Perth, Australia (SPX) May 26, 2023
Astronomers have been working to better understand the galactic environments of fast radio bursts (FRBs) - intense, momentary bursts of energy occurring in mere milliseconds and with unknown cosmic origins. Now, a study of the slow-moving, star-forming gas in the same galaxy found to host an FRB has been published in The Astrophysical Journal. This is only the fourth-ever publication on tw

Liege, Germany (SPX) May 26, 2023
A study led by researchers of the University of Liege and the CSIC - using observations from NASA's TESS telescope - presents the detection of a system of two planets slightly larger than Earth orbiting a cold star in a synchronized dance. Named TOI-2096, the system is located 150 light-years from Earth. The discovery is the result of a close collaboration between European and American uni

Gainesville FL (SPX) May 31, 2023
Our familiar, warm, yellow sun is a relative rarity in the Milky Way. By far the most common stars are considerably smaller and cooler, sporting just half the mass of our sun at most. Billions of planets orbit these common dwarf stars in our galaxy. To capture enough warmth to be habitable, these planets would need to huddle very close to their small stars, which leaves them susceptible to

Tsukuba, Japan (SPX) May 26, 2023
All biological amino acids on Earth appear exclusively in their left-handed form, but the reason underlying this observation is elusive. Recently, scientists from Japan uncovered new clues about the cosmic origin of this asymmetry. Based on the optical properties of amino acids found on the Murchison meteorite, they conducted physics-based simulations, revealing that the precursors to the biolog

Mountain View CA (SPX) May 31, 2023
Akshay Suresh, a graduate student at Cornell University, spearheads an extraordinary scientific endeavor - a groundbreaking mission to uncover periodic signals emanating from the core of the Milky Way called the Breakthrough Listen Investigation for Periodic Spectral Signals (BLIPSS). Such repetitive patterns could be the key to unlocking the mysteries of extraterrestrial intelligence in o

Wright-Patterson AFB OH (SPX) May 31, 2023
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, and NASA worked together over the last two weeks of April 2023 along with other industry partners, such as Lockheed Martin, to test the most current iteration of an astronaut crew seat and flight suit that will be used in the Orion spacecraft during future missions to space. "NASA came to us actually several years ago, to work with them on develo

Miami FL (UPI) May 31, 2023
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom Space Ax-2 crew successfully returned to Earth late Tuesday night, splashing down off the coast of Florida following 10 days in space. The Ax-2 crew undocked from the International Space Station Tuesday morning to make its 12-hour journey back to Earth, and splashed down at 11:04 p.m. ET in the Gulf of Mexico. "Splashdown of Dragon confirmed

Miami FL (SPX) May 31, 2023
BeetleSat, formerly NSLComm, a fast-growing satellite technology company building the world's first global low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation optimized for premium point-to-point communications, has announced the successful software-defined radio (SDR) two-way data communication using its lightweight, very high data rate, expandable antenna. "Successful data transmission between our satel

Beijing (XNA) May 31, 2023
China plans to send astronauts to the moon before 2030, a space official said on Monday. Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, said at a news conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China that the country's space authorities have launched the manned lunar program. "The overall goals are to realize China's first manned landing on the

Beijing (XNA) May 31, 2023
Traditionally, China's astronauts are selected from among fighter plane pilots with ample flying experience, as they can control the machinery and have the training to stay calm should an emergency arise in space. Yet among the three astronauts aboard Shenzhou XVI, which is taking them to Tiangong, China's space station, is Gui Haichao, a professor from Beihang University. He is the first