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☆ The science you need to know before seeing 'Twisters'
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewYou don't need to know a lot about tornadoes to understand the massive storms you'll see on screen in the new film "Twisters," debuting in US theaters Friday. 22 science terms to know before seeing 'Twisters'Cap: A layer of warm air thousands of feet high in the atmosphere that can slow or stop the formation of a thunderstorm. Sandwiched between warm, moist air and cold, dry air, the cap can also increase instability and cause a severe storm if it's removed. Eric Kurth/NOAADoppler radar: The National Weather Service's Doppler radars look like they have giant golf balls sitting on top of them. Recent research suggests severe storm activity is shifting to states like Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Persons: —, Eric Kurth, Ted Fujita, Paul Huffman, Sakuhei Fujiwhara, Matthew Cappucci, it's, Paul Markowski, Yvette Richardson, Joseph, Louis Lagrange, Sean Waugh Organizations: Service, Business, The Washington Post, NOAA, Tornadoes, NWS, FEMA, NASA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, Library, Laboratory Locations: Elkhart , Indiana, Oklahoma, It's, Norman , Oklahoma, Kansas, Kansas , Nebraska , Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama , Arkansas , Kentucky, Louisiana , Mississippi, Tennessee

☆ US astronauts had to take shelter after a Russian satellite broke into over 100 pieces near the ISS
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

US astronauts took shelter on the ISS after a Russian satellite broke up nearby, NASA said. The satellite, RESURS-P1, was decommissioned in 2021 and recently created over 100 pieces of debris. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementUS astronauts on the International Space Station were told to take shelter for about an hour after a Russian satellite broke up nearby, according to authorities. That's about 1 a.m. for the astronauts, who follow UTC time on the ISS.

Persons: — Organizations: NASA, Service, Space, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Business Locations: Russian

☆ SpaceX is building a NASA craft to intentionally destroy the International Space Station after retiring
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A satellite image shows an overview of the International Space Station with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, June 7, 2024. NASA will have a spacecraft from Elon Musk's SpaceX guide the International Space Station's destruction later this decade, the agency announced Wednesday. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to build the so-called "U.S. Deorbit Vehicle." The spacecraft will be designed to guide the football-field-sized research laboratory back into the Earth's atmosphere after retiring in 2030. "It is crucial to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the International Space Station in a controlled manner," NASA said in a press release, with the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle needed to "ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas."

Organizations: International, Boeing, NASA, Elon, SpaceX, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Deorbit, International Space, U.S . Deorbit

☆ Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders who took iconic ‘Earthrise’ photo dies in plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Joe Sutton | Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —William Anders, a NASA astronaut who was part of the 1968 Apollo 8 crew who were the first three people to orbit the moon, has died in a plane crash in Washington state, according to his son, Gregory Anders. Anders served as a fighter pilot in all-weather interception squadrons of the Air Defense Command in California and Iceland, according to NASA and the US Naval Academy. Taken aboard Apollo 8 by William Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell aboard. Anders served as the lunar module pilot for the historic flight. Anders served as Executive Secretary for the National Aeronautics and Space Council from 1969 to 1973, according to NASA.

Persons: William Anders, Gregory Anders, ” Anders, Anders, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, ”, Lovell, Borman, Gerald Ford, Bill Nelson, “ Bill Anders, ” Nelson, Valerie, CNN’s Ashley Strickland Organizations: CNN, NASA, San Juan County Sheriff’s, United States Coast Guard, United States Naval Academy, US Air Force, US Naval, Air Defense Command, US Naval Academy, Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Apollo, Time Magazine, National Aeronautics, Space Council, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Locations: Washington, San Juan Islands, San Juan County, Jones, Seattle, Hong Kong, California, Iceland, New Mexico

☆ Boeing, NASA say Starliner astronaut launch will move forward despite spacecraft helium leak
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Boeing and NASA are moving forward with the launch of the company's Starliner capsule, set to carry U.S. astronauts for the first time, despite a "stable" leak in the spacecraft's propulsion system. "We are comfortable with the causes that we've identified for this specific leak," Boeing Vice President and manager of the company's Commercial Crew program, Mark Nappi, said during a press conference on Friday. "We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue," Nappi added. Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft, with backup opportunities on June 2, June 5 and June 6. To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.

Persons: Mark Nappi, Nappi Organizations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, United Launch Alliance, Boeing's, NASA's Boeing, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Boeing, International Space Locations: Florida

☆ In a high-stakes test, Boeing will launch NASA astronauts to space for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After years of delays, Boeing is finally set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on its Starliner spacecraft. ET, atop an Atlas V rocket at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams will pilot the Starliner on its inaugural crewed flight — a crucial final test before NASA can authorize Boeing to conduct routine flights to and from the space station for the agency. If successful, the flight will enable Boeing to challenge the dominance held by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has been ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the orbiting outpost since 2020. At a preflight briefing last week, Wilmore said safety is paramount and that previous Starliner launch attempts — both uncrewed and crewed — were delayed because the capsule simply was not ready until now.

Persons: Astronauts Barry, Butch, Wilmore, Sunita Williams, Elon Musk's Organizations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, United, Alliance, Boeing's, NASA's Boeing, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Boeing, International, Atlas, Canaveral Space Force, Astronauts, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX Locations: Florida

☆ NASA's chief says China is being 'very, very secretive' and pretending its space projects aren't linked to the military
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NASA chief Bill Nelson accused China on Wednesday of secretly working on military projects in space. Nelson told lawmakers that NASA believes Beijing is masking these projects as civilian efforts. "We believe that a lot of their, so-called civilian space programs is a military program," Nelson continued. Related storiesThe NASA chief alluded to the Spratly Islands, an archipelago in the South China Sea claimed by several nations. Meanwhile, China has repeatedly denied that it intends to establish any military presence in outer space.

Persons: Bill Nelson, Nelson, —, Artemis Organizations: NASA, China, Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, South China, Artemis Accords, Alxa League, Inner, Getty, UN, Embassy, Business Locations: Beijing, China, Spratly Islands, South, Russia, Alxa, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Washington , DC

☆ Opinion: NASA was America’s crown jewel. After the Columbia disaster it was never quite the same
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Opinion Douglas Brinkley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Space Shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. The environmentally controlled chamber was mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for access into the orbiter. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock High School had an experiment on board Space Shuttle Columbia.

Persons: Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff, John F, Kennedy, ”, Douglas Brinkley Moore Huffman, Nancy Currie, Gregg, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Sean O’Keefe, Jeff Bezos, Lockheed Martin, Sir Richard Branson, “ Organizations: Rice University, CNN, Shuttle Columbia, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Russian Space Agency, Russia, United Arab, Challenger, Columbia, Space, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Shuttle, Investigation, Elon, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Boeing, Lockheed, Virgin Galactic, JFK Locations: China, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Columbia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, American

☆ NASA had an ambitious $2 billion plan to refuel satellites in orbit using robotic arms. A decade later, it's in shambles.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is giving up its mission to refuel old satellites in orbit, putting an end to an ambitious $2 billion project plagued by delays and technical setbacks. The administration said on Friday that it's discontinuing the effort after an independent review, citing "continued technical, cost, and schedule challenges." NASA said it's working on mitigating the impact of the OSAM-1's cancellation on staff at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA and Maxar did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Persons: —, wasn't, Maxar, it's Organizations: Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Business, Technologies, Staff, Goddard Space Flight, CNBC Locations: California, Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ At SpaceX, worker injuries soar in Elon Musk’s rush to Mars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +35 min

Through interviews and government records, the news organization documented at least 600 injuries of SpaceX workers since 2014. The more than 600 SpaceX injuries Reuters documented represent only a portion of the total case count, a figure that is not publicly available. SpaceX injury data reporting failures SpaceX facilities failed to submit injury data annually, as required by regulators, for most years since 2016. Workers welded rocket parts up to 12 hours a day, six days a week, often in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the SpaceX workers said. The accident occurred when he and other SpaceX employees were being transferred between two vessels.

Persons: Lonnie LeBlanc, LeBlanc, LeBlanc’s, hasn’t, Musk, ”, Tom Moline, Francisco Cabada, Cabada’s, Elon Musk, Ydy Cabada, Kennedy didn’t, Kennedy, “, Jordan Barab, Travis Carson, Carson, entrepreneurism, Jeff Bezos, Chris Cunnington, Phillip Fruge, ” Fruge, ” Carson, Elon, Carson “, Florentino Rios, Rios, Rios inched, Richard Hinojosa, ” Rios, Cabada, Ydy, SpaceX hasn’t, Michael Sanchez, ” Sanchez, Francisco’s, Evelyn Cabada, ” Barab, Boring, Paige Holland, Musk’s, Moline, Gwynne Shotwell, ” Shotwell, Shotwell, CalOSHA, Ann Rosenthal, Steven Trollinger’s, Trollinger, –, Chris Weimer, Ron Weimer Organizations: Elon, SpaceX, U.S . Marine Corps, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, Musk’s, V2, Reuters, Regulators, Kennedy Space Center, U.S . National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, ” Reuters, California OSHA, CalOSHA, ”, Workers, Boeing, Cabada, Boring Company, National Labor Relations Board, billionaire’s, Federal Locations: McGregor , Texas, LeBlanc, amputations, Hawthorne , California, Brownsville , Texas, Redmond , Washington, Florida, Cape Canaveral, California, Brownsville, Texas, Mexico, Moline, Carson, American, SpaceX’s Brownsville, Rios, Hawthorne, Los Angeles, “, ” Holland, Thielen, Holland, Federal, After Texas

☆ Crashed Russian mission left a crater on the moon, NASA images show
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Luna-25, Russia's first moon mission in 47 years, failed on Aug. 19 when it spun out of control and crashed into the moon, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft imaged a new crater on the surface of the moon that it concluded was the likely the impact site of Russia's Luna 25 mission. "The new crater is about 10 meters in diameter," NASA said. "Since this new crater is close to the Luna-25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor." After the crash, Moscow said a special inter-departmental commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the Luna-25 craft.

Persons: Russia's Luna, Luna, Russia's, Yuri Gagarin, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: NASA, Reconnaissance, U.S . National Aeronautics and, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia's, Moscow, Soviet

☆ EV startup Canoo names board member Greg Ethridge as CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Canoo Inc FollowWalmart Inc FollowAug 28 (Reuters) - Electric-vehicle startup Canoo (GOEV.O) on Monday named board member Greg Ethridge as its chief financial officer, succeeding Ken Manget. The company, whose shares have fallen 57% so far this year, said this move was effective immediately. Ethridge has agreed to resign from Canoo's board of directors, a position he has held since 2020, by the end of the year. Canoo has contracts with the U.S. Defense Department for supply of advanced battery packs, Walmart (WMT.N) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for supplying electric vehicles. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Greg Ethridge, Ken Manget, Ethridge, Manget, Canoo, Jaspreet Singh, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Walmart, U.S . Defense Department, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Micah Maidenberg — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Micah MaidenbergMicah Maidenberg is a reporter covering the business of space and aviation safety in The Wall Street Journal’s Chicago bureau. As part of his work, he also focuses on government agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Prior to his current role, Micah worked as a breaking news reporter for the Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. He began writing about business and economic issues for Crain’s Chicago Business, where he reported on real estate, manufacturing and transportation. He also completed an investigative-reporting fellowship at the Columbia University School of Journalism, where he earned a master's degree.

Persons: Micah Maidenberg Micah Maidenberg, Micah, Dow Jones Newswires Organizations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Journal, Dow, Crain’s Chicago Business, Columbia University School of Journalism Locations: Chicago

☆ EV maker Canoo posts smaller-than-expected loss on lower costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a Canoo LDV (Lifestyle Delivery Van) electric vehicle in a manufacturing site in Livonia, Michigan, U.S. November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoAug 14 (Reuters) - Electric-vehicle maker Canoo (GOEV.O) posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss on Monday on lower research and development costs, sending its shares up 2% in extended trading. The company also unveiled its new lifestyle delivery vehicle 190, that has increased payload load capacity and body length compared with the original lifestyle delivery vehicle 130. Canoo's loss narrowed to $70.9 million in the second quarter from $164.4 million a year earlier. Research and development costs fell about 67% in the quarter, lowering operating expenses to $73.6 million from $173.5 million a year earlier.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Canoo, Tony Aquila, Zaheer Kachwala, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: REUTERS, Research, EV, U.S Defense Department, Walmart, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Department of Defense, Thomson Locations: Livonia , Michigan, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Fact Check-Gemini 9 space mission simulation taken as genuine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A simulation of a spacewalk on the Gemini 9 mission aired by CBS in 1966 has been shared on social media as if it were real. The clip on social media is visible around 48:18 minutes. The segment is clearly labeled a spacewalk simulation. The broadcast, hosted by Walter Cronkite, labels the video a “McDonnell simulation” at 48:10. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts ( here ).

Persons: Eva, ”, Tom Stafford, Gene Cernan, Walter Cronkite, McDonnell, Read Organizations: CBS, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, Gemini, Reuters Locations: St Louis

☆ US Senator Warren, others warn against L3Harris plan to buy Aerojet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat and frequent merger critic, joined three other lawmakers on Tuesday to urge the Defense Department to thoroughly review defense contractor L3Harris Technologies' (LHX.N) $4.7 billion deal for Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings (AJRD.N). The letter was sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. In addition to Warren, the letter was signed by Representatives Chris Deluzio, John Garamendi and Mark Pocan. With the Ukraine war driving up demand for missiles and defense systems, Aerojet became an attractive takeover target. Aerojet develops and manufactures liquid and solid rocket propulsion and hypersonic engines for space, defense, civil and commercial applications.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Lockheed Martin, Lloyd Austin, William LaPlante, Chris Deluzio, John Garamendi, Mark Pocan, Aerojet, Diane Bartz, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Defense Department, L3Harris Technologies, Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, The Defense Department, Raytheon, Boeing, Defense, L3 Technologies, Harris Corp, United, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, United States

The flight marks a decisive moment for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), the space tourism venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson in 2004, as it inaugurates commercial service following several years fraught with development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. Virgin Galactic has said it has already booked a backlog of some 800 customers, charging from $250,000 to $450,000 per seat, and envisions eventually building a large enough fleet to accommodate 400 flights annually. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Italy, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, VSS Unity, International Space, Air Force, America, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, Italy, British, Italian, Los Angeles

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years fraught by development setbacks. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe, Branson, Burt Rutan, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Virgin, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, VSS Unity, America, Galactic, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, . Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Los Angeles

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years of fraught by development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

The flight, dubbed Galactic 01, comes two years after Branson himself rode along with five other Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (SPCE.N) personnel for the company's first fully crewed test spaceflight of its rocket plane, VSS Unity. Back then, Virgin Galactic officials said they expected to begin regular commercial operations in 2022 following additional test flights. Virgin Galactic had projected booking its first 1,000 paying customers, charging about $250,000 per seat, by the time commercial service opened. An earlier prototype of Virgin Galactic's rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. Billionaire rival Jeff Bezos, whose astro-tourist venture Blue Origin has already flown several commercial passenger flights, has disparaged Virgin Galactic as falling short of a true spaceflight experience.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe Skipper, Branson, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson's, Jeff Bezos, Virgin, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin, Unity, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc, VSS, Galactic, SpaceX, Origin, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, . Air Force, America, Corporate, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Branson, Bezos, Los Angeles

June 16 (Reuters) - Ball Corp (BALL.N), the world's largest supplier of beer cans, is exploring a sale of its business that provides aerospace and national defense hardware, such as sensors and antennas, for over $5 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Ball launched an auction process to sell the aerospace unit in recent weeks, the sources said. Spokespeople for Ball and Textron did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while BAE declined to comment. Ball shares rose 7% to $58.57 in afternoon trading in New York on Friday, giving the company a market value of more than $18 billion. The aerospace business has been generating steady albeit limited cash flow for Ball, accounting for $170 million out of its $1.45 billion in comparable operating earnings in 2022.

Persons: Ball, David Carnevali, Leslie Adler, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Ball Corp, BAE Systems, Textron, Ball, BAE, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Oceanic, Thomson Locations: Westminster , Colorado, New York

Companies Boeing Co FollowJune 7 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) was sued on Wednesday by a Colorado company that accused the aerospace giant of stealing trade secrets for NASA's Space Launch System rocket, and then building components with "critical" safety flaws that could endanger astronauts. "Boeing has captured billions of dollars in revenue because of the infringement of Wilson's trade secrets," and must turn over "all revenues and profits Boeing has obtained as a result," the complaint said. Wilson also said Boeing stole trade secrets related to bolt installation tools for its 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Boeing has described NASA's Space Launch System as the most powerful rocket ever built, and "the backbone for a permanent human presence in deep space." The case is Wilson Aerospace LLC v Boeing Co, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, No.

Persons: Wilson, David Wilson, Jonathan Stempel, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Boeing Co, Boeing, Wilson Aerospace, NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Western District of Washington, Thomson Locations: Colorado, Seattle, Arlington , Virginia, Fort Collins , Colorado, Western District, New York

☆ Fact Check-Image does not show photo captured by the James Webb telescope
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An image showing dark grey clouds and small specks of light on Jupiter is an illustration created using data from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jupiter mission ‘Juno’, and not a photograph captured by the James Webb Space Telescope as being claimed by some social media users. The graphic can be found on a page on NASA's website titled “Shallow Lightning on Jupiter (Illustration)” (here), credited to Gerald Eichstädt, a “citizen scientist” with NASA who contributes to the Juno mission (here). NASA launched the infrared James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021, describing it as the premiere space-science observatory of the next decade. The image of a storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere is an illustration, not a photograph captured by the James Webb Telescope. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

Persons: ’, James Webb, Gerald Eichstädt, Juno, NASA’s, Read Organizations: U.S . National Aeronautics and Space, NASA, James Webb Space Telescope, James, Reuters

☆ Fact Check-Actor playing Stanley Kubrick discusses staging moon landing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick did not admit to helping the U.S. government and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stage the Apollo moon landings between 1969 and 1972. A quote from an actor playing the director in a recording of a purposely fabricated interview has been falsely attributed to Kubrick himself. ALL the moon landings were faked and I was the one who filmed it all.”Similar posts can be seen on Facebook (here) and on Twitter (here). T. Patrick Murray did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The quote about the moon landings being staged comes from a film where an actor plays Stanley Kubrick, not from the director himself.

Persons: Stanley Kubrick, Kubrick, ’, Patrick Murray, Kubrick’s, Christiane Kubrick, ”, Read Organizations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Facebook, Twitter, ” Reuters, Reuters

☆ Bezos' Blue Origin wins NASA astronaut moon lander contract to compete with SpaceX’s Starship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Jeff Bezos has his NASA moon ticket. The billionaire's space company Blue Origin won a key contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Friday to develop a crewed lunar lander for delivering astronauts to the moon's surface later this decade under the agency's Artemis program. NASA's contract award is worth just over $3.4 billion, officials said Friday, while Blue Origin Vice President John Couluris said the company will contribute "well north" of the contract's value as well. "We're making an additional investment in the infrastructure that will pave the way to land the first humans on Mars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in announcing the Blue Origin award. Bezos said in a tweet Friday he's "honored to be on this journey with @NASA to land astronauts on the Moon — this time to stay."

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