The second expedition crew aboard the International Space Station took this image of Sicily's Mount Etna erupting. Several spacecraft, including NASA's Terra polar platform and the Orbital Sciences OrbView, equipped with the SeaWifs sensor, have been monitoring the eruption and its effects on the environment, including lava movement in the immediate area and the extent of the volcanic plume and dust in the atmosphere.
Source: Flight International
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Ball Aerospace, with the move further strengthening its US business presence.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has retired its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the craft suffered damage upon landing.
