NASA'S Lunar Prospector has entered its 100km circular polar orbit around the Moon. The Lockheed Martin-built, 295kg Discovery-series craft, which was launched on 6 January, will be used to conduct an intensive one-year survey of the Moon. It will use five instruments.
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.
