Sunday 15 December 2019

Congratulations to Yutu-2



By January 3rd 2020 (if all goes well)
China's rover will have been operational
on the Moon for an entire year.


Wednesday 13 November 2019

Goodbye Ryugu




Having successfully completed its tasks in outer space,
the Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 
is on its way back a little earlier than originally scheduled.



Wednesday 25 September 2019

NEO Surveillance Mission


NASA's proposed infrared telescope 
Near-Earth Object Surveillance Mission
is primarily geared towards planetary defence
rather than being part of a pure science programme.



Saturday 7 September 2019

From Australia up into space


The Australian Government has recently reviewed
its space industry related regulatory framework
so as to make it clearer, more flexible and better suited 
to a more innovative global environment.

Thursday 25 July 2019

Planetary Society all set to go solar sailing



The sail (about the size of a boxing ring) has been successfully deployed;
now let the photons do their part of the job!


Tuesday 23 July 2019

Chandrayaan-2 on its way to the moon


India's spacecraft Chandrayaan-2,
which will explore areas near the south pole of the moon,
is presently journeying towards its destination.



Saturday 15 June 2019

OSIRIS-REx now even nearer the surface of Bennu


Until August of this year OSIRIS-REx will be in Orbital B
at only 680 metres above the surface of asteroid Bennu.



Friday 14 June 2019

Why waste satellite junk?


Keith Volkert, the CEO of Satellite Consulting Inc.,
is seriously considering a scheme for taking big defunct satellites
from their current graveyard orbits
into new parking places in lunar orbit
for future recycling on the moon,
though he admits that " he still has to fill in some blank spaces in his plan".

Friday 1 March 2019

Latest news from Jaxa on Hayabusa2 status


A few teething problems 
but no major complications so far
up there on Ryugu.


(Check: Feb. 27, 2019
★ Hayabusa2 status (week of 2019.2.18) ★ )


Tuesday 26 February 2019

Tuesday 22 January 2019

PTScientists are back in the news


German company PTScientists GmbH 
(originally known as "Part-Time Scientists")
have just issued their latest press release entitled:
"PTScientists to examine future ESA mission on in-situ resource utilisation on the Moon".


Thursday 3 January 2019

DSI becomes BSI


Like Planetary Resources Inc. a few months ago,
Deep Space Industries has now also changed hands;
the company has become part of the Bradford Space group.

DSI's former asteroid mining ambitions
meanwhile seem to have gone into hibernation,
(while China's Chang'e-4 has successfully landed on the far side of the moon!)