06 May 2020
China launches prototype spacecraft on maiden flight of Long March 5B
...China successfully launched its new experimental crew spacecraft on a Long March 5B ...month before, brought a temporary halt to launch activity. With the prototype spacecraft safely deployed, China is now likely to proceed with its Tianwen-1 mission...
29 August 2022
Lift-off draws close for NASA’s spectacular lunar return mission
...astronaut.” For this debut mission to the Moon, the only ‘crew members’ aboard Orion - which is capable of carrying six ...was replaced by the Artemis programme, though the Orion crew spacecraft did survive the transition. The five-segment solid rocket...
03 October 2021
Space Habitats and Habitability
... important’ than the main text. That said, this is a book that all professionals involved with future crewed spacecraft design should read. As it says in a foreword to the book, “We can keep space...
February 2020
Aeroshells – from LEO to Mars
... higher in the atmosphere than would be possible with a conventional re-entry capsule (like those used by early crewed spacecraft such as Apollo). This means that satellite heating is reduced. In addition, the satellite is protected from the...
April 2020
Satellite mega-constellations pose threat to ground-based astronomy
... sizes, tiny pieces that are difficult to follow but may cause considerable damage to operational satellites and crewed spacecraft should they collide. Many institutions are worried by the uncontrolled proliferation of space junk, but the current...
29 December 2021
China complains to UN after space station endures 'close encounters' with Starlink satellites
...Tianzhou-II and Tianzhou-III cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-XII and Shenzhou-XIII crewed spacecraft. The China Space Station has... same day to avoid a potential collision between the two spacecraft. In view of the foregoing, China wishes to request ...
