Space

How the first ESA CubeSat enables in-orbit demonstration of spacecraft software Author: Tuomas Simula, Leonardo Times Editor An artist’s impression of OPS-SAT in orbit OPS-SAT, the first CubeSat mission of the European Space Agency, was designed to break the “has not flown, will never fly” cycle that often obstructs advances in space technology. It is a powerful orbital laboratory that allows experimentation of spacecraft control systems. We interviewed members of the OPS-SAT team to learn about the possibilities it creates for the in-flight testing of space software. Space technology is often considered  the cutting edge of technology, but, in reality, it tends to advance slowly. Especially the larger and more complicated space missions often rely on technology that is d...

NASA’s Perseverance mission reaches adolescence on the red planet Authors: Juan Pablo Avila, Leonardo Times Editor, and Topias Pulkkinen, Editor-in-chief The Perseverance Rover enjoys taking the occasional selfie Since the project’s announcement, NASA’s Perseverance mission has long intrigued Mars enthusiasts around the world. The mission certainly hasn’t been cheap on both the minds of the scientists and engineers or the US taxpayers. Yet, the mission is on course to demonstrate feats of engineering critical for planetary exploration.  NASA’S LATEST MISSION TO MARS As you may recall, Perseverance launched on July 30, 2020, and landed on Mars on February 18, 2021, as part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. Perseverance comes as the successor to Curiosity, a rover that landed on M...