tldrdaily.news logo
Tag

Space Exploration

All articles tagged with #space exploration

NASA identifies astronaut behind ISS's first medical evacuation
space-exploration8 hours ago

NASA identifies astronaut behind ISS's first medical evacuation

NASA disclosed that astronaut Mike Fincke experienced a medical issue during SpaceX's Crew-11 mission to the ISS that required urgent attention not available on the station, prompting an early return of all four Crew-11 crewmates—Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platonov—aboard Endeavour on Jan. 15. The exact ailment was not disclosed, but it necessitated advanced medical imaging on Earth. The Crew-11 return left a skeleton crew aboard the ISS until Crew-12 arrived, and Fincke is recovering at NASA's Johnson Space Center after landing as mission planners adjusted Crew-12's launch to maintain operations.

via Space|
#crew-11#international-space-station#medical-evacuation
China’s Shenzhou-20 emergency reveal: cracks in the viewport reshape return plans
space-exploration10 hours ago

China’s Shenzhou-20 emergency reveal: cracks in the viewport reshape return plans

Chinese taikonauts aboard Shenzhou-20 discovered cracks in their return capsule’s viewport—likely from space debris—one day before planned reentry. Ground teams swapped to the backup Shenzhou-21 for landing while racing to prepare an uncrewed Shenzhou-22 and a porthole-repair capability. The 270‑day mission was completed safely using the replacement craft, marking China’s first spaceflight emergency and underscoring the importance of rapid rescue and contingency planning.

via Space|
#china#shenzhou-20#space-exploration
Trump hails Space Force in State of the Union as Artemis 2 sits out spotlight
space-exploration14 hours ago

Trump hails Space Force in State of the Union as Artemis 2 sits out spotlight

In his State of the Union address, Trump praised Space Force, calling it “my baby,” while Artemis 2 astronauts attended the event but were not named; NASA’s Artemis program has faced delays, with Artemis 2’s launch rolled back due to a rocket glitch and now targeting early April at the soonest, and the speech offered little emphasis on Artemis 2 beyond the attendees.

via Space|
#artemis-2#moon-mission#nasa-artemis
China's Shenlong space plane returns on 4th mission, its purpose still unclear
space-exploration2 days ago

China's Shenlong space plane returns on 4th mission, its purpose still unclear

China’s Shenlong, a robotic reusable space plane, launched its fourth orbital mission from Jiuquan on Feb. 6. Details remain scarce, but analysts say the mission likely tests technologies for future reusable space access and has conducted rendezvous/proximity operations with deployed satellites, a capability likened to the U.S. X-37B. Experts caution about the anti-satellite implications, though the exact payloads and objectives are not disclosed.

via Space|
#china#rendezvous#shenlong
Perseverance gets onboard GPS-like localization for autonomous Mars driving
space-exploration3 days ago

Perseverance gets onboard GPS-like localization for autonomous Mars driving

NASA’s Perseverance now uses an onboard system called Mars Global Localization to pin down its exact position on Mars by matching panoramic images to orbital terrain maps, achieving accuracy of about 25 centimeters. This allows the rover to navigate more autonomously and travel farther without Earth-based guidance, building on AI-driven planning and reducing reliance on ground control.

via Space|
#mars#mars-global-localization#nasajpl
Falcon 9 breaks reuse record on twin Starlink mission
space-exploration3 days ago

Falcon 9 breaks reuse record on twin Starlink mission

SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 missions to deploy Starlink satellites on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. The second booster, B1067, marked a record 33rd flight, delivering 28 satellites and returning to Earth after landing on a droneship in the Atlantic, while the first-stage booster B1063 from the California launch completed its 31st flight and landed on a Pacific droneship. Together the two launches placed a combined 53 Starlink satellites into orbit, marking SpaceX's 21st and 22nd Falcon 9 launches of the year.

via Space|
#falcon-9#launch#rocket-reuse
Mars Living Isn’t Front-Page Frontier: Sci-Fi’s Survival Myths Debunked
space4 days ago

Mars Living Isn’t Front-Page Frontier: Sci-Fi’s Survival Myths Debunked

Space.com debunks five common sci-fi myths about living on Mars: that colonies can easily thrive on the surface, that humanity could just terraform the planet, that low gravity is harmless, that Martian soil can support easy farming, and that the main challenge is simply getting there. In reality, viable settlements would likely be buried underground or in lava tubes with hermetically sealed habitats, requiring thick radiation shielding, closed-loop life support, and abundant energy. The Martian atmosphere is extremely thin and lethal without a suit, oxygen must be generated, and surface conditions are brutal (cold, radiation, low pressure). Growing food faces toxic perchlorates in soil, so hydroponics or bioengineered solutions are needed. Psychological stresses from isolation and long travel times add equal weight to physical survival. Overall, any real Mars settlement would demand centuries of Earth-provided resources and massively engineered habitats, making true “colonization” far more complex than sci-fi suggests.

via Space|
#habitats#mars#perchlorates
Artemis 2 targets March 6 liftoff after second fueling test goes smoothly
space-exploration4 days ago

Artemis 2 targets March 6 liftoff after second fueling test goes smoothly

NASA completed Artemis 2’s second wet dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center with no LH2 leaks after fixes at the tail service mast umbilical, filling the SLS core and upper stages with about 730,000 gallons of propellants and simulating a countdown to launch. If all goes to plan, Artemis 2 could liftoff on March 6 within a March 6–9 window (March 10 as a backup), on a roughly 10-day crewed mission around the Moon by Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. Remaining work includes installing two contingency pad access trusses to test the flight termination system and completing a flight readiness review. Artemis 1’s prior hydrogen leak experience influenced fixes and procedures for this test.

via Space|
#artemis-2#launch-window#orion
First real-time lidar capture of space debris pollution from a rocket re-entry
space-exploration5 days ago

First real-time lidar capture of space debris pollution from a rocket re-entry

Scientists used a ground-based LiDAR to observe in near real time the air-pollution plume produced when SpaceX Falcon 9 debris burned up on re‑entry. The lithium signal peaked at about 60 miles altitude, and the plume moved across Western Europe (Ireland to Germany) over roughly a day, while the debris crossed from Ireland to Poland in about 2.5 minutes. Lithium is a rare tracer in the atmosphere; the team estimates about 80 grams of lithium enter Earth's atmosphere daily globally, with a Falcon 9 contributing roughly 30 kilograms of aluminum‑lithium hull and batteries per vehicle. Aluminum oxide formation could affect ozone and climate, and researchers plan to measure additional metals in future campaigns; the study was published February 19, 2026 in Communications Earth & Environment.

via Space|
#atmospheric-chemistry#lidar#lithium
Beijing’s Lunar New Year Glow Captured from the International Space Station
space-exploration5 days ago

Beijing’s Lunar New Year Glow Captured from the International Space Station

NASA astronaut Chris Williams photographed fireworks over Beijing and Tianjin during Lunar New Year from the ISS Cupola, revealing the city’s lights and highways visible from about 250 miles up. The frame also shows the Cygnus NG-23 cargo spacecraft and the MS-28 Soyuz, while Chinese taikonauts decorated Tiangong and released a space-made music video.

via Space|
#beijing#international-space-station#lunar-new-year
NASA labels Boeing’s Starliner flight a Type A mishap after near‑catastrophic thruster issues
space-exploration6 days ago

NASA labels Boeing’s Starliner flight a Type A mishap after near‑catastrophic thruster issues

NASA has reclassified Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test as a Type A mishap—the agency’s most serious category—after thruster failures and a temporary loss of control threatened the mission, which nonetheless docked with the ISS. NASA officials stressed that different decisions could have led to a very different outcome and apologized for past classification biases. The investigation is ongoing, Starliner won’t carry astronauts again until thruster issues are resolved, and Boeing/NASA plan a future uncrewed cargo mission to the ISS no earlier than April 2026, with the ISS retirement slated for 2030 and a push for redundant commercial crew options.

via Space|
#commercial-crew-program#mishap#nasa
SpaceX braces for second Bahamas landing as Starlink launch lifts off from Cape Canaveral
space-exploration6 days ago

SpaceX braces for second Bahamas landing as Starlink launch lifts off from Cape Canaveral

SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral with 29 Starlink satellites in a 5 p.m. ET window. If all goes to plan, the first stage will touch down on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in Exuma Sound—the company’s second Bahamian landing—about eight minutes after liftoff, while the 29 Starlink satellites will deploy roughly 64 minutes after liftoff. The Bahamas has cleared SpaceX to resume landing rockets in Exuma Sound following last year’s debris rain.

via Space|
#bahamas#falcon-9#space-exploration
SpaceX cleared to resume Bahamas rocket landings after debris review
space-exploration6 days ago

SpaceX cleared to resume Bahamas rocket landings after debris review

The Bahamas’ Civil Aviation Authority approved SpaceX to restart Falcon 9 first‑stage landings in Bahamian waters after regulatory and environmental reviews concluded following last year’s debris incident from a Starship test flight. Regulators said all required reviews were completed, clearing SpaceX to resume Bahamian drone‑ship landings from Florida launches, with the first Bahamian landing having occurred on Feb. 18, 2025, and SpaceX planning to return to Exuma Sound landings soon to support new orbital trajectories.

via Space|
#bahamas#falcon-9#rocket-landing
NASA readies Artemis II for second hydrogen fueling test to curb leaks
space-exploration6 days ago

NASA readies Artemis II for second hydrogen fueling test to curb leaks

NASA is conducting Artemis II's second wet dress rehearsal fueling at Kennedy Space Center to test cryogenic loading and prevent hydrogen leaks seen in the first test. Ground teams will load roughly 730,000 gallons of LH2 and LOX, with a go/no-go poll around 9:50 a.m. EST and fueling lasting into the afternoon; a successful test keeps Artemis II on track for a potential March 6 liftoff window.

via Space|
#artemis-2#hydrogen-leak#nasa