Satellite News

With a loud roar and mighty column of flame, NASA and ATK Aerospace Systems successfully completed a two-minute, full-scale test of the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight. The motor is potentially transferable to future heavy-lift launch vehicle designs.The stationary firing of the first-stage development solid rocket motor, dubbed DM-2,

NASA will hold a media teleconference Thursday, 26th Aug, at 1 p.m. to discuss the Kepler spacecraft's latest discovery about an intriguing planetary system.Kepler Spacecraft, a space observatory, looks for the data signatures of planets by measuring tiny decreases in the brightness of stars when the planets cross in front of, or transit, them. In June, mission scien

Global plant productivity that once was on the rise with warming temperatures and a lengthened growing season is now on the decline because of regional drought according to a new study of NASA satellite data.Plant productivity is a measure of the rate of the photosynthesis process that green plants use to convert solar energy, carbon dioxide and water to sugar, oxyge

NASA is collaborating with award-winning recording artist Mary J. Blige to encourage young women to pursue exciting experiences and career choices by studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). A public service announcement featuring veteran NASA space shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin and Blige debuts this week on NASA TV and the agency's websit

NASA will host LAUNCH: Health, a global forum focusing on health issues, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida from Oct. 30-31. NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State, and NIKE are partnering on LAUNCH to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to sustainability challenges through a series of forums.LA

NASA is hosting a forum to present an overview of common themes captured from industry responses to NASA's Commercial Crew Initiative Request For Information (RFI). The forum is scheduled for 9 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 19 at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, Washington.The RFI, issued on May 21, collected information from industry to help NASA plan the overall st

NASA will host media in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Houston on Tuesday, Aug. 31, for a behind-the-scenes look at the agency's major airborne campaign studying Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico hurricanes. The campaign, called the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission, or GRIP, starts next week.Scientists will spend six weeks flying NASA research aircraft

For the first time, twin brothers are slated to be in space simultaneously early next year. Mark Kelly will be in command of the last scheduled space shuttle flight, and Scott Kelly in command of the International Space Station.The Kelly brothers will be available for live satellite interviews between 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. CDT Tuesday, Aug. 17. Scott Kelly is scheduled

NASA has selected Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies of Greenbelt, Md., to provide the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., with computing support services for complex information technology (IT) systems and applications.The five-year maximum value of the Langley Research Center Information Technology Enhanced Services (LITES) task order contract is $183 mi

NASA has selected the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) in Norfolk, Va., for the Launch Facilities Protection Project at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va. The total contract value is not to exceed $49.5 million. The period of performance is five years.The United States Army Corp of Engineers provides an array of services that will

NASA has announced a second opportunity for the small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned to launch in 2011 and 2012. These CubeSats could be auxiliary cargo on previously planned missions.CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft is called Nanosatellites. The cube-shaped satellites are approximately four inches long, have a volume of about one quart and w

The first of two spacewalks by NASA astronauts to replace a failed ammonia pump on the International Space Station has been moved to Saturday, Aug. 7. A second spacewalk is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 11, to complete the repairs.Teams of flight controllers, engineers, and spacewalk experts have made significant progress in preparing for the first spacewalk, but need

The first of two spacewalks by NASA astronauts to replace a unsuccessful ammonia pump on the International Space Station has been delayed by 24 hours to Friday, Aug. 6. A second spacewalk is planned for Monday, Aug. 9, to complete the repairs.Flight controllers and station managers made the decision Monday night after reviewing proposed timelines, final procedures fo

NASA will hold a media teleconference on Thursday, Aug. 5, at 3 p.m. EDT to discuss its upcoming airborne research campaign into hurricane behavior.The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission, or GRIP, will study how hurricanes are created and why they can intensify rapidly. The mission involves three NASA research aircraft based in Florida, Texas, and Ca

NASA mission controllers have not heard from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit since March 22, and the rover is facing its toughest challenge yet - trying to survive the harsh Martian winter. The rover team anticipated Spirit would go into a low-power "hibernation" mode since the rover was not able to get to a favorable slope for its fourth Martian winter, which runs