NASA and Boeing finalize $2.8 billion SLS contract

(Artist’s conception of the SLS – Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC)

Following the completion of a Critical Design Review (CDR), Boeing has signed a $2.8 billion contract with NASA to begin full production of the core stage of the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS), the first human space exploration vessel since Saturn V – the rocket that sent man to the moon.

Image of the Day: 13/6/14

(Photo Credit: NASA/Rad Sinyak)

This is NASA’s Orion crew module in the Final Assembly and System Testing Cell (FAST), preparing for its first flight in December. 

Morpheus, NASA’s robotic lander, completes it’s first night time flight

(During flight – Photo Credit: NASA)

NASA’s Morpheus lander, a prototype for landing on other planets, completed its first-ever night flight test at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre late last month, flying more than 800 feet (244 meters) into the air and landing safely.

NASA announces two upcoming undersea missions

(Aquanauts during NASA’s NEEMO 16 mission – Photo Credit: ESA/Herve Stevenin)

NASA has confirmed that they will conduct two missions on the ocean floor over the course of the summer. Aquanauts will participate in the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) where underwater activities will produce valuable information for future International Space Station and space exploration missions.