In Today’s Deep Space Extra… NASA’s Juno Jupiter mission probe transmits its first images from orbit around the giant planet.
Space Science
Juno Spacecraft Captures 1st Photo from Jupiter Orbit
Space.com (7/12): An image taken July 10 of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot and three large moons is the first transmitted to Earth by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which braked into orbit around the giant planet on July 4.
Mars Rover Back to Work After ‘Safe Mode’ Shutdown
Seeker.com (7/12): NASA’s Curiosity rover is back in action on the Martian surface, after slipping into a safe mode on July 2. The rover is returning to action this week after the Mars Science Laboratory project identified a potential root cause: a software mismatch between the rover’s primary computer and those of its three imagers. Activities will move ahead after engineers identified a work-around.
NASA Studying Four Potential Large Astrophysics Missions For Next Decade
Spacepolicyonline.com (7/13): Paul Hertz, NASA’s director of astronomy and astrophysics, on Tuesday outlined four future space observatory concepts under consideration by the agency before a joint hearing held by two U.S. House Science, Space and Technology subcommittees. They include individual X-ray; far Infrared; and large ultraviolet, optical and infrared observatories; as well as a Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission to scan the atmospheres of potentially habitable planets.
Five new planets orbiting a distant bright star discovered by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft
SpacefiightInsider (7/12): The star, HIP41378, lies 380 light years from the Earth. The five planets range from 2.5 times the size of Earth to as large as Jupiter.
Low Earth Orbit
Delta 2 rocket being assembled at Vandenberg for penultimate launch
Spaceflightnow.com (7/12): The next to last of United Launch Alliance’s Delta 2 rockets is coming together at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for the January launching of a civilian weather satellite, JPSS 1, developed by NASA and NOAA.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Moon Express takes over Cape Canaveral Delta 2 launch site
Space News (7/12): Google XPrize competitor Moon Express reaches an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to occupy Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., launch sites once used for Delta 2 and Vanguard launch activities. Moon Express, a Florida enterprise, will renovate as the company competes for the XPrize for developing a commercial lunar landing capability.
Planet purchases three launches from Rocket Lab
Space News (7/12): San Francisco-based Planet, once known as Planet Labs, has acquired launch services from Rocket Labs for three CubeSat launches. Each launch will loft 20 and 25 CubeSats. Planet is a remote sensing satellite company.
Suborbital
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin venture gets set to pick up the pace for spaceship test flights
Geek Wire (7/12): Blue Origin intends to quicken the pace of test flights by its New Shepard launch vehicle. The first crewed flights launched from the company’s test facilities in West Texas are planned for next year, a company executive said at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference underway in San Diego.