ScientistPankaj: Russia launches heavy-lift Angara rocket on 3rd test flight, but misses intended orbit

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December 30, 2021

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The Launchpad

Russia launches heavy-lift Angara rocket on 3rd test flight, but misses intended orbit

(Russian Ministry of Defense)

A year after its last launch, Russia's newest rocket lifted off again — and things didn't go entirely according to plan. The third test flight of the Angara A5 rocket took off from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia on Monday (Dec. 27). The launcher reached low Earth orbit but was unable to go higher as planned due to an engine failure in its upper-stage Persei booster, according to media reports.

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China has moon's south pole in its sights with 3 missions launching this decade

China has formally approved three missions targeting the south pole of the moon, with the first to launch around 2024. The missions dubbed Chang'e 6, Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 will launch across the 2020s, each with different goals and an array of spacecraft. The trio make up the so-called fourth phase for the Chinese lunar exploration program, which most recently landed on the moon last December with a sample-return mission dubbed Chang'e 5.

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Spaceflight

James Webb Space Telescope uncovers massive sunshield in next step of risky deployment

(NASA)

The James Webb Space Telescope has unwrapped its sunshield, crossing another important item off of its lengthy and risky deployment to-do list. After successfully extending its deployable tower assembly on Thursday (Dec. 29), the telescope had the room to begin the preliminary steps to unfurl its gigantic sunshield. Today (Dec. 30), mission teams completed two major next steps: deploying the James Webb Space Telescope's aft momentum flap and releasing the sunshield's protective membrane cover.

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Here's how to follow the progress of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's new $10 billion observatory is completing a nerve-wracking sequence of steps to reach its final configuration and location. You can track the observatory throughout the deployment process at the NASA website dedicated to the mission. The website includes details about the spacecraft's location, speed and temperatures.

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NASA assigns 2 astronauts to SpaceX Crew-6 mission

The first two seats of the sixth full-fledged NASA crew mission launched by SpaceX have been filled. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg will both fly aboard the Crew-6 mission, which is due to blast off to the International Space Station in 2023.

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7 things the International Space Station taught us in 2021

The International Space Station is the world's most extreme and expensive scientific laboratory. In its more than 20 years of operations it has housed thousands of experiments, providing fascinating insights into the effects of microgravity on the human body, cultured cells or various materials and chemical processes. Here are the most interesting findings that the space station delivered in 2021.

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Science & Astronomy

The 10 wildest things we learned about black holes in 2021

(Pixabay)

Scientists who study black holes can rest assured that their field will deliver astounding and mind-bending findings, year after year. And 2021 was no exception, with many exciting new results regarding these strange gravitational beasts. Here, we take a look at this year's most captivating black hole discoveries and how they've advanced our understanding of the universe.

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The 10 biggest space science stories of 2021

Researchers have turned the Earth into a giant telescope to view powerful jets from a black hole. Solar system surveys have revealed new moons and massive comets previously lurking undetected by scientists. The sun has also been a main attraction for research as it reawakens from its recent slumber. Here's our look back at the 10 biggest space stories of 2021.

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With COVID-19 on the rise again, 'Super Bowl of astronomy' next month canceled

As COVID-19 infection rates rise once again, the leaders of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) have canceled the major conference scheduled for early January, sometimes nicknamed the "Super Bowl of astronomy" by space fans.

Full Story: Space (12/30)

Hear the largest moon in the solar system sing in new squeaky Juno video

The magnetosphere of Jupiter's moon Ganymede sounds like a dial-up modem in a newly released audio clip from NASA. This month the team behind the space agency's Juno mission published new data from the spacecraft, including a 49-second audio track generated from data collected by Juno's Waves instrument.

Full Story: Space (12/30)

SpaceX

1st orbital test flight of SpaceX's Starship Mars rocket pushed to March at the earliest

(SpaceX)

We'll have to wait a bit longer for the orbital debut of SpaceX's Starship Mars rocket. SpaceX had been aiming to launch Starship on its first orbital test flight in January or February, provided that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wrapped up a programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) of the company's South Texas launch site by Dec. 31 as planned.

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SpaceX fires up Starship SN20 prototype again ahead of landmark test flight

SpaceX's latest Starship prototype has breathed fire again. The Starship SN20 vehicle performed a "static fire" test on Wednesday (Dec. 29) at the company's Starbase site in South Texas, briefly igniting its Raptor engines while remaining anchored to the ground.

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China's Tianhe space station module dodged SpaceX Starlink satellites twice this year

China moved its Tianhe space station module twice this year to avoid SpaceX Starlink internet satellites, and the nation apparently isn't too happy about it. Chinese officials filed a note with the United Nations (UN) earlier this month explaining that Starlink spacecraft had two "close encounters" with Tianhe this year, both of them occurring when astronauts were aboard the module.

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Skywatching

When, where and how to see the planets in 2022

(NASA)

When will you be able to see the planets at their best in 2022? This guide will tell you. It will also provide information about when a particular planet might be passing close to another, or a bright star, as well as the constellation that each will occupy during the course of the year. And you'll learn about the various circumstances — conjunctions, oppositions, and elongations — that are on this upcoming year’s schedule. Let's get to it!

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Telescope deals: Top picks from Celestron and others

There are a good number of year-end telescope deals available, if you're trying to pick up a cheap model. If you’re looking to gift a new telescope to a budding astronomer, you’re in luck, as plenty of the best telescopes for beginners and best telescopes for kids are currently discounted.

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Entertainment

Lego to launch NASA-inspired moon sets in time for Artemis 1 launch

(Lego/collectSPACE.com)

Lego is launching a new series of building toys themed around NASA's Artemis program just in time to coincide with the first mission. The toy company recently revealed the first two of its NASA-inspired Lego City Space sets with hints of more to come. The new Rocket Launch Center and Lunar Research Base are scheduled for release on March 1, 2022.

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An exclusive 1st look at 'Star Trek: Discovery – The Book of Grudge' from Hero Collector

"Star Trek: Discovery - The Book of Grudge" will be published Jan. 4, 2022, just weeks before the Season 4 finale of "Star Trek: Discovery." It's available meow for pre-order and it will be priced at $14.95 in the US and $19.95 in Canada.

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Star Wars

The Book of Boba Fett is now streaming on Disney+

(Disney+)

Disney's latest live-action spinoff series from the "Star Wars" universe hit Disney Plus Wednesday (Dec. 29), with the first episode of the limited series focusing on arguably the galaxy's most notorious mercenary: Boba Fett.

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Dark Horse reclaims publishing rights for more 'Star Wars' comics in 2022

In a homecoming seven years in the making, Oregon-based Dark Horse Comics will once again be spinning tales of cosmic adventure in the Star Wars universe in a new agreement with Lucasfilm and Disney Worldwide Publishing. Launching in the spring of 2022, this partnership will offer a fresh lineup of all-ages "Star Wars" comics and graphic novels inspired by all eras of the franchise’s creative world, from the High Republic, to the New Republic, the Imperial regime, to the rise and fall of the First Order.

Full Story: Space (12/29)