The Galileo Jupiter orbiter made its closest fly-by yet of the volcanic moon Io on 22 February, passing within 200km (125 miles) of the surface. Galileo could end its mission with a plunge into one of Jupiter's four large moons.
Source: Flight International
China’s AVIC has secured a contract from the China Manned Space Agency to develop a winged, reusable spacecraft called Haolong.
The UK Space Command’s first owned earth observation microsatellite has been launched, providing the inaugural element of a planned space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) constellation.
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.
