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Perseverance rover aces first test drive on Mars
Two weeks into its mission of exploration on Mars, NASA's Perseverance rover is doing an "exceptional job" and has completed its first test drive, mission managers said Friday.

Next Crew Dragon launch set for April 22
NASA and SpaceX have set April 22 as the target launch date for the next Crew Dragon flight to the International Space Station. The four-person crew will be the first to ride a previously-flown Falcon 9 booster and a reused Dragon spacecraft, and a NASA official said this week that the launcher and capsule are in "really good shape" as refurbishment wraps up at Cape Canaveral.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter camera spots Perseverance rover after landing
A high-resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted the Perseverance rover after landing on the Red Planet last month, showing the nuclear-powered robot sitting on the Martian surface with its supersonic parachute and other landing system components scattered nearby.

Rubins and Noguchi assemble solar array support fixtures outside space station
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Soichi Noguchi, a Japanese astronaut who last walked in space more than 15 years ago, ventured outside the International Space Station Friday and completed assembly of two solar array support fixtures, part of a $100 million power system upgrade.

Component fatigue caused early shutdown of Merlin engine on last SpaceX launch
SpaceX has concluded fatigue on an engine cover caused one of the nine Merlin 1D first stage engines on the company's most recent launch to shut down early during ascent, leading to the loss of the booster during an offshore landing attempt in the Atlantic Ocean, an official said Monday.

Parker Solar Probe pulls back the veil on Venus’s night side
An ultra-sensitive camera on NASA's Parker Solar Probe caught an ethereal glimpse of the night side of Venus during a flyby last year, revealing terrain seen through the thick haze of the planet's atmosphere.

Astronauts complete spacewalk to prep for station power system upgrades
Two astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Sunday for the first in a series of spacewalks to upgrade the lab's aging solar power system, assembling a support fixture that eventually will hold a new solar blanket.

Photos: Antares rocket blasts off from Eastern Shore of Virginia
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket powered off its launch pad at Wallops Island, Virginia, on Feb. 20 with a Cygnus supply ship heading for the International Space Station.

Cancer survivor named to SpaceX flight promoting St. Jude hospital
A 29-year-old cancer survivor, now a physician's assistant at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, will blast off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule later this year for a flight dedicated to raising money for the Memphis medical center. It will be the first orbital spaceflight with no professional astronauts on board.

NASA releases first-of-its-kind high-definition video of Mars rover landing
NASA officials released never-before-seen views of a spacecraft landing on another planet Monday, showcasing multi-angle replays recorded by ruggedized high-definition cameras mounted on the Perseverance rover last week when it safely touched down on Mars.