China Proposes Ambitious Cubesat Swarm Mission to Study Asteroid Apophis During Rare 2029 Earth Flyby

Chinese scientists are proposing a bold and innovative mission to closely observe asteroid 99942 Apophis as it makes a historic near-Earth pass in 2029. The mission, dubbed the Apophis Recon Swarm (ARS), would dispatch a fleet of miniature spacecraft—cubesats—on multiple flybys to study the asteroid’s physical and internal characteristics, while also advancing global planetary defense capabilities.

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SpaceX Finally Launches Four-Person Axiom-4 private astronaut mission To ISS

Veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the United States’ most experienced space traveler, has returned to orbit early Wednesday morning at the helm of a groundbreaking private mission. Accompanied by three first-time space travelers from India, Poland, and Hungary, Whitson launched aboard Crew Dragon Grace — a brand-new SpaceX capsule — on Axiom Space’s fourth non-government mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

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NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft Resumes Full-Throttle Journey to Metal-Rich Asteroid After Months Long Hiccup

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has resumed full-time propulsion as of June 16, after a successful switch to a backup xenon propellant line resolved a months-long issue with its primary propulsion system. The spacecraft, launched in October 2023, is en route to its namesake target — the asteroid Psyche — a metal-rich body believed to be the exposed core of a protoplanet.

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Landspace Marks Major Milestone with Reusable Zhuque-3 Static Fire Test

Chinese commercial space company Landspace has taken a major step toward launching its next-generation reusable rocket, the Zhuque-3, with a successful full-scale static fire test of its first stage. The test, conducted on June 21 at 12:00 p.m. Beijing time (0400 UTC), marks a significant achievement in China’s race to develop recoverable, methane-fueled orbital launch vehicles.

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Firefly Aerospace Unveils Commercial Lunar Imaging Service to Rival NASA’s Aging Orbiter

Firefly Aerospace has announced plans to launch a commercial lunar imaging service that could transform how governments and private entities access high-resolution images of the Moon. The new service, named Ocula, is being positioned as a potential supplement—or even successor—to NASA’s long-serving Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been operational since 2009.

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STARSHIP

Starship Full Stack Wet Dress Rehearsal

Starship and Super Heavy were loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant today october 24th in a flight-like rehearsal ahead of launch.  Vehicle is ready for the second test flight of a fully integrated Starship, pending regulatory approval. SpaceX progressing while we hear the FAA and Fish and Wildlife are as well. Next launch attempt coming before too long.

STARSHIP OVERVIEW

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable. HEIGHT120 m DIAMETER:9 m (fully reusable).

   Photo of Starship 25 and Booster 9 Full-stack awaiting for the second orbital launch.

First Orbital launch