SpaceX aborted Starship Flight 13 on July 16
SpaceX had to call off the launch of Starship Flight 13 on July 16 after several engines failed to start during the final seconds. The mission was grounded because the rocket systems did not confirm all engines were ready for liftoff.
This delay happens during the final countdown, which is when the automated computer systems check every part of the vehicle to ensure it is safe to fly. If one piece does not report back correctly, the system shuts everything down to prevent damage.
Elon Musk says the team is already working on the next attempt in the coming days, while engineers are likely checking their coffee machines and sensors to make sure the next try goes smoother.
#SpaceX #Starship #Space
SpaceX had to call off the launch of Starship Flight 13 on July 16 after several engines failed to start during the final seconds. The mission was grounded because the rocket systems did not confirm all engines were ready for liftoff.
This delay happens during the final countdown, which is when the automated computer systems check every part of the vehicle to ensure it is safe to fly. If one piece does not report back correctly, the system shuts everything down to prevent damage.
Elon Musk says the team is already working on the next attempt in the coming days, while engineers are likely checking their coffee machines and sensors to make sure the next try goes smoother.
#SpaceX #Starship #Space
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NASA moves 130-foot Artemis IV tank in New Orleans
NASA achieved a major milestone on May 15, 2026, by moving the massive 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank for the Artemis IV mission at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. 🚀
This giant fuel tank serves as the heart of the rocket's core stage, providing the power needed to launch the crew toward the Moon. Now that it is inside the test facility, engineers can ensure every seal and joint is ready for the rigors of flight.
Here is what is happening behind the scenes:
➖ The tank moved from the main factory production cell into a separate, specialized test building.
➖ It is situated on a massive 829-acre site dedicated to spacecraft assembly.
➖ New stress testing will confirm the hardware can handle the extreme forces of liftoff.
While Artemis III is the mission tasked with returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years, Artemis IV is already shifting focus to expand infrastructure for a long-term presence by delivering new modules for the Gateway space station.
#NASA #Artemis #Space
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NASA achieved a major milestone on May 15, 2026, by moving the massive 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank for the Artemis IV mission at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. 🚀
This giant fuel tank serves as the heart of the rocket's core stage, providing the power needed to launch the crew toward the Moon. Now that it is inside the test facility, engineers can ensure every seal and joint is ready for the rigors of flight.
Here is what is happening behind the scenes:
➖ The tank moved from the main factory production cell into a separate, specialized test building.
➖ It is situated on a massive 829-acre site dedicated to spacecraft assembly.
➖ New stress testing will confirm the hardware can handle the extreme forces of liftoff.
While Artemis III is the mission tasked with returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years, Artemis IV is already shifting focus to expand infrastructure for a long-term presence by delivering new modules for the Gateway space station.
The precision required to construct a component of this scale is truly impressive.
#NASA #Artemis #Space
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First 'exosatellite' discovered 71 light-years away
A team led by Kevin Hoy from the Universidad Diego Portales and the European Southern Observatory has identified an object located 71 light-years from us. This detection of the first confirmed 'exosatellite' complicates our neat definitions of stars, planets, and moons.
An 'exosatellite' is essentially a moon orbiting a planet outside our own solar system. We have always grouped space objects into simple, tidy buckets: stars, planets, and moons. The discovery of this object shows that these categories are not as rigid as our school textbooks suggest. ✨
Previously, the search for life in space focused almost entirely on finding isolated planets. Detecting this satellite is a significant step forward from just scanning for those larger parent planets, as these smaller objects are much harder to spot due to their size.
What other hidden objects are we missing right under our noses?
#space #astronomy #science
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A team led by Kevin Hoy from the Universidad Diego Portales and the European Southern Observatory has identified an object located 71 light-years from us. This detection of the first confirmed 'exosatellite' complicates our neat definitions of stars, planets, and moons.
An 'exosatellite' is essentially a moon orbiting a planet outside our own solar system. We have always grouped space objects into simple, tidy buckets: stars, planets, and moons. The discovery of this object shows that these categories are not as rigid as our school textbooks suggest. ✨
Previously, the search for life in space focused almost entirely on finding isolated planets. Detecting this satellite is a significant step forward from just scanning for those larger parent planets, as these smaller objects are much harder to spot due to their size.
The universe rarely fits into the boxes we build for it.
What other hidden objects are we missing right under our noses?
#space #astronomy #science
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