Science
Swift Rescue Failure Tests Robotic Satellite Servicing
NASA’s cancelled effort to lift the Swift observatory illustrates both the scientific value of ageing spacecraft and the unforgiving limits of hurried in-orbit servicing.
Tag
NASA
5 published articles
NASA covers its essential concepts, wider context, practical applications and developments across technology, business and society.
Science
Lunar South Pole May Preserve Earth Microbes
A new analysis suggests that cold, shaded terrain at the Moon’s south pole could preserve some Earth microbes in a dormant state, complicating efforts to keep future lunar science free from biological contamination.
Science
NASA Ends Swift Telescope Rescue Attempt
NASA has ended the attempt to raise the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory after faults on the commercial servicing spacecraft LINK made a capture unsafe, but the mission will still test selected rendezvous capabilities.
Society
Nevada Tungsten Find Collides With NASA Satellite Site
A conflict over Nevada’s Railroad Valley shows how efforts to secure U.S. supplies of defence minerals can collide with scientific infrastructure that is difficult to replace.
Science
Apophis 2029 Flyby Draws NASA, ESA and JAXA Missions
Three international spacecraft efforts are converging on asteroid Apophis’s safe 2029 Earth flyby, turning a former impact scare into a rare experiment in planetary science and defence.