in Perth, Western Australia (WA), is to receive an additional AUD 5 million in funding from the WA Government. Roger Cook, the WA Premier, made the announcement at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth on the morning of the opening of IPSEC 2023, Perth’s Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference for leaders in space and cross-sector technologies.