Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
A team of fourth-year mechanical and aerospace engineering students at the University of Virginia aims to pioneer a new low-cost method for gathering hypersonic flight data. Their innovative glider, called HEDGE (Hypersonic ReEntry Deployable Glider Experiment), is set to launch aboard a NASA suborbital rocket this August from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Part of their senior c

London, UK (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
Scientists from Imperial College London have embarked on a mission to test how engineered microbes can help sustain future spacefarers on interplanetary voyages. As space agencies and private companies aim for distant planets, the logistics of carrying food, water, and fuel become increasingly costly and complex. Feeding one astronaut in orbit can cost up to Pounds 20,000 per day. To addr

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
Spectral imagers have become vital tools in the quest to unravel the Moon's mineralogical makeup, playing a central role in today's lunar science missions. As interest grows in acquiring higher-quality remote sensing data, demands are increasing for instruments capable of capturing broader wavelength ranges with finer spectral and spatial resolution. Yet these technical gains bring a suite of da

Paris, France (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
ESA's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) has begun its journey to the International Space Station (ISS), where it will revolutionize timekeeping from orbit. Equipped with two ultra-precise atomic clocks and a sophisticated time-transfer system, ACES is set to broadcast the most accurate time signals ever generated in space, while enabling key experiments in fundamental physics, including real

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 22, 2025
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Tuesday morning, loaded with needed supplies and equipment for experimentation. The Dragon craft launched at 4:15 a.m. EDT Monday and connected to the zenith, space-facing port of the ISS's Harmony module at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, just 20 minutes later than scheduled. The craft, known as Commercial Resupply Servic

Jiuquan, China (AFP) April 23, 2025
China announced on Wednesday that a veteran astronaut will lead two crew members on their first flight to the Tiangong space station, the latest milestone in its race to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2030. The Shenzhou-20 mission is scheduled to blast off at 5:17 pm on Thursday (0917 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the

San Antonio TX (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
In its second asteroid encounter, NASA's Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million years ago. The spacecraft has begun returning images that were collected as it flew approximately 600 miles (960 km) from the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025. The asteroid was previously observed to have large brightness variati

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
New data from NASA's Curiosity rover has uncovered signs of a once-active carbon cycle on ancient Mars, offering fresh insight into the planet's past potential to host life. Dr. Ben Tutolo, PhD, a geoscientist at the University of Calgary's Department of Earth, Energy and Environment, played a key role in the research. As a member of the Curiosity rover science team, Tutolo is focused on u

Paris (AFP) April 17, 2025
Astronomers raised hopes that humanity might not be alone in the universe by announcing on Thursday they have detected the most promising hints yet of life on a distant planet. But given the age and vastness of the universe, a different question has long puzzled some scientists: why haven't we already come in contact with aliens? "Where is everybody?" Enrico Fermi asked fellow famous ph

A new wave of ocean scientists has embarked on an extraordinary six-week voyage aboard a majestic tall ship that set sail today from Norway bound for southern France. But this is no ordinary journey.

Thanks to this ESA Advanced Ocean Training Course, these upcoming researchers will be taking a deep dive into ocean science, empowering them with skills to harness satellite data for research, innovation and sustainable development – and preparing them to become tomorrow’s leaders and ambassadors for ocean science.