Tag: commercial-space
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Ratchet wrench ’emailed’ to space station
Astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore shows off the 3D printed ratchet wrench on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA A future where mission control can digitally dispatch tools, spare parts and other vital materials to far-flung space crews took one giant leap toward reality when a 3D printer aboard the International Space Station produced a ratchet…
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3D printer activated aboard the International Space Station
A 3D printer testbed was installed on the International Space Station this week. Credit: Made in Space The dream of a self-sufficient space-faring civilization moved a step closer to reality this week as a commercial 3D printer was installed aboard the International Space Station for a tryout in orbit. Astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore unpacked the…
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Station astronaut calls private spaceflight ‘next breakthrough’
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA Space station astronaut Reid Wiseman, preparing to return to Earth this weekend after 165 days in orbit, said Monday commercial spaceflight represents the “next breakthrough” in aerospace technology, and that he hopes Virgin Galactic can ultimately turn that dream into reality despite the fatal…
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Branson vows to press ahead, NTSB investigation begins
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS “SPACE PLACE” & USED WITH PERMISSION Updated at 12:10 AM EDT, 11/02/14: Adding NTSB news conference; identity of surviving pilot Virgin Galactic’s George Whiteside and Richard Branson speak with the news media. Image: Virgin Galactic. Richard Branson, the charismatic leader of Virgin Galactic and a driving force in the push to commercialize…
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VIDEO: First NTSB briefing on Virgin Galactic accident
Acting NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart briefs the news media on Saturday, soon after arriving at the Mojave Air & Space Port to begin an investigation into the loss of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.
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First commercial mission to the moon launched from China
Artist’s concept of the Manfred Memorial Moon Mission, which remains attached to the upper stage of a Long March 3C rocket for a flight around the moon. Credit: LuxSpace A modest privately-funded instrument package built by a company in Luxembourg became the first commercial to the moon to get off the ground with a fiery…
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UrtheCast says it will be largest commercial ISS user
An early image of Venezuela from the UrtheCast cameras aboard the International Space Station. Credit: UrtheCast. Officials with Canadian Earth observation company UrtheCast, which owns two cameras on the International Space Station’s Russian service module, outlined plans this week to install a remote sensing camera and a radar imaging payload on the outpost’s U.S.-owned Tranquility…
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Boeing, SpaceX told to stop work under crew contracts
NASA has directed Boeing and SpaceX to halt activities under contracts awarded last month to build commercial space taxis to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station while the U.S. Government Accountability Office reviews a protest of NASA’s contract decision filed by Sierra Nevada Corp. Artist’s impression of the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser crew transport…
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Construction of Texas launch site to begin next year
SpaceX broke ground on a new commercial spaceport Sept. 22 on the shores of South Texas, committing to the construction of the world’s first privately-owned satellite launch pad scheduled to be operational as soon as late 2016. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Texas Gov. Rick Perry break ground on the South…