How to compete with robots
Thursday, 14 April 2022 03:54
When it comes to the future of intelligent robots, the first question people ask is often: how many jobs will they make disappear? Whatever the answer, the second question is likely to be: how can I make sure that my job is not among them?
In a study just published in Science Robotics, a team of roboticists from EPFL and economists from the University of Lausanne offers answers to both que NASA's Fermi hunts for gravitational waves from monster black holes
Thursday, 14 April 2022 03:54
Our universe is a chaotic sea of ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. Astronomers think waves from orbiting pairs of supermassive black holes in distant galaxies are light-years long and have been trying to observe them for decades, and now they're one step closer thanks to NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
Fermi detects gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light. An i ESA ends cooperation with Russia on lunar missions
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 21:57
ESA announced April 13 it was further cutting ties with Russia by dropping plans to cooperate on a series of lunar missions, turning instead to NASA and other agencies.
The post ESA ends cooperation with Russia on lunar missions appeared first on SpaceNews.
Dirk Hoke to lead propulsion startup Plasmos
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 21:01
Dirk Hoke, the former CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, is joining propulsion startup Plasmos Inc. as chairman of the board.
The post Dirk Hoke to lead propulsion startup Plasmos appeared first on SpaceNews.
Dirk Hoke to become chairman of propulsion startup Plasmos
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 21:01Dirk Hoke, the former CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, is joining propulsion startup Plasmos Inc. as chairman of the board.
The post Dirk Hoke to become chairman of propulsion startup Plasmos appeared first on SpaceNews.
Intelligence official says U.S. government is not micromanaging commercial imagery
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 20:47
Many of the commercial companies that are openly sharing satellite imagery of Ukraine work with the U.S. government but are not restricted in what they can share, said Stacey Dixon, principal deputy director of national intelligence
James Webb telescope's coldest instrument reaches operating temperature
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 19:53
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will see the first galaxies to form after the Big Bang, but to do that, its instruments first need to get cold—really cold. On April 7, Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI)—a joint development by NASA and ESA (European Space Agency)—reached its final operating temperature below 7 kelvins (minus 447 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 266 degrees Celsius).
Space Force looking at what it will take to refuel satellites in orbit
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 16:31
The U.S. Space Force in 2025 plans to launch to geostationary orbit three small satellites that will attempt to dock with a propellant tanker so they can be refueled in space.
Accelerators offer startups an introduction to government markets
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 16:08
Startup accelerators are an important ingredient of the evolving space ecosystem. Entrepreneurs say accelerators are particularly helpful for startups looking to break into the military space market.
The post Accelerators offer startups an introduction to government markets appeared first on SpaceNews.
Mars astronauts will create fuel by having a shower
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 15:42
When astronauts begin exploring Mars, they will face numerous challenges. Aside from the time and energy it takes to get there and all the health risks that come with long-duration missions in space, there are also the hazards of the Martian environment itself. These include Mars' incredibly thin and toxic and toxic atmosphere, the high levels of radiation the planet is exposed to, and the fact that the surface is extremely cold and drier than the driest deserts on Earth.
As a result, missions to Mars will need to leverage local resources to provide all the basic necessities, a process known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU).
COMET upgrade for ESA’s mission design centre
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 15:12
ESA has a new tool for designing space missions. The Agency’s Concurrent Design Facility – bringing together different experts for the rapid creation and evaluation of virtual spacecraft designs – has adopted an advanced software tool, COMET, which will help extend the use of digital models into further mission development phases. Its open source nature means it is freely available beyond ESA Member States, facilitating international cooperation with wider space agencies, research institutions or companies.
Image: Axiom Mission 1 at Pad 39A and Artemis I at Pad 39B
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 14:07
Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) is in the foreground on Launch Pad 39A with NASA's Artemis I in the background on Launch Pad 39B on April 6, 2022.
This is the first time two totally different types of rockets and spacecraft designed to carry humans are on the sister pads at the same time—but it won't be the last as NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida continues to grow as a multi-user spaceport to launch both government and commercial rockets.
Ax-1 liftoff is scheduled at 11:17 a.m. EDT Friday, April 8, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Explore further
Webb’s coldest instrument reaches operating temperature
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 14:00
With help from a cryocooler, Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument has dropped down to just a few degrees above the lowest temperature matter can reach and is ready for calibration.
Media session - ESA Council extraordinary meeting
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 14:00
Video:
01:15:00
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher shares the outcome of the ESA Council extraordinary meeting in this virtual Q&A with journalists. Additional updates are provided on ESA’s main programmes, the overall rollout of Agenda 2025 on the way to the ESA Ministerial Meeting in November 2022 as well as further implications of the current geopolitical situation on ESA’s activities.
Image: The largest antenna ever tested in ESA's Hertz radio frequency test chamber
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 13:31
The largest antenna ever tested in ESA's Hertz radio frequency test chamber is this 5-m diameter transponder antenna, which will operate down on the ground to help calibrate the Biomass mission, which will chart all the forests on Earth.
"This is a particularly challenging test campaign both in terms of the size of the antenna and the very low P-band frequency that Biomass will be using, which allows it to pierce through forest canopies to acquire individual trees," explains ESA antenna engineer Luis Rolo, overseeing the test campaign.
"Usually when we test a large satellite here, its antenna is significantly smaller, typically between 0.5 and 2 meters across. But this entire structure is a radiating antenna in its own right, its sides coming near to the chamber walls.
"What this means is that the testing process highlight some aspects of the chamber we've never seen before, even after many years of testing. But we've come up with a measurement method involving multiple acquisitions from different spots within the chamber, combined carefully to subtract such environmental effects, yielding very accurate results.