A loose 6mm screw caused the jamming of the outer-airlock door of the Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS80 mission, leading to cancellation of two space-walks scheduled to practise International Space Station assembly procedures. The screw was found embedded in the door's gearbox.
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.
