US firm Indigo Partners sets new terms for Icelandic airline Wow Air investment March 9, 2019 Indigo Partners has set new terms for its proposed investment in Icelandic airline Wow Air, which has faced months of financial difficulty and was forced to ask lenders for an extra month to negotiate with the US investment company two weeks ago. The firm had originally proposed to inject $75m over 10 years in return for a 49 [...]
Space X unmanned capsule splashes down after space centre mission March 8, 2019 An unmanned capsule from Elon Musk’s Space X has splashed down successfully in the Atlantic Ocean after a short-term stay on the International Space Station. The landing marks the end of the first orbital test mission as NASA looks to resume human space travel from US soil this year. Read more: Space X Dragon capsule successfully [...]
Space X Dragon capsule successfully docks with International Space Station March 3, 2019 A capsule launched by Elon Musk’s Space X successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) today as part of its demonstration mission. The Dragon vehicle made the attachment autonomously having launched on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 4.9 metre tall capsule contained a dummy called Ripley and 90kg of supplies. It [...]
Space X launches unmanned crew capsule to International Space Station in step forward for sending humans into orbit March 2, 2019 Elon Musk’s Space X on Saturday took a giant leap forward in its quest to resume human space flight from US soil, launching a rocket with an unmanned crew capsule towards the International Space Station. Space X’s 4.9 metre tall Crew Dragon capsule, on a Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center [...]
Japanese space probe Hayabusa 2 successfully lands on asteroid February 22, 2019 A Japanese space probe has touched down on an asteroid 186 miles from Earth to collect samples that scientists hope will shed clues about the origins of life. The spacecraft, Hayabusa 2, named after the Japanese word for falcon, landed on the 3,000ft asteroid Ryugu this morning, more than four years after it launched from [...]
Space X and Boeing design risks threaten US access to the International Space Station February 21, 2019 Nasa has warned Space X and Boeing about safety concerns for their competing astronaut launch systems, threatening to delay US plans to revive its human spaceflight programme later this year. Nasa forged agreements with Space X for $2.6bn (£2bn) and Boeing for $4.2bn to build rocket and capsule launch systems to take astronauts to the International Space [...]
UK Space Agency fires £18m into Oneweb for a global communications network in space February 18, 2019 The UK Space Agency has invested £18m into building a new global communications network in space, provided by Softbank-backed London satellite firm Oneweb. Named Project Sunrise, the system will initially be comprised of around 650 satellites, before expanding to more than 900 satellites over time. While on a visit to the European Space Agency today, science [...]
The final frontier: Opportunities for global Britain lie in the stars February 11, 2019 This summer marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first humans landing on the moon on 20 July 1969. It was a defining moment of human achievement that still intrigues and fascinates to this day. First Man, Hollywood’s look at the life of the astronaut Neil Armstrong, played by Ryan Gosling, has just been nominated for [...]
Tesla to buy battery firm Maxwell Technologies for $218m February 4, 2019 Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has agreed to buy energy storage firm Maxwell Technologies for $218m, as part of an all-stock deal to help Tesla build better batteries. Maxwell has developed tech that can help increase the driving range of electric cars while reducing the battery cost. Existing customers of the firm include General Motors and [...]
Elon Musk test fires new Space X Raptor rocket engine for Starship space craft February 4, 2019 Eccentric tech billionaire Elon Musk’s space exploration company Space X has test fired the Raptor engine for its Starship space craft. Musk tweeted videos of the tests today from Space X’s Texas base. Read more: Elon Musk wants you to work 100 hours a week First firing of Starship Raptor flight engine! So proud of [...]