With data from its closest pass of the Sun yet, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft has found compelling clues as to the origin of magnetic switchbacks, and points towards how their physical formation mechanism might help accelerate the solar wind.

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ESA’s Solar Orbiter has solved the mystery of a magnetic phenomenon in the solar wind. It has taken the first ever image of a ‘switchback’ in the solar corona, confirming its predicted ‘S’ shape. A switchback is defined by rapid flips in magnetic field direction. The observed switchback is linked to an active region associated with sunspots and magnetic activity where there is an interaction between open and closed magnetic field lines. The interaction releases energy and sends the S-shaped disturbance into space. The new data suggest that switchbacks could originate near the solar surface, and may

A federal bankruptcy court approved the sale of nearly all the assets of Masten Space Systems, a company developing a lunar lander for a NASA mission, to another lander developer, Astrobotic.

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Interview with Luigi Pasquali, CEO of Telespazio

The post Interview with Luigi Pasquali, CEO of Telespazio appeared first on SpaceNews.

Beijing (XNA) Sep 07, 2022
China has applied its Gaofen series satellites to help with relief work following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the website of state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV). More than 10 satellites were deployed to capture images of the quake-hit areas 10 minutes after the earthquake jolted Sichuan's Luding County at 12:52 p.m. Monday, i

Vienna, Austria (SPX) Sep 12, 2022
How animals are able to interpret natural light sources to adjust their physiology and behaviour is poorly understood. The labs of Kristin Tessmar-Raible (Max Perutz Labs Vienna, Alfred Wegener Institut, University of Oldenburg) and Eva Wolf (Johannes Gutenberg University and Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz) have now revealed that a molecule called L-cryptochrome (L-Cry) has the biochemical

Beijing (XNA) Sep 12, 2022
Chinese scientists have achieved a remarkable new feat in their research of the moon as they have discovered and identified the sixth new lunar mineral. The China National Space Administration and the China Atomic Energy Authority jointly announced in Beijing on Friday that the new mineral-Changesite-(Y)-was found by scientists at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology from surf

Washington DC (UPI) Sep 10, 2021
Elon Musk's SpaceX launched 34 more Starlink satellites with AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker 3 satellite to low-Earth orbit on Saturday. The satellites were launched by a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after targeting a 9:20 p.m. liftoff due to weather. The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (SPX) Sep 12, 2022
MEASAT Global Berhad ("MEASAT") - Malaysia's premier satellite operator, has signed a multiyear contract with Reach Ten Communication Sdn Bhd ("Reach Ten") for Managed Bandwidth Services, supported by the high throughput satellite ("HTS") payload on MEASAT-3d ("M3d"). With this contract, Reach Ten will become the largest enterprise satellite service provider in Malaysia in terms of capacity prov

Washington DC (UPI) Sep 9, 2021
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to astronauts serving on the International Space Station on Friday as she convened the meeting of the National Space Council at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. In the call, Harris talked about the importance of protecting Earth and joining forces to meet other space initiatives. She is the chair of the council. "Tell us what you are learnin