Stephen Clark – Page 516 – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: Philae “falls asleep”

November 11, 2014 Stephen Clark

The tiny European Philae lander after its historic touchdown on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has apparently ended as batteries depleted and the craft fell asleep Friday night.

Comet lander powered up after electronics glitch

November 11, 2014 Stephen Clark

Europe’s Philae lander — still latched inside its mothership — has been activated and should be ready for release Wednesday to begin a daring first-ever descent to a comet, the mission’s flight director said.

Video: Flight director updates status of comet lander

November 11, 2014 Stephen Clark

Rosetta flight director Andrea Accomazzo says the Philae lander is ready for a daring descent and touchdown Wednesday on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The European craft is making the world’s first attempt to land on a comet.

Rosetta mission’s ‘ambition’ spotlighted in film

November 11, 2014 Stephen Clark

The European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission stars with Game of Thrones actor Aidan Gillan and actress Aisling Franciosi in a short film released recently to promote the spacecraft’s exploration of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

All is ready for historic comet landing

November 10, 2014 Stephen Clark

This week marks the pinnacle of the professional careers of many scientists, when the European Space Agency plans to put down a three-legged robotic lander on a comet, a risky first-of-a-kind endeavor that could rewrite textbooks on the history of the solar system.

Live coverage: Space station crew returns to Earth

November 9, 2014 Stephen Clark

A three-man space station crew returned to Earth inside a Russian Soyuz capsule, making a parachute-assisted landing on the remote plains of Kazakhstan after 165 days in orbit.

Orbital looking for Cygnus launch slots next year

November 9, 2014 Stephen Clark

Facing pressure to find a ride into space for its commercial Cygnus cargo craft in the wake of a catastrophic rocket failure, Orbital Sciences Corp. says it has found openings in the mission manifests of the world’s busiest launch operators to accommodate resupply flights to the International Space Station next year.

Crescent Saturn and Titan seen by Cassini

November 7, 2014 Stephen Clark

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft — in its 11th year orbiting Saturn — has spotted the gas giant and its haze-covered moon Titan suspended in the blackness of space like diamonds in the rough.

Japanese satellites launched on Soviet-era missile

November 6, 2014 Stephen Clark

A decommissioned Soviet-era ballistic missile — adapted for space launches instead of nuclear war — rocketed out of an underground silo and sent five Japanese Earth observing satellites into orbit.

Engineers recommend changes to Orion heat shield

November 5, 2014 Stephen Clark

Lessons learned during preparations leading up to the first orbital test flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft in December have prompted engineers to recommend changing the design of the crew capsule’s heat shield for future missions to the moon, Mars, or an asteroid, according to Lockheed Martin officials.