The Hughes HSG 1 communications satellite is making a second loop around the moon, having completed one such flight in an attempt to salvage the former Asiasat 3, stranded in useless orbit after a Proton failure in December. The new flightpath will refine the satellite's trajectory, to achieve the best possible final Earth orbit.
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.
