Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 08, 2023
Two NASA CubeSats designed to study tropical cyclones, including hurricanes and typhoons, are in orbit after successfully launching at 1 p.m. Monday, NZST (9 p.m. EDT Sunday). The first pair of the agency's TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab's Launch Compl

Columbus OH (SPX) May 09, 2023
Astronomers have revealed new evidence about the properties of the giant bubbles of high-energy gas that extend far above and below the Milky Way galaxy's center. In a study recently published in Nature Astronomy, a team led by scientists at The Ohio State University was able to show that the shells of these structures - dubbed "eRosita bubbles" after being found by the eRosita X-ray teles

Baltimore MD (SPX) May 09, 2023
The belts encircle the young hot star, which can be seen with the naked eye as the brightest star in the southern constellation Piscis Austrinus. The dusty belts are the debris from collisions of larger bodies, analogous to asteroids and comets, and are frequently described as 'debris disks.' "I would describe Fomalhaut as the archetype of debris disks found elsewhere in our galaxy, because it h

West Conshohocken, PA (SPX) May 09, 2023
ASTM International's commercial spaceflight committee (F47) has approved a new standard that will aid spaceports in developing descriptions of their sites and capabilities, including location and contact information. The new standard will soon be published as F3610. According to ASTM member Mark Greby, the standard will lead to spaceport descriptions that will provide potential customers a

Tucson AZ (SPX) May 09, 2023
Phantom Space Corporation, a space applications company providing launch services, satellite design and operations to commercial and government customers, has announced they have signed a launch services agreement with Quub, Inc., a satellite manufacturer, for three dedicated launch missions. Each dedicated launch will place upwards of 80 satellites into a tailored low earth orbit meeting

Guildford UK (SPX) May 09, 2023
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) and Oxford Space Systems (OSS) have confirmed a partnership to build and launch an OSS Wrapped Rib antenna mounted to an SSTL CarbSAR satellite. The In Orbit Demonstration mission advances both companies' abilities, with OSS gaining space heritage, and SSTL building its ability to integrate capability from new suppliers. The work has been jointly fund

Jiuquan, China (SPX) May 09, 2023
A reusable experimental spacecraft on Monday successfully returned to its scheduled landing site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, marking an important milestone in the nation's quest for reusable space technology. The spacecraft, which has not yet been officially named, completed a 276-day in-orbit operation before its successful landing. This achievement indicate

San Jose CA (SPX) May 09, 2023
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) has successfully achieved the first orbital raise of its Vigoride-5 spacecraft using its pioneering Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) that uses distilled water as propellant. The successful maneuvers raised the altitude of the Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle (OSV) by more than 3 kilometers, taking into account the atmospheric drag that the spacecraft must ove

Pasadena CA (JPL) May 09, 2023
NASA's Lunar Flashlight operations team continues to work on remedying the CubeSat's underperforming propulsion system. They developed a method to get one of the CubeSat's four thrusters to deliver more thrust; however, the small spacecraft will need additional, more consistent thrust in the next few days to reach its revised target orbit. Devised by team members at NASA's Jet Propulsion L