NASA's GALILEO Orbiter has provided data which indicate that Jupiter's moon, Io, has an iron core like that of the Earth. No other iron-cored body has yet been found in the Solar System.
The Galileo was flown past Io at a distance of 900km shortly after entering orbit around Jupiter last December. Io, which is about the same size as the Earth's Moon, has an iron and iron sulphide metallic core with a radius of 900km, and possibly its own magnetic field.
Source: Flight International
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Ball Aerospace, with the move further strengthening its US business presence.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has retired its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the craft suffered damage upon landing.
