Japan's first Mars probe, Nozomi, has used the moon for the first of a series of gravity-assist swing-bys, as part of its flight campaign en route to the Red Planet. A second moon swing-by will be performed in December and another will be made in October 1999, using the earth to reach its target .
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.
