Civil
U.S., China set for spring Civil Space Dialogue on exploration, science
U.S. and Chinese officials are working towards meeting for a bilateral Civil Space Dialogue around March in the first such discussion since 2017.
NASA considering extended Crew Dragon test flight to ISS
NASA will decide in the coming weeks whether to extend a crewed SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station, a move that could help alleviate a crew time crunch on the station.
SpaceX performs in-flight abort test of Crew Dragon spacecraft
SpaceX successfully tested the abort system of its Crew Dragon spacecraft Jan. 19, one of the final milestones before a crewed test flight that could take place as soon as this spring.
SpaceX to test Crew Dragon launch abort system
NASA and SpaceX are ready to perform a test of the launch abort system of the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft that will also serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts for upcoming crewed flights of the vehicle.
Arianespace launches Eutelsat, ISRO satellites on first 2020 mission
WASHINGTON — European launch provider Arianespace completed its first launch of the year Jan. 16, sending two communications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits.
ESA seeks new cooperative agreement with EU
With its funding secured for the next three years, the head of the European Space Agency is now focused on implementing those key programs while establishing a new cooperative agreement with the European Union.
NOAA signals strong appetite for radio occultation
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeks to dramatically increase the supply of radio occultation soundings it feeds into weather forecast models.
Orbital debris mitigation guidelines still useful, if complied with
A long-standing guideline for deorbiting satellites within 25 years, criticized by many in the space industry for being too long, is still effective for reducing the growth of orbital debris so long as satellite operators abide by it, according to an orbital debris expert.
Weather experts call for further dialogue to limit 5G impact on weather forecasting
The international weather community has not given up the fight to protect certain portions of the radio frequency spectrum from 5G interference.
NOAA set to update space weather fleet
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is preparing to update its aging space weather fleet.
Dynetics, Sierra Nevada bidding on Artemis lunar lander
A team led by Dynetics that includes Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is among the bidders for a NASA program to develop landers that will carry astronauts to the surface of the moon.
House panel approves space weather bill
The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology approved legislation to coordinate federal government space weather research, forecasting and operations.
First SLS core stage ready for shipment
The first core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System finally rolled out of its factory Jan. 8, ready to be shipped to a NASA center for a key series of tests in the coming months.
NASA postpones procurement of lander for VIPER lunar rover
NASA has delayed the release of a task order that’s part of its commercial lunar lander program for the delivery of a rover at the south pole of the moon, a decision some lander companies have quietly welcomed.
Cubesats gain broader acceptance for astrophysics missions
As one astronomy cubesat reaches the end of its mission, scientists and NASA officials argue that such spacecraft have demonstrated they can perform useful science often not feasible with larger missions.
Joint NASA-Boeing team to investigate Starliner test flight anomaly
NASA and Boeing will cooperate on an investigation into a timer anomaly that cut short December’s uncrewed test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft as NASA weighs whether to require another such test flight.
