Munich, Germany (SPX) May 17, 2023
The BlackGEM array, consisting of three new telescopes located at ESO's La Silla Observatory, has begun operations. The telescopes will scan the southern sky to hunt down the cosmic events that produce gravitational waves, such as the mergers of neutron stars and black holes. Some cataclysmic events in the Universe, such as the collision of black holes or neutron stars, create gravitationa

Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 17, 2023
The heart of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was recently delivered to Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, for integration into the WFI (Wide Field Instrument). Called the FPS (Focal Plane System), it serves as the core of Roman's camera. When the mission launches by May 2027, astronomers will use this system to gather exquisite images to help unravel the secrets of dark energy and dar

Sao Paulo, Brazil (SPX) May 17, 2023
The Sun's rotation produces changes in its magnetic field, which flips completely every 11 years or so, triggering a phase of intense activity. Solar flares - huge eruptions from the surface of the Sun lasting minutes or hours - emit intense bursts of particles and high levels of electromagnetic radiation. The release of energy during solar flares heats the chromosphere, causing almost full ioni

Milton Keynes UK (SPX) May 17, 2023
Scientists at The Open University (OU) have analysed isotopic measurements in the atmosphere of Mars, providing new information on the evolution of the Martian climate throughout history and the origin of surface organics on Mars. The atmosphere of Mars, which is mostly made of carbon dioxide (CO2), is relatively enriched in 'heavy' carbon (13C) with respect to Earth due to the preferentia

Pasadena CA (JPL) May 15, 2023
We are in the midst of our 38th successful drill campaign, analyzing the "Ubajara" bedrock, a sample of what we have been referring to as the "above Marker band" bedrock. Curiosity has been systematically analyzing the bedrock and associated vein and nodular features for chemistry, texture and sedimentology since we left the Marker band and our last drill target, "Tapo Caparo." We are inte

Washington DC (SPX) May 17, 2023
With its primary mission over, the CubeSat will zoom by Earth late Tuesday, May 16, and NASA's Eyes on the Solar System app will track it, providing a chance to say farewell. NASA's Lunar Flashlight mission to the Moon has ended, but the briefcase-size spacecraft will soon fly past Earth before heading into deep space. On Tuesday, May 16, at 9:44 p.m. PDT (Wednesday, May 17, at 12:44 a.m.

Beijing, China (SPX) May 17, 2023
China's National Space Agency has announced a significant achievement in the country's space propulsion development. The Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Research Institute, known for its independent research and design capabilities, has successfully initiated two test runs of the 130-ton reusable liquid oxygen kerosene afterburning cycle engine. This milestone was achieved on the Tongchuan high-thrus

Washington DC (UPI) May 16, 2021
The second crew of astronauts set to launch on a totally private space mission said Tuesday they feel inspired by the responsibility and significance of their flight. The four-member Axiom Space crew is scheduled to lift off at 5:37 p.m. EDT Sunday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They'll travel in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a mission that includes eight days aboard the Intern

Boston MA (SPX) May 17, 2023
The Tomorrow Companies Inc., the world's leading weather intelligence platform, has announced successful on-orbit operation of its first satellite, Tomorrow-R1. Launched on April 14th, Tomorrow-R1 is the world's first commercially built weather-radar satellite. It is orbiting at 500 km above Earth in a polar orbit, and carrying a Ka-band radar ideally suited for detecting precipitation and

Daytona Beach FL (SPX) May 17, 2023
More accurate space weather predictions and safer satellite navigation through radiation belts could someday result from new insights into "space waves," researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University reported. The group's latest research, published on May 4, 2023, by the journal Nature Communications, shows that seasonal and daily variations in the Earth's magnetic tilt, toward or aw