Low Earth Orbit
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NASA
A New Compact Instrument Enables High-Fidelity Measurements of Energetic Particles on CubeSats
A team of NASA-sponsored scientists and engineers has developed a novel approach to observing high-energy particles in the near-Earth space environment, incorporating miniaturized sensors into a compact, multi-view particle detection instrument unlike any before it. Built for NASA’s Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss (REAL) CubeSat mission, the innovative instrument (also called REAL) enables more complete measurements of how energetic particles are…
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NASA
NASA Selects Voyager for Seventh Private Mission to Space Station
NASA and Voyager Technologies have signed an order for the seventh private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than 2028 from Florida. This is the company’s first selection for a private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, underscoring NASA’s ongoing investment in fostering a commercial space economy and expanding opportunities for private industry in…
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NASA
NASA Tech and Science Bound for Low Earth Orbit on Commercial Launch
Technology and science demonstrations, supported by various NASA industry collaborations and agency developments, are set to launch to low Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the company’s Transporter-16 commercial rideshare mission. These demonstrations will test thermal protection systems, advance in-space communications, deepen our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere, and foster capabilities for NASA’s exploration, innovation, and…
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NASA
The Overview Effect: Astronaut Perspectives from 25 Years in Low Earth Orbit
To see Earth from space is to be forever changed by the view. Since Alan Shepard became the first American to lay eyes on our home planet from above, countless NASA astronauts have described feeling awed by the astonishing sight and a profound shift in perspective that followed. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick points his camera through a cupola window as…
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NASA
NASA Sees Key Progress on Starlab Commercial Space Station
As NASA continues its transition toward a commercial low Earth orbit marketplace, an agency-supported commercial space station, Starlab, recently completed five development and design milestones. Starlab’s planned design consists of a service module and a habitat that will be launched to orbit on a single flight. The milestones, part of a NASA Space Act Agreement awarded in 2021, focused on reviews…
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Press Releases
ISS National Lab Partners with AIAA to Expand ASCEND with Low Earth Orbit-Focused Sessions in 2025 and 2026
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®), manager of the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, is joining forces with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to expand programming for the upcoming ASCEND events in Las Vegas July 22-24, 2025, and in Washington, D.C. in 2026. For more than a decade, CASIS acted as the lead sponsor of the annual ISS Research and…
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NASA
NASA Finalizes Strategy for Sustaining Human Presence in Low Earth Orbit
As part of the agency’s efforts to enable broader use of space, NASA has released its final goals and objectives for low Earth orbit, defining the long-term approach toward advancing microgravity science, technology, and exploration for the benefit of all. Developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders, NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Microgravity Strategy will guide the agency toward…
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Press Releases
Sierra Space Signs Agreements to Advance Manufacturing in Microgravity
–Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and defense tech prime that is Building a Platform in Space to Benefit Life on Earth®, announced today two new agreements to further the advancement of manufacturing in the microgravity environments of Low Earth Orbit (LEO). “To create a strong space economy, we must harness microgravity, and to do that, it’s important to…
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NASA
NASA’s Commercial Partners Make Progress on Low Earth Orbit Projects
NASA and its commercial partners continue to drive innovation in space exploration, achieving milestones that will ultimately benefit human spaceflight and commercial low Earth orbit efforts. These recent achievements from NASA’s industry partners include completed safety milestones, successful flight tests, and major technological advancements. “Our commercial partners’ growing capabilities in low Earth orbit underscore NASA’s commitment to advance scientific discovery,…
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Press Releases
AST SpaceMobile Successfully Completes Unfolding of First Five Commercial Satellites in Low Earth Orbit
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced the successful unfolding of its first five commercial satellites, BlueBirds 1-5. With this significant post-launch technical activity now complete, ahead of schedule at 6 weeks after the launch…
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