SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully completed an initial test Wednesday to demonstrate a new capability that helps maintain the International Space Station’s (ISS) orbital altitude.
The spacecraft used two Draco engines located in its trunk, which houses an independent propellant system, to perform a burn lasting five minutes and three seconds. The maneuver raised the station’s lowest orbital point, or perigee, by around one mile (1.6 kilometers), positioning the ISS in an orbit of 260.9 x 256.3 miles above Earth.
NASA said the new boost system will support the space station through a series of longer burns planned periodically throughout fall 2025. These altitude adjustments are critical because atmospheric drag gradually lowers the station’s orbit. Without regular reboosts, the ISS could naturally reenter Earth’s atmosphere within one to two years, depending on solar activity levels.
Dragon arrived at the ISS on August 25 as part of SpaceX’s 33rd commercial resupply mission. The spacecraft is scheduled to remain docked until late December or early January before returning to Earth with research materials and cargo, splashing down off the coast of California.
The ISS, an orbiting laboratory operational since 1998, has hosted a continuous human presence for more than 23 years and is scheduled to end operations around 2030-2031 with a controlled deorbit.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estim...
Australia has returned two ancient stone statue heads to China, more than 30 years after they were taken from imperial tombs in central China....
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body responsible for monitoring money laundering and terrori...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia remains willing to rebuild relations with European countries but warned that any wider conflict on the continent would leave no winners, as he commented on recent diplomatic contacts with Nordic leaders and growing security concerns in the Baltic region.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
Two of the United States' largest technology companies reported robust revenue growth in their latest quarterly results, underscoring the continued impact of artificial intelligence and cloud computing on the sector.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has praised Kazakhstan’s AI ambitions, highlighting its potential to become a global hub for Physical AI, launch startups and transform industries.
Türkiye is preparing to sue Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, over age-inappropriate content on social media, Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has said.
A judge in the U.S. state of New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found the company misled consumers, in a case linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment