The first mission to the planet Mercury in 36 years began on 3 August with the launch of NASA's Mercury surface, space, environment, geochemistry and ranging spacecraft, Messenger. Built by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the probe was launched on a Boeing Delta II Heavy from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It will collect data on geology and atmospheric composition for one year after going into orbit around Mercury in March 2011.
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.
