2014 – Page 13 – Spaceflight Now

Video: Space station Expedition 42 fit check

November 20, 2014 Justin Ray

The next Expedition 42 trio waiting to join the International Space Station crew conducted final Sokol launch and entry suit fit checks at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

UK team announces plan to crowd-source moon mission

November 19, 2014 Stephen Clark

Scientists hope private backers will kick-start a mission to land a robotic probe on the South Pole of the moon within the next 10 years, drill deep into lunar bedrock and analyze primordial core samples to study the origins of the solar system.

Russia’s new heavy-lifter rolled to launch pad

November 19, 2014 Stephen Clark

Several weeks ahead of a planned liftoff in late December, the biggest new Russian rocket to fly in a generation has rolled to its launch pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia for preflight testing.

3D printer activated aboard the International Space Station

November 18, 2014 Stephen Clark

The dream of a self-sufficient space-faring civilization moved a step closer to reality as a commercial 3D printer was installed aboard the International Space Station for a tryout in orbit.

Philae finds comet harbors organics

November 18, 2014 Stephen Clark

Europe’s Philae lander found a surface as hard as ice and organic molecules after it bounced to a stop on a comet last week.

Chinese military satellite launched by Long March rocket

November 18, 2014 Stephen Clark

China launched a Long March rocket last week with a satellite Western analysts believe will conduct all-weather global radar surveillance for the Chinese military.

MAVEN begins science mission at Mars

November 18, 2014 Stephen Clark

NASA’s newest Mars orbiter has formally started a one-year research campaign to study an ancient case of climate change that starved the red planet of water, breathable air and potential life, scientists said Monday.

New Mars lander takes shape

November 17, 2014 Spaceflight Now

The next Mars lander — a platform to drill beneath the surface of the red planet — has begun its assembly phase in preparation for launch in March 2016.

Rosetta camera sees Philae bouncing across comet

November 17, 2014 Justin Ray

These incredible images show the breathtaking journey of Rosetta’s Philae lander as it approached and then rebounded from its first touchdown on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 12 November 2014.

Atlas/NROL-35 mission stats

November 17, 2014 Justin Ray

The NROL-35 Atlas 5 launch by the numbers.