Tag: Cape Canaveral

One Planet Hunter to Another

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It wasn’t long after the discovery of exo-solar planets that scientists sent up spacecraft to look for them.  The Kepler Space Telescope (KST) was NASA’s first planet finder, which has been exceeding expectations since 2009.  It likely won’t get to continue on that road, as it is nearing the end of it’s life.  At the same time, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is just starting to open it’s eyes.  Today we say goodbye to one great planet hunter and hello to another.   KST is part of NASA’s early 2000s spacecraft approvals that saw relatively inexpensive missions pushed forward...

SpaceX Back in Action

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After watching the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket explode shortly after launch back in June, two things were going through my head.  “How will they handle this disaster?” and “When will they return to flight?”  The first question was answered in the weeks that followed as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reported that the most likely cause of the accident was a failure in a second stage strut that held a high pressure helium tank in place.  The second question could be answered this evening when the first Falcon 9 launch in six months takes place at Cape Canaveral. The last time a...