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Perseverance rover’s zoomable camera checks out on Red Planet
Scientists have confirmed the first zoomable camera on Mars is in top-top shape since arriving aboard NASA's Perseverance rover in February, adding a long-distance survey capability to the robot's scientific toolkit. The camera is now ready to capture high-definition video of the Ingenuity helicopter's first flight in the Martian atmosphere later this month.
Mars rover deploys Ingenuity helicopter for historic flight
NASA's Perseverance rover released the Ingenuity helicopter onto the surface of Mars Saturday, leaving behind the experimental flying drone to survive on its own power until attempting a historic hop in the Red Planet's thin carbon dioxide atmosphere around April 11.
China’s Tianwen 1 mission targets mid-May landing on Mars
China's Tianwen 1 spacecraft -- in orbit around Mars since February -- is scheduled to deploy a descent module to attempt the country's first landing on the Red Planet in mid-May. Officials plan to share the Mars rover's scientific data with researchers around the world, a senior Chinese scientist said last week.
Perseverance rover begins steps to deploy Mars helicopter
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter is being lowered from the belly of the Perseverance rover this week as ground teams run through a choreographed long-distance command sequence to safely release the $80 million rotorcraft onto the surface of Mars.
Northrop Grumman to supply solid rocket motors for first Mars Ascent Vehicle
NASA awarded Northrop Grumman a contract worth as much as $84.5 million earlier this month to supply rocket motors for a first-of-its-kind launch vehicle to fire a capsule of rock samples off of Mars on a journey back to Earth.
NASA primed for historic flight of experimental Mars helicopter
NASA's Perseverance rover will soon release a small rotorcraft onto the surface of Mars and drive a safe distance away to observe a series of historic test flights in the ultra-thin Martian atmosphere, which could begin around April 8, officials said this week.
Testbed for NASA moon mission rides to orbit with six other satellites
Rocket Lab launched seven satellites Monday from New Zealand on a rideshare mission serving the U.S. and Australian militaries and space services startups. A spacecraft developed in-house by Rocket Lab was also aboard to prove out technologies for a NASA moon mission launching later this year.
VideoLive coverage: Rocket Lab launches small satellites from New Zealand
Rocket Lab's second mission of 2021 lifted off at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) Monday from New Zealand carrying six small satellites for customers in Australia and the United States, along with a test platform for a NASA small satellite mission to the moon launching later this year.
Biden to nominate former Sen. Bill Nelson as NASA administrator
Former Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, a longtime space advocate whose district included the Kennedy Space Center and who flew aboard the shuttle Columbia in 1986 as a congressional observer, is President Biden's choice to serve as NASA's next administrator, the White House announced Friday.
NASA’s moon rocket scores an ‘A+‘ on critical engine test
The core piece of NASA's first huge Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket designed to carry astronauts back to the moon fired its main engines more than eight minutes Thursday in southern Mississippi, acing a crucial test before the it ships to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for liftoff.