Northrop Grumman

Out: the train to space. In: the inter-moon-base express.The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) tapped Northrop Grumman to develop a concept for a lunar railroad, the defense prime contractor announced this week. The contract was awarded under the LunA-10 initiative, which is exploring all sorts of out-there concepts to encourage the growth of a sustainable lunar economy in the next decade.The company will continue advancing the railroad concept it’s been working on in secret since securing the preliminary…

After eight years of experimenting with flames in space, NASA lit a fire inside a cargo spacecraft for the last time and sent its Saffire experiment toward a burning reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.Nvidia’s Almost Worth 2 Trillion. Is It a Bubble, or Is It Just Getting Started?NASA’s Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiments, also known as Saffire, came to a fitting end on January 9, flying aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft that burned up as it plunged through the atmosphere for its planned reentry.The series of…

The Cygnus spacecraft, laden with scientific and crew supplies, is en route to the ISS. It will be received and installed by NASA engineers, followed by unloading and research activities. The Expedition 70 and Ax-3 crews are engaged in extensive research, health monitoring, and station maintenance, contributing to ongoing space exploration efforts. Credit: NASANorthrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is orbiting Earth today carrying science and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) for delivery on Thursday…

Image: SafranThis striking scanning electron microscope image offers an intimate view of a test glass surface, part of a project to enhance the lifespan of atomic clocks in navigation satellites. The plasma-etched features, each less than 10 micrometres across, are crucial for the operation of these highly accurate clocks. They function by inducing switches between an atom’s energy states using light, laser, or maser energy (a device that produces and amplifies electromagnetic waves), leading to the emission of a stable…

Starlab Space’s forthcoming space station is so big and heavy that only the formidable SpaceX Starship megarocket can launch it into orbit, but the one-time delivery option comes with distinct benefits.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewStarlab Space, like several other commercial ventures, is racing to deliver a commercial space station to orbit in anticipation of the International Space Station’s retirement in 2030. The company, a joint venture between Colorado-based Voyager…

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, loaded with more than 8,200 pounds of supplies, launched to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking the 20th resupply mission by Northrop Grumman for NASA. Credit: SpaceXA fresh supply of more than 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo is on its way to the International Space Station on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft after launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 12:07 p.m. EST Tuesday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station…

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments after it was captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm controlled by NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg from inside the International Space Station on August 4, 2023. Credit: NASACargo mission preparations and space research kept the Expedition 70 and Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crews busy at the beginning of the week. The 11 residents working together aboard the International Space Station (ISS) also continued their ongoing biomedical science and…

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments away from being captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm controlled by NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg from inside the International Space Station on August 4, 2023. Credit: NASANASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are preparing for the 20th commercial resupply mission to the ISS on January 30, using Falcon 9 to deliver over 8,200 pounds of cargo, amid favorable weather forecasts.Today, NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX confirmed joint…

Earth orbit is getting its own space doctor in the form of a small cyborg arm reaching out for the scalpel. A surgical robot is launching to the International Space Station (ISS) to test its ability to slice through human flesh in a microgravity environment. Taking out the Trash (in Space)The robot surgeon is part of NASA’s Northrop Grumman 20th Commercial Resupply Mission to the ISS, which is launching on Tuesday at 12:07 p.m. ET on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Cygnus spacecraft is packed with more than 8,200…

A Progress spacecraft docked to the ISS.Photo: NASAEvery once in a while, the ISS requires a boost to counteract orbital decay and maintain its altitude. While the ISS is equipped with its own thrusters, they aren’t sufficient for major reboosts due to limited fuel capacity, lower power, and the need to preserve onboard resources for other critical operations (like orientation control and space junk avoidance). So instead, docked spacecraft are used to provide these external boosts. These spacecraft, specifically designed…