The eighth crew of the International Space Station (ISS) returned to Earth on 30 April after six months. Station commander Michael Foale (NASA) and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri landed in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz TMA-3 command module, along with European Space Agency astronaut André Kuipers, who had spent 11 days on the ISS.
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.
