U.S. and French scientists plan to test the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on NASA’s Curiosity rover by “zapping” a nearby rock with “several megawatts” of laser power in the next few days and analyzing the resulting spectra to determine the target’s composition.

The National Research Council recommends a closely coordinated series of solar physics missions over the next decade

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army is exploring whether a short-range missile defense target, designed to be one-third the price of using Patriot missiles in such a role, can feasibly be added to its arsenal to reduce the cost of flight testing. The Economical Target makes use of surplus rocket motors, coupled with a rudimentary rocket body to effectively form a sounding rocket suitable for some missile defense tests, says Thomas Webber, acting director for rapid transition at Army Strategic Command.

LOGAN, Utah — Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology used to make parts for high-performance race cars is being applied to the tricky problem of propulsion for cubesats and other small spacecraft that are typically launched as secondary payloads. Matthew Dushku, head of the Experiment Propulsion Lab here, has tested a hybrid rocket motor created with a 3-D printing technique from Windform XT 2.0, a picocarbon reinforced nylon material that can be laid up in layers as a powder and hardened with a laser scanner.

PASADENA, Calif. — Even as more senior staffers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory here begin to explore Mars with the state-of-the-art Curiosity rover, a group of scientists, engineers and neophyte managers in their 20s is preparing to use whatever is at hand to validate space-to-ground laser communications.

LOGAN, Utah — A growing market in the developing world for small satellites and demand for more capable orbital spacecraft like Darpa’s planned Phoenix testbed are behind ATK’s recent decision to broaden its line of small satellites.

Whelan also was asked by board members whether the service would consider triple launches of GPS satellites

The mission team has slowed the probe’s scheduled Aug. 25 gravitational escape from Vesta until early September