Tag: Cislunar space
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U.S. Space Force Urged to Expand Planning for Cislunar Operations, Vice Chief Says
The U.S. Space Force needs to think more seriously about its future role in operations on and around the moon, even as its small size and near-term priorities have constrained long-term planning, Vice Chief of Space Operations Shawn Bratton said this week. Speaking on Jan. 21 at an event hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg…
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Spaceflight Inc. unveils a new breed of orbital tug that’s built for far-out missions
An artist’s conception shows the Sherpa-ES orbital transfer vehicle. (Spaceflight Inc. Graphic) When a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sends a robotic lander to the moon’s south pole, perhaps as early as next year, Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. plans to make a few extra deliveries with its own piggyback spacecraft. The mission, known as GEO Pathfinder, will…
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White House gets pushback on plan to phase out space station funding by 2025
The International Space Station has been continuously occupied since 2000. (NASA photo) White House budget plans are zeroing in on zeroing out federal funding for the International Space Station by 2025, to free up money for a Deep Space Gateway in lunar orbit. The plan is already generating opposition from those who want to leave…
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Lockheed Martin adds a lander to its picture for NASA’s future journeys to Mars
An artist’s conception shows Lockheed Martin’s lander on Mars. (Lockheed Martin Illustration) Lockheed Martin has fleshed out its picture for sending astronauts to the Red Planet by adding a refuelable lander and a water-based fuel supply chain to its “Mars Base Camp” mission architecture. The system, updated today at the International Astronautical Congress in Australia,…
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Blue Origin space venture slips in a sneak peek at design of Blue Moon lunar lander
Blue Origin President Rob Meyerson shows off a concept for the company’s Blue Moon lunar lander during a session at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo. Other members of the panel include Jonathan Arenberg, chief systems engineer for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope; former astronaut John Grunsfeld; and Mary Lynne Dittmar, executive director of…
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After the International Space Station, get ready for NASA’s Deep Space Gateway
An artist’s conception shows the Deep Space Gateway in the vicinity of the moon, with an Orion crew vehicle nearby. (NASA Illustration) President Donald Trump hasn’t yet revealed his choice for NASA administrator, but the space agency is already shifting the focus of its exploration program to a way station known as the Deep Space…
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United Launch Alliance’s CEO weighs Blue Origin’s chances in multibillion-dollar rocket engine race
United Launch Alliance’s president and CEO, Tory Bruno, talks with students during the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo. (GeekWire photo by Alan Boyle) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – United Launch Alliance’s president and CEO, Tory Bruno, is facing a 2019 deadline from Congress to come up with a made-in-the-USA replacement for the Russian-built rocket engines…