London, UK (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
Scientists have recreated the cryovolcanic conditions found on icy moons such as Europa and Enceladus, shedding light on how water behaves in near-vacuum environments. The research, led by a team from the University of Sheffield, the Open University, and the Czech Academy of Sciences, used a low-pressure chamber to mimic space-like conditions and observe how water transitions under these extreme

London, UK (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
A new study by researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi reveals that cosmic rays - high-energy particles from space - could generate enough energy to support microbial life beneath the surfaces of planets and moons in our solar system. Led by Dimitra Atri, Principal Investigator at NYUAD's Space Exploration Laboratory within the Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), the research challenges

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
MDA Space Ltd. (TSX: MDA) has been selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to lead a key early-phase study for Canada's proposed Lunar Utility Vehicle (LUV), the company announced. The effort will involve collaboration with the Centre de Technologies Avancees BRP - Universite de Sherbrooke (CTA) and the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), combining space systems, r

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
A researcher at Sandia National Laboratories has proposed an innovative new use for heliostats, the large mirrors typically used to concentrate sunlight for solar power generation. John Sandusky believes these mirrors could play a key role in detecting asteroids after dark. "Heliostat fields don't have a night job. They just sit there unused," said Sandusky. "The nation has an opportunity

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
A Chinese research team has created a prototype machine that transforms moon soil into durable construction bricks using solar energy, marking a critical step toward building lunar structures from local materials. Developed by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) in Hefei, Anhui province, the system functions as a 3D printing device powered by concentrated solar heat. It employs a

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $176.7 million contract under its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver two rovers and three instruments to the Moon's South Pole region by 2029. This mission marks the agency's first use of multiple rovers and diverse stationary instruments on a single delivery to study the composition and potential resources of permanently shadowed

Washington DC (UPI) Jul 29, 2025
SpaceX scrubbed a static fire test for a Falcon 9 rocket that will carry the Crew-11 team to the International Space Station due to an error. SpaceX said in a statement that it was now targeting a window on Tuesday for the test after saying the scrub was due to an issue with the transporter erector cradle arm position indication at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
Slingshot Aerospace has introduced TALOS, an autonomous AI agent engineered to replicate realistic satellite behavior in both training and simulation environments. Named the Thinking Agent for Logical Operations and Strategy, TALOS enables advanced mission planning and decision-making for space operations. Developed using Slingshot's proprietary behavior cloning technology, TALOS mimics co

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 30, 2025
Gilmour Space Technologies has conducted the inaugural test launch of Eris, Australia's first domestically developed orbital rocket, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's path toward sovereign space access and small satellite launch services. The 23-meter-tall, 30-tonne Eris rocket utilized innovative hybrid propulsion to lift off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland, ac

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ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski operates one of ESA’s space freezers, known as MELFI (Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS), during his stay aboard the International Space Station.
The European space freezers are used to store biological samples such as urine, blood and saliva at temperatures typically around –90°C. Astronauts must wear gloves when handling them due to the extreme cold.
Sławosz was launched to the ISS aboard the Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 4 on 25 June 2025. During the 20-day Ignis mission, he carried out 13 experiments proposed by Polish companies and