It has been a while from the last time I’ve updated this section of the blog, so it is time for a quick roundup of recent space news.
Space X makes its 50th successful landing, with the last trip to the ISS on 6 March. As specified in the news, the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket used in the flight is a veteran, and its first stage was already used the previous Dragon cargo mission, in December 2019; after all, reusability is the strategic innovation in the rocket business that Space X fostered. Read the whole story and watch the launch here.
Curiosity keeps delivering, sending over incredible Martian images.
NASA just released a 1.8-billion-pixel panorama that features Glen Torridon, a region on the flanks of Mars’ 3.4-mile-high (5.5 kilometres) Mount Sharp that the rover has been exploring recently. “Composed of more than 1,000 images taken during the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday and carefully assembled over the ensuing months, the composite contains 1.8 billion pixels of Martian landscape. The rover’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam, used its telephoto lens to produce the panorama; meanwhile, it relied on its medium-angle lens to produce a lower-resolution, nearly 650-million-pixel panorama that includes the rover’s deck and robotic arm.” (Read NASA’s statement here).
We’re still on track for 2024 Moon Landing. Or so NASA says, despite the delays of the new SLS rocket that should take the Orion crew capsule to the Moon. But the next 12 months are going to be absolutely critical for the success of the mission. SpaceNews said “NASA has yet to provide a new formal launch date for that mission, which has slipped by several years. In December, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that launch would take place in 2021 after the agency had been holding on a November 2020 launch. Doug Loverro, the agency’s new associate administrator for human exploration and operations, commissioned a review of NASA’s exploration plans when he started work in December, including setting a new date for Artemis 1. The outcome of that review should be released in the coming weeks.” I can’t wait to see it flying.
I never ceased to be amazed at the detail and sharpness of those images: when I think they come from another world, I’m beyond thrilled. Thanks for sharing!
I agree. And when ExoMars 2020 is there, we can expect even more 😀