India’s first Martian probe makes historic arrival at the Red Planet

(Artists concept of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission successfully achieving Mars orbit – Photo Credit: ISRO)

India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft made history today as the car-sized probe fired its braking rockets and arrived at Mars on the nation’s first attempt to explore the Red Planet. India has now joined an elite club of only three other organisations – the Soviet Union (Soviet Space Program), the United States (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) – who have successfully launched and placed a probe into orbit around Mars.

Fourth SpaceX Dragon resupply craft arrives at International Space Station

(Dragon approaching the station while soaring over Africa – Photo Credit: Alexander Gerst/ESA)

SpaceX’s Dragon commercial cargo craft has completed a two day trip and has now arrived, and berthed, to the International Space Station following an early Sunday morning launch from Cape Canaveral.  

NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft enters orbit around Mars

(Simulation of MAVEN in orbit around Mars – Photo Credit: NASA)

After a 10-month 442 million mile interplanetary journey, NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered an orbit around Mars at 2:24 a.m on Monday 22nd September (10:24 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21).

MAVEN’s arrival at Mars to be broadcast live on NASA TV

(Artist’s concept of Maven in orbit around Mars – Photo Credit: NASA/GSFC)

NASA Television will broadcast the arrival and insertion of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft into orbit around Mars on Monday 22nd September from 1:30 am to 2:45 am GMT (9:30 to 10:45 p.m. EDT on Sept 21st).

How and when to watch Expedition 41/42’s launch to the International Space Station

(Wilmore, Samokutyaev and Serova – Photo Credit: NASA)

NASA have confirmed that they will provide extensive televised coverage of the launch of Barry “Butch” Wilmore of NASA and Alexander Samokutyaev and Yelena Serova of the Russian Federal Space Agency, who will lift off to the International Space Station on September 25th. 

After a 10 year journey, Rosetta arrives at Comet 67P

(Photo Credit: ESA/Rosetta)

After a decade-long journey, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft has today become the first vehicle to ever rendezvous with a comet. Rosetta has now established a stable orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after completing the last of a series of 10 rendezvous manoeuvres that adjusted Rosetta’s speed and trajectory to gradually match those of comet.