in spaceflight
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After an Explosive First Attempt, Japan Will Try Again to Launch the H3 Rocket
The H3 rocket—11 years in the making—is set for its second launch, following a flubbed debut in March 2023. Japan urgently needs the rocket to succeed, with a second failure risking further delays and monumental headaches for Japan’s space program. H3 is ready to fly again after its botched maiden launch last year, with Japan’s…
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Dying Moon Lander Sends Back Final Image Before the Long Lunar Night
Japan’s SLIM, the Smart Lander for Investigation Moon, has entered a dormant mode on the Moon’s Shioli Crater, facing a 14-day lunar night with temperatures dropping below -200 degrees Fahrenheit. Night has fallen at Shioli Crater, and that means it’s likely the end of the line for SLIM. The lander has been placed into hibernation…
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An Ambitious Mission to Venus Is Set to Launch in 2031
The EnVision mission to Venus was officially adopted by the European Space Agency last week, which means the organisation has committed to getting the spacecraft Venus-bound by the early 2030s. EnVision is a planned Venus orbiter designed to study the planet from its upper atmosphere to its core. Venus is in many ways a black…
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A First-of-Its-Kind ‘Pinpoint’ Moon Landing Could Happen This Week
We’re still reeling from last week’s Astrobotic failure, in which a catastrophic propellant leak rendered the Peregrine lunar lander incapable of completing its Moon landing mission. It’s not the outcome we were hoping for, but the global space community doesn’t have to wait long for another opportunity at lunar exploration success: Japan’s SLIM is slated…