All articles tagged with #private spacecraft
Two private spacecraft successfully performed an autonomous rendezvous in orbit during the Remora mission, demonstrating advanced proximity operations technology that could enable future satellite servicing and repair missions, developed by Impulse Space and Starfish Space in just nine months.
A private company, Katalyst Space Technologies, will launch a spacecraft in 2026 to boost NASA's Swift Observatory's orbit, marking the first time a private craft has serviced a U.S. government satellite, aiming to extend the telescope's operational life and enhance its gamma-ray burst research capabilities.
Intuitive Machines' private moon lander, Odysseus, has concluded its historic mission after operating on the lunar surface for seven days, making it the first commercial vehicle to successfully land on the moon. Despite hopes of reactivation, the lander's power system did not revive, confirming its permanent shutdown. The mission, which carried both NASA and private payloads, faced challenges during landing but still achieved its objectives. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the development of private spacecraft for lunar exploration, with plans for future missions already in the works.
Intuitive Machines' moon lander, Odysseus, has successfully entered lunar orbit and is set to attempt the first U.S. touchdown on the moon in over 50 years, and the first ever by a private spacecraft. The 13-foot-tall lander is carrying science instruments and technology demonstrations for NASA and commercial customers, with a planned touchdown near the moon's south pole. If successful, this mission would mark the first controlled descent to the lunar surface by a U.S. spacecraft since Apollo 17 and the first "soft landing" on the moon by a commercially manufactured and operated vehicle.
NASA is handing over control of moon missions to private companies, with the first mission, Peregrine Mission 1, set to launch on Christmas Eve. Under NASA's commercial lunar payload services initiative, private companies will design spacecraft and deliver cargo to the moon's surface. However, this new era of moon missions has raised concerns among scientists who have plans for scientific research on the moon, such as radio telescopes and infrared telescopes. There is a lack of coordination and regulations to ensure that different activities on the moon do not interfere with each other. Scientists are calling for the designation of special scientific interest sites and the involvement of international bodies to address conflicting activities on the moon.
Japanese company ispace will attempt the first successful private landing on the moon with its spacecraft Hakuto-R on April 25 at 12:40 p.m. EDT. The landing will be live-streamed on Space.com and ispace's website. The primary landing site is Atlas Crater, and the landing sequence will take approximately one hour. The mission also includes the mini Rashid rover for the UAE's space agency, an AI system from Canadian company Mission Control, and a multi-camera imaging system by Canadian company Canadensys Aerospace.