‘Armageddon’ moment: ‘Nasa paid $1 billion to this man to stop an asteroid crashing into Earth’

NEW DELHI: The enthralling narrative of Nasa‘s billion-dollar mission to Bennu, aimed at preventing a potential asteroid collision, is meticulously chronicled in Dante Lauretta‘s book, “The Asteroid Hunter: A Scientist’s Journey to the Dawn of our Solar System.” Lauretta, a prominent figure in the field and the principal investigator of the mission, offers a first-hand … Read more

Canadian Space Agency closing Ottawa spacecraft lab

Scientists surround the fine guidance sensor for the James Webb Space Telescope at the David Florida Laboratory in 2009. (Canadian Space Agency) The Canadian Space Agency has confirmed a west Ottawa spacecraft laboratory it calls “Canada’s national facility for spacecraft assembly [and] integration” is closing at the end of March 2025. The David Florida Laboratory officially … Read more

Odysseus spacecraft comms from moon expected to halt on Wednesday

Odysseus, the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon in half a century, was expected to go dark on Wednesday, six days after an off-kilter touchdown that hindered its communications and solar-charging capability, NASA and the company that flew the vehicle said. Despite persistent difficulties in communicating with the lander and keeping it charged, … Read more

Canadian contribution to private lunar lander could lead to a telescope on the moon

The first private spacecraft to softly land on the moon carries a Canadian instrument that will test the possibility of building an observatory at the Lunar south pole. The phone booth-sized lander by Intuitive Machines, named Odysseus, launched on Feb. 15 and touched down on Thursday near a small impact crater about 300 kilometers from the moon’s south … Read more

Privately owned Odysseus lander makes first U.S. moon touchdown in half-century

A private lander touched down on the moon Thursday but managed just a weak signal back, as flight controllers scrambled to gain better contact with the first U.S. spacecraft to reach the lunar surface in more than 50 years. Tension mounted in the company’s command centre in Houston, as controllers awaited a signal from the spacecraft … Read more

Tesla-Sized Satellite Will Crash Back To Earth This Week

It’s always exciting when there’s something fiery to observe in the night sky, whether it’s an influx of shooting stars or the possible demise of the International Space Station. Now, there’s a new extra terrestrial object to look out for, as the European Space Agency is preparing to crash a satellite the size of a … Read more

This robotic, solar-powered plane might be NASA’s new way to explore Mars

Last week, the Ingenuity Mars helicopter made its final flight, far exceeding the expectations of a mission that began nearly three years ago. Now, NASA may be looking at a fixed-wing aircraft to hit the red planet’s skies next. In 2021 the Perseverance rover landed on Mars carrying a small helicopter under its belly named … Read more

After 15 years, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s wait to go to space gets a little longer

After 15 years of waiting, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will have to wait at least one more year before his first flight in space. NASA announced Tuesday that the launch date of the Artemis II mission to the moon, originally scheduled for later this year, has been pushed back nearly a year to September 2025.  … Read more

NASA moon mission delays are nothing to worry about, says astronaut Chris Hadfield

As It Happens6:31NASA moon mission delays are nothing to worry about, says astronaut Chris Hadfield Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield says that, from where he’s sitting, the Artemis moon missions are coming along just fine. NASA announced Tuesday it is delaying two upcoming missions — including the flight meant to carry the first Canadian astronaut … Read more

Lunar lander issue complicates privately-led U.S. moon mission

A robotic lander built by a private company suffered a technical problem on its way to the moon on Monday, threatening to upend the first U.S. soft lunar landing in over 50 years. The issue with the lander’s propulsion system followed a successful launch of a new Vulcan rocket debuted by a joint venture of … Read more