Artificial intelligence spots coronal holes to automate space weather prediction
Monday, 07 June 2021 13:47
What we would have learned from NASA's rejected missions to moons of Jupiter and Neptune
Monday, 07 June 2021 12:40
It's been 30 years since Nasa last visited Venus, with the Magellan orbiter in 1990. Now, two new missions have been selected to explore the deadly atmosphere, crushing pressures and volcanic landscape.
The process dates back to February 2020, when Nasa announced that four missions were to undergo a nine-month peer-review process for feasibility. They were all part of the Discovery program, started by Nasa in 1992 to bring together scientists and engineers to create exciting, groundbreaking missions. Set aside from the flagship missions—such as Curiosity and Perseverance—the missions operating under Discovery have taken unique and innovative approaches to exploring the solar system.
The two winning Venus missions, Davinci and Veritas, have been awarded US$500 million (£354 million) and will be launched some time between 2028 and 2030. But the competition was tough from the two losing missions, which would have gone to Io and Triton, respectively moons of Jupiter and Neptune.
Experiment and innovate on our spacecraft
Monday, 07 June 2021 12:13
We provide the spacecraft, the tools and some funding. Your job? Come up with innovative experiments you want to run on it.
Astra to acquire spacecraft propulsion company Apollo Fusion
Monday, 07 June 2021 10:53
WASHINGTON — Launch vehicle developer Astra is acquiring Apollo Fusion, a company developing electric propulsion systems for spacecraft, as part of its effort to create vertically integrated space systems.
Astra is purchasing Apollo Fusion for $30 million in stock and $20 million in cash in a deal announced June 7.
Bezos to go on first crewed New Shepard flight
Monday, 07 June 2021 10:02
WASHINGTON — Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man and founder of Blue Origin, announced June 7 that he will go on the first crewed flight of the company’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle next month.
In an Instagram post, Bezos said that he, and his brother Mark, will go on the suborbital flight, scheduled for July 20 from Blue Origin’s West Texas test site.
Sourcing space debris and surveying asteroid smash: challenges for AI & space experts
Monday, 07 June 2021 09:10
Machine-learning and AI specialists are invited to compete alongside space engineers in a pair of challenges related to ESA’s Space Safety and Security programme, open to teams from across the globe.
Looking beyond Landsat 7
Monday, 07 June 2021 03:02
The land-observing satellite was supposed to work for five years. Now, more than 20 years later, Landsat 7 is still going strong.
In April 2021, the satellite marked its 22nd year of serving as a set of eyes on our home planet, documenting Earth’s splendors such as the expansion of cities and calamities like volcanic eruptions and historic wildfires.
US Air Force announces Fourth Vanguard Program
Sunday, 06 June 2021 04:38
The Department of the Air Force announced June 4 the designation of Rocket Cargo as the fourth Vanguard program as part of its transformational science and technology portfolio identified in the DAF 2030 Science and Technology strategy for the next decade. Additionally, the U.S. Space Force was designated as the lead service for Rocket Cargo Vanguard, marking the service's first such program. Hyperspectral Infrared Radiance data improves local severe storm forecasts using Hybrid OSSE method
Sunday, 06 June 2021 04:38
Since the era of meteorological satellites began in the 1950s, continuous remote sensing instrument improvements have elevated Earth science and have significantly increased available atmospheric observations. Likewise, scientists have made considerable advancements in understanding Earth's atmosphere, climate, and environment.
Furthering growth of atmospheric science within the last 20 ye Solar geoengineering may be effective in alleviating impacts of global warming on crops
Sunday, 06 June 2021 04:38
Solar geoengineering - putting aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight and reduce global warming - is not a fix-all for climate change but it could be one of several tools to manage climate risks. A growing body of research has explored the ability of solar geoengineering to reduce physical climate changes. But much less is known about how solar geoengineering could affect the ecosystem New study shines light on hazards of Earth's largest volcano
Sunday, 06 June 2021 04:38
Scientists from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science analyzed ground movements measured by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) satellite data and GPS stations to precisely model where magma intruded and how magma influx changed over time, as well as where faults under the flanks moved without generating significant earthquakes. The GPS net Lockheed Martin gets $1 billion contract for operations of SBIRS ground systems
Saturday, 05 June 2021 09:50
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin received a $1 billion contract to operate and maintain the ground control systems of the U.S. military’s Space Based Infrared System geostationary satellites, the U.S. Space Force announced June 4.
ExoMars rover twin begins Earth-based mission in 'Mars Terrain Simulator'
Saturday, 05 June 2021 09:05
The replica ExoMars rover that will be used in the Rover Operations Control Centre to support mission training and operations is fully assembled and has completed its first drive around the Mars Terrain Simulator at ALTEC, in Turin, Italy.
The rover 'Ground Test Model' (GTM) will play a critical role in the coming months as rover operators prepare for Rosalind Franklin's arrival in Oxia Pl A new water treatment technology could also help Mars explorers
Saturday, 05 June 2021 09:05
A team led by UC Riverside engineers has developed a catalyst to remove a dangerous chemical from water on Earth that could also make Martian soil safer for agriculture and help produce oxygen for human Mars explorers.
Perchlorate, a negative ion consisting of one chlorine atom bonded to four oxygen atoms, occurs naturally in some soils on Earth, and is especially abundant in Martian soil. NASA is returning to Venus
Saturday, 05 June 2021 09:05
NASA has selected two missions, dubbed DAVINCI+ and VERITAS, to study the "lost habitable" world of Venus. Each mission will receive approximately US$500 million for development and both are expected to launch between 2028 and 2030.
It had long been thought there was no life on Venus, due to its extremely high temperatures. But late last year, scientists studying the planet's atmosphere an