Experts explored how storytelling, entertainment‑industry practices, and other more artistic careers can influence engineering, and vice versa. Danica Vallone, Board Member and Founder, Organization for Space Medicine, Engineering, and Design; Ted Southern, Softgoods Division Manager for Paragon Space Development; and Brook Willard, Vice President of Development, Making Space Agency, took the stage to describe how science and art can inform each other.
Tag: In Space
Orbiting Satellite Reorients Itself Using AI-Powered Controller
SPACE reports an AI-powered controller on an orbiting satellite executed real-world attitude adjustments in space, “for the first time,” showing that AI can fly satellites autonomously.
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NASA’s Lucy Probe Beams Back Pictures from Latest Asteroid Flyby
AP News reports, “NASA’s Lucy spacecraft has beamed back pictures from its latest asteroid flyby, revealing a long, lumpy, odd-shaped space rock. The space agency released the images Monday, a day after the close approach. It was considered a dress rehearsal for the more critical asteroid encounters ahead closer to Jupiter.”
Full Story (AP News)
US Space Force Develops Framework for War Fighting in Space
SPACE reports that the U.S. Space Force now has an official “Space Warfighting” doctrine outlining how the service “can train and prepare units” for a war fought in space. “The document ‘establishes a common lexicon for counterspace operations’ and lays out a ‘range of responsible offensive and defensive actions Guardians may employ to maintain control of space’ and ensure the success of the U.S. military, according to a Space Force statement.”
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NASA’s Stuck Astronauts Are Finally On Their Way Back to Earth After 9 Months in Space
AP News reports, “NASA’s two stuck astronauts headed back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams bid farewell to the International Space Station — their home since last spring — departing aboard a SpaceX capsule alongside two other astronauts. The capsule undocked in the wee hours and aimed for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening, weather permitting.”
Full Story (AP News)
India to Launch European Proba-3 Satellites on Dec. 5 to Create Artificial Eclipses in Space
SPACE reports, “A European mission that will use two satellites to create artificial eclipses in Earth orbit will launch early Thursday morning (Dec. 5) … The ESA’s Proba-3 formation-flying mission is scheduled to lift off atop an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Center on Thursday at 5:42 a.m. EST (1042 GMT; 4:42 p.m. local time in India).”
Full Story (SPACE)
India to Launch European Proba-3 Satellites on Dec. 5 to Create Artificial Eclipses in Space
SPACE reports, “A European mission that will use two satellites to create artificial eclipses in Earth orbit will launch early Thursday morning (Dec. 5) … The ESA’s Proba-3 formation-flying mission is scheduled to lift off atop an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Center on Thursday at 5:42 a.m. EST (1042 GMT; 4:42 p.m. local time in India).”
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China Moving at ‘Breathtaking Speed” In Final Frontier According to Space Force
SPACE reports that China is ratcheting up its space capabilities at an impressive clip, with an eye toward potentially ending the United States’ long-held space supremacy, U.S. officials say. “Since 2018, China has more than tripled their on-orbit intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites,” said Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, on Tuesday at the 39th Space Symposium.
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Russian Cosmonaut Breaks World Record for Most Cumulative Time Spent in Space
The AP reports that Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has “broken the world record for the most cumulative time spent in space, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos reported Sunday.” According to the AP, Kononenko has “now spent more than 878 days and 12 hours in space, surpassing fellow Russian Gennady Padalka, who set the previous record of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds in 2015.” By the end of his current expedition, Kononenko is “expected to become the first person to accumulate 1,000 days in space.”
Full Story (Associated Press)
NASA’s Lucy Probe to Fire Engines in Space for First Time
SPACE reports that NASA’s asteroid-hopping Lucy mission “is finally getting fired up in space for its trip to the never-before-explored Trojan asteroids, which follow Jupiter as it orbits the sun.” On Wednesday (Jan. 31), the Lucy spacecraft “will fire its main engines off-Earth for the first time since its launch in Aug. 2021.” The firing of Lucy’s main engines “will see the spacecraft burn through around half of its onboard fuel.” This will be “followed by a second, larger maneuver, which NASA says is currently set for Saturday (Feb. 3).” The aim “of these two early 2024 operations is to change Lucy’s velocity by around 2,000 miles per hour (3,217 kilometers per hour).”
Full Story (SPACE)