SpaceX is prepared to shift testing of its Starship next-generation launch vehicle from Texas to Florida if there are extended delays in an ongoing environmental review, company founder and chief executive Elon Musk said Feb. 10.

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SpaceX plans to transform parts of NASA's Kennedy Space Center to become an operational base for the company's super-powerful Starship launcher, while keeping a sprawling complex in South Texas as a research and development location for the heavy-lift rocket program, Elon Musk said Thursday.

Senators used a NASA hearing Feb. 9 to once again advocate for an authorization bill for the agency, arguing it is vital for giving the agency direction and securing funding.

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Kongsberg Satellite Services is providing ground network support for the Lunar InfraRed Imaging mission.

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The Italian and German Eurofighters will provide joint QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) under a new “Plug & Fight” concept. Between the end of February and the beginning of March 2022, the Italian Air Force Eurofighters [...]

The post German Air Force Eurofighters Join Italian Air force Enhanced Air Policing In Romania appeared first on The Aviationist.

NASA expects that retiring the International Space Station in favor of leasing capacity on commercial space stations will ultimately save the agency up to $1.8 billion per year.

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I was out of commission last week, so I could only watch from a hospital bed as the world reacted to the real-life Fortnite Zero Point that was discovered some 4,000 light-years away from Earth. I thought it was so cool, but couldn't share in the strangeness of the moment. Thinking I had missed the boat, I moved on with my Fortnite week, finishing Foundation challenges and whatnot. But when I was feeling better, I caught up on the details of the mysterious space object and realized there's even more to it that's bizarre. Beyond the way it looks stunningly like the Zero Point, it also behaves like it.

For the uninitiated, let's catch you up quickly on what exactly the Zero Point even is. I mentioned it a few weeks ago when I compared Fortnite to ABC's hit drama-adventure series of yesteryear, Lost. That's because, like the heart of the island on Lost, the Zero Point rests at the center of the Fortnite island, Artemis, and appears to be the life-giving force for all beings in the omniverse.

The Zero Point is often the target of ne'er-do-wells who seek to control it or even destroy it for their own personal power, but to date, no one has snuffed it out for good--despite a few close calls. The Zero Point has a distinct look. It's a perfect sphere, made up in blue and purple hues, with a wispy tail that spins around the sphere in different directions. It emanates energy and the essence of total enigma at once. Here's a picture of it for reference:

Okay, I'm kidding. That's actually the mysterious space object that astronomers found last week. But here's the weird part: It really does look pretty much identical to the Zero Point, as you can see below.

Now, that's all the fun I missed last week when I couldn't write about it here. But a closer look at the details of this strange orb revealed an added hint that something wildly coincidental (or not?) is afoot. Astronomers have noted that this mystery sphere emits a curious pulse of energy roughly every 20 minutes. Fortnite fans who keep up with their lore may recall that the Zero Point seems to be responsible for The Loop--the timelooping mechanism of the island, which resets the island on something of a strict schedule.

If the Zero Point ends, we all end.

According to The Foundation, leader of The Seven, The Loop resets roughly every 22 minutes. What?!

Yeah. It's weird. This is an object that was not known to humankind, so unlike Lost or the book Sapiens, this can't have been an inspiration for the game's story universe. How is it that it looks and acts just like the Zero Point? It's uncanny to the point of being unsettling. Is there a world out there where everyone is just cranking 90s, flossing like bosses, and waging war with the Imagined Order? If so, how do we ask them to practice better Zero Point care so they don't erase the omniverse with us inside?

All jokes aside, it's a really fun coincidence. There's nothing to be worried about for now. Call me when the evil Cube Queen's golden cube suddenly appears on our planet. Only then will I worry.

Uh oh.

NASA says the first rollout of the Space Launch System moon rocket is planned for March ahead of a key fueling test on a seaside launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, a delay of several weeks to allow more time for work inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.

A startup led by a former acting administrator of NASA has announced plans to develop platforms serviced by robotic vehicles in cislunar space to support a range of applications.

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NASA is postponing the rollout of the first Space Launch System for a final pre-launch test by a month to give workers more time to complete vehicle preparations.

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NASA’s safety advisers say they’re closely watching a planned reorganization of the agency’s human spaceflight directorate to ensure it doesn’t adversely affect safety.

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Microsoft is working with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to speed up the  process for scheduling communications with distant spacecraft through NASA's Deep Space Network. 

The post Microsoft helps JPL with Deep Space Network scheduling appeared first on SpaceNews.