NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona In an impressive feat, China landed its Zhurong rover on Mars in May 2021, joining NASA in exploring the red planet’s surface. But China has not provided recent updates, and images from orbit show the vehicle fixed in the same place. Something seems to have gone wrong → NYT
New Rockets NASA got its giant Space Launch System off the ground for the first time in 2022, lighting up the night in Florida with an incredible stream of flame as it carried the Artemis I mission toward the moon. That shifted attention to SpaceX, which is building a next generation rocket, Starship, that is also central to NASA’s crewed Artemis III moon landing attempt. SpaceX cleared a key environmental review that would allow it to launch an uncrewed orbital test flight from South Texas if it met certain conditions.…
JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER — Thirty years ago, the Chinese government initiated a secret plan for its space program, including a key goal of building a space station by 2020. At the time, the country was 11 years from sending its first astronaut into space, and its space efforts were going through a rough patch: Chinese rockets failed in 1991, 1992, 1995 and twice in 1996. The worst failure, in 1996, was a rocket that tipped to the side, flew in the wrong direction and exploded 22 seconds after launch,…
Seeking to burnish its prestige in the world, China is portraying its Tiangong orbital outpost as a space station that is available for scientists everywhere, not just for those who happen to live in other countries with established space programs. “We stand ready to conduct more international cooperation and exchanges with countries and regions committed to the peaceful use of outer space,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in April. For the International Space Station — a partnership between NASA, Russia, Canada, the European Space Agency…
July 19, 1964 China successfully launches its first biological experiment to the edge of space: a rocket carrying eight white mice. ⬇ April 24, 1970 China launches its first satellite, which broadcasts the patriotic anthem “The East is Red” as it orbits. ⬇ Nov. 26, 1975 China launches a remote-sensing satellite that orbits the planet and returns to Earth on Nov. 29. ⬇ March 5, 1986 Deng Xiaoping approves a science and technology project code-named “863” to develop the country’s crewed spacecraft. ⬇ Sept. 21, 1992 Jiang Zemin approves “Project…
Get ready for the semifinals Four countries will compete in the World Cup semifinals this week, after a weekend of surprises sent two favorites and two underdogs to the next round. Argentina will play Croatia tomorrow, and France will play Morocco on Wednesday. Argentina is driven by the belief that winning this World Cup is Lionel Messi’s undeniable destiny. But Croatia has its own undeniable sense of purpose after beating Brazil, a top contender. France knocked England out to advance. Morocco upset Portugal to become the first country in Africa…
On Tuesday night in China, a rocket as tall as a 20-story building will carry three astronauts toward a rendezvous with the country’s just-completed space station. The mission, which is called Shenzhou 15, will set a significant milestone for China’s crewed space program. Here’s what you need to know about the flight and why it is significant. When is the launch and how can I watch it? The mission will lift off at 11:08 p.m. local time on Tuesday, or 10:08 a.m. Eastern time in the United States. CGTN, China’s…
Chinese scientists recently announced their discovery of a new lunar mineral among samples collected from the moon during a mission two years ago, adding to the body of knowledge of the Earth’s satellite that had been the focus of earlier space exploration. The scientists found a single crystal of a new phosphate mineral that they have named Changesite-(Y) while analyzing particles of lunar basalt, or hardened fragments of lava, The Global Times, a state-run newspaper and website, reported. The discovery was announced last Friday and was connected to Chang’e-5, a…
If you’re someone who rejoices at every sign of fall, you may want to look out at the moon this weekend. Across the United States and especially in places with clear skies, a full moon that signals summer is nearing its end will be visible. Because of the way light travels through the atmosphere and the moon’s location on the horizon, the moon appears reddish orange. The harvest moon, whose name grew out of its utility to farmers who harvested crops in the fall before the advent of artificial lighting,…
It was a project that launched a thousand interstellar dreams. Fifty years ago, NASA published a fat, 253-page book titled, “Project Cyclops.” It summarized the results of a NASA workshop on how to detect alien civilizations. What was needed, the assembled group of astronomers, engineers and biologists concluded, was Cyclops, a vast array of radio telescopes with as many as a thousand 100-meter-diameter antennas. At the time, the project would have cost $10 billion. It could, the astronomers said, detect alien signals from as far away as 1,000 light-years. The…