The Space Shuttle STS78/ Columbia was launched on the Life and Microgravity Spacelab mission from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 20 June. The science mission, which will be similar to a shift aboard the International Space Station, may last for 17 days, the longest to date in the Shuttle programme.
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.
