FAA Accepts Accident Report, Grants SpaceX License for Falcon 9 'Return to Flight'

By ken-kremer - January 06, 2017 07:55 PM UTC | Space Policy
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today "accepted the investigation report" regarding the results of SpaceX's investigation into the cause of the company's catastrophic Sept. 1, 2016 launch pad explosion of a Falcon 9 rocket in Florida, and simultaneously "granted a license" for the 'Return to Flight' blastoff of the private rocket from California as soon as next week - the FAA confirmed today to Universe Today, Friday, Jan. 6.
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SpaceX Finds Failure Cause, Announces Sunday Jan. 8 as Target for Falcon 9 Flight Resumption

By ken-kremer - January 02, 2017 11:40 PM UTC | Space Exploration
After an intensive four month investigation into why a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded without warning on the launch pad last September, the company today announced the failures likely cause as well as plans of a rapid resumption of flights as soon as next Sunday, Jan. 8, from their California launch complex – carrying a lucrative commercial payload of 10 advanced mobile relay satellites to orbit for Iridium Communications.
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Opportunity Celebrates Christmas/New Year on Mars Marching to Ancient Water Carved Gully

By ken-kremer - December 29, 2016 11:32 PM UTC | Planetary Science
On the brink of 4600 Sols of a profoundly impactful life, NASA's long lived Opportunity rover celebrates the Christmas/New Year's holiday season on Mars marching relentlessly towards an ancient water carved gully along the eroded rim of vast Endeavour crater - the next science target on her heroic journey traversing across never before seen Red Planet terrains.
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NASA Webb Telescope Structure is Sound After Vibration Testing Detects Anomaly

By ken-kremer - December 27, 2016 05:35 PM UTC | Telescopes
NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, MD - The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is now deemed "sound" and apparently unscathed, engineers have concluded, based on results from a new batch of intensive inspections of the observatory's structure, after concerns were raised in early December when technicians initially detected "anomalous readings" during a preplanned series of vibration tests, NASA announced Dec. 23.
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Merry Christmas From Space 2016

By ken-kremer - December 25, 2016 02:40 PM UTC | Missions
As we celebrate the Christmas tidings of 2016 here on Earth, a lucky multinational crew of astronauts and cosmonauts celebrate the festive season floating in Zero-G while living and working together in space aboard the Earth orbiting International Space Station (ISS) complex - peacefully cooperating to benefit all humanity.
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