Scaled Composites' suborbital spacecraft SpaceShipOne encountered its first significant flight test problem on 23 September during its third glide flight over Mojave, California. Scaled says the problem is likely to require aerodynamic modifications to its X-Prize contender.
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.
