Israeli moon landing ambition crashes

It has been reported that Israel's spacecraft heading for a moon landing has crashed just before the final landing due to engine failure and has  apparently crashed onto the lunar surface.

"We didn't make it, but we definitely tried," project originator and major backer Morris Kahn said in a live video-cast from mission control near Tel Aviv.

It may be added that just before the landing attempt, the Israeli PM Netanyahu had boasted that he was thinking about initiating a national space project.

Source 

If you like Imposing Headlines, please follow us on Facebook

Read more »

Chinese Astronauts return home from space

Three Chinese astronauts have returned to Earth after China's most complex and longest mission in orbit.

CHINA'S FIRST FEMALE ASTRONAUT LIU YANG WAVES AS SHE COMES OUT OF THE CHARRED RE-ENTRY CAPSULE OF THE SHENZHOU-9 SPACECRAFT. PICTURE: AP / XINHUA AP

They were hailed as heroes yesterday after taking vital steps in the country's effort to build a space station by 2020.

The 13-day voyage also saw China send a woman into space for the first time, and the nation's leaders celebrated as soon as the crew members emerged from their cramped return capsule smiling and seemingly in good health.

The charred return capsule of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft, which means Divine Vessel in Chinese, hit the ground in a remote area of northern China and rolled over yesterday morning after an approach slowed by a large parachute.

Read more: Herald Sun

Read more »

China astronauts mark first manual space docking

China completed its first-ever manual docking between a manned spacecraft and an orbiting lab module on Sunday, putting it a step closer in an ambitious campaign to build a space station.

The Shenzhou 9 and its three-person crew, including the country's first woman in Space Liu Yang, separated about 400 metres from the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module for about two minutes before re-connecting under the manual control of the astronauts, with state television covering the event live.

Rendezvous and docking exercises between the two vessels are an important hurdle in China's efforts to acquire the technological and logistical skills to run a full space lab that can house astronauts for long periods.

Read more: NDTV

Read more »

China's unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft returns home successfully

Full Story:  Yahoo News 18 Nov

Shenzhou 8 - the unmanned Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth on Thursday night after it docked twice with an orbiting module in preparation for the country launching its own space station. 

 Shenzhou 8 (Photo AP/Xinhua, Li Gang)

In the  photo above, released by China's Xinhua News Agency, the re-entry capsule of Shenzhou 8 spacecraft lies on its side at a landing site located in Siziwang Banner in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011. 

View a slide show of various moments of  Shenzhou 8 from its blast off - space - and back to earth.

Read more »