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.
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Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says ongoing conflict, funding pressures and international travel restrictions are complicating efforts to contain a fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and expanded oil cooperation with Russia.
China will send an astronaut to its space station on Sunday for a one-year mission, the longest duration for the country so far. The mission will help study long-duration human physiology in space as China works toward a crewed Moon landing by 2030.
Anxiety over artificial intelligence is hardening among young workers as executives promote faster adoption and companies point to automation in fresh job cuts.
Hackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to detect software vulnerabilities, reducing the time organisations have to respond to cyber threats, Verizon said in its annual data breach report.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
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