NASA's Mars Odyssey has ended the aerobraking phase of its mission, and will reach its final operational mapping orbit at 400km (250 miles) altitude in March.
During the aerobraking phase, Mars Odyssey changed its orbit by natural means, saving more than 200kg (440lb) of propellant, thus enabling the craft to be launched on a relatively cheaper Delta II booster, says NASA.
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.
