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Ice to Fuel: NASA Tests Technology for Refueling Landers
NASA

Ice to Fuel: NASA Tests Technology for Refueling Landers

The farther the destination, the more fuel a rocket needs. The more fuel the rocket carries, the heavier the spacecraft. The heavier the spacecraft, the more fuel it requires to launch. Experts at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are testing technology that could solve this problem.  The CryoFILL (Cryogenic Fluid In-Situ Liquefaction for Landers) project could transform the way NASA fuels future space exploration missions, reducing costs and extending the duration of planetary surface operations.   “If […]

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COPV Damage Tolerance Life Demonstration Guidelines
NASA

COPV Damage Tolerance Life Demonstration Guidelines

The NESC has invested significant time and resources to better understand composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPV) performance and more importantly, how these complex, high-pressure storage systems can fail. These vessels, which store high pressure propulsion and life-support system fluids on launch vehicles and spacecraft, are ubiquitous at NASA, and failures have the potential to be catastrophic.  This year the […]

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Upcoming Launches

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Launch in Flight

Falcon 9 Block 5 | EchoStar 25

SpaceX
Mission Type Communications
Orbit Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Pad Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
To Be Confirmed

Firefly Alpha | Stairway to Seven

Firefly Aerospace
Mission Type Test Flight
Orbit Low Earth Orbit
Pad Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Go for Launch

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-48

SpaceX
Mission Type Communications
Orbit Low Earth Orbit
Pad Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Upcoming Events

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Active Space Stations

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International Space Station

International Space Station

Status: Active Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

Founded: 1998-11-20

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. Its first component was launched into orbit in 1998, with the first long-term residents arriving in November 2000. It has been inhabited continuously since that date. The last pressurised module was fitted in 2011, and an experimental inflatable space habitat was added in 2016. The station is expected to operate until 2030. Development and assembly of the station continues, with several new elements scheduled for launch in 2019. The ISS is the largest human-made body in low Earth orbit and can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth. The ISS consists of pressurised habitation modules, structural trusses, solar arrays, radiators, docking ports, experiment bays and robotic arms. ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets, and American Space Shuttles.

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Mir

Mir

Status: De-Orbited Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

Founded: 1986-02-20

Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. The station served as a microgravity research laboratory in which crews conducted experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and spacecraft systems with a goal of developing technologies required for permanent occupation of space.

RFSA
Skylab

Skylab

Status: De-Orbited Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

Founded: 1973-05-14

Skylab was a United States space station launched and operated by NASA, and occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974 – the only space station the U.S. has operated exclusively. In 1979 it fell back to Earth amid huge worldwide media attention. Skylab included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems necessary for crew survival and scientific experiments. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a weight of 170,000 pounds (77,000 kg). Lifting Skylab into low earth orbit was the final mission and launch of a Saturn V rocket (famous for carrying the manned Moon landing missions). Three missions delivered three-astronaut crews in the Apollo command and service module (Apollo CSM), launched by the smaller Saturn IB rocket. For the final two manned missions to Skylab, a backup Apollo CSM/Saturn IB was assembled and made ready in case an in-orbit rescue mission was needed, but this backup vehicle was never flown.

NASA