NASA's Galileo Jupiter orbiter made a 180km (110 mile) pass over the planet's volcanic moon Io on 16 October. The craft flew over Io's south pole in the hope of taking an image of Loki, one of the most powerful volcanoes in the solar system. Galileo survived three-and-a-half times the radiation it was designed to withstand.
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.
