OSIRIS-REx flies on as OSIRIS-APEX to explore its second asteroid
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 18:00
After seven years in space and over 4 billion miles traveled, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission successfully collected and delivered the first U.S. sample from a near-Earth asteroid. Yet, after all this time and travel, the spacecraft will not retire.
Instead, NASA extended the University of Arizona-led mission so that the spacecraft can be used to study another near-Earth asteroid named Apophis. The mission was renamed OSIRIS-APEX, short for OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer. An overview of the mission was published in The Planetary Science Journal.
OSIRIS-REx deputy principal investigator Dani DellaGiustina is now the principal investigator for the OSIRIS-APEX mission.
Twenty minutes after dropping the sample high above Earth's atmosphere on Sept. 24, the spacecraft fired its thrusters to put it on course to rendezvous with Apophis in 5½ years—just after Apophis makes its own close approach to Earth.
Delta swapping out Intelsat Wi-Fi for Hughes on 400 planes
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 17:19
Space Force to split 21 launches between SpaceX, United Launch Alliance
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 14:20
The Space Force is giving a nearly even share of 21 upcoming national security launches between SpaceX and United Launch Alliance.
Space Systems Command, which manages a $15 billion budget for the Department of Defense to ensure U.S. strategic advantage in space, announced ULA will provide 11 missions on its new Vulcan Centaur rocket while SpaceX will be responsible for 10 missions on its Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy rockets as part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement contract for fiscal year 2024, which began on Oct. 1.
This is the fifth and final year of the NSSL Phase 2 contract, and will be for missions flown over the next two to three years. The majority of launches will come from ULA and SpaceX's launch facilities at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, although Falcon Heavy launches if required are limited to Kennedy Space Center, and both ULA and SpaceX can launch from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California.
"Over the five-year Phase 2 contract, we will have ordered a total of 48 missions, a significant increase over the 34 missions originally estimated leading up to Phase 2," said Brig.
Op-ed | Space Force launch strategy a step in the right direction
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 12:10
IceCube Observatory creates first map of Milky Way without using electromagnetic waves
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
We've learned a lot about the Universe from telescopes that are sensitive to anything from high-energy gamma waves to visible light to low-energy radio waves. But detecting such electromagnetic waves has limitations. Using PSC's Bridges-2 system to simulate signals in their Antarctic IceCube detector, an international collaboration of scientists has now made the first map of the Milky Way galaxy NASA, Pacific Disaster Center increase landslide hazard awareness
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
After years of development and testing, NASA's Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness model (LHASA) has been integrated into the Pacific Disaster Center's (PDC) multi-hazard monitoring, alerting, and decision-support platform, DisasterAWARE. LHASA allows researchers to map rainfall-triggered landslide hazards, giving DisasterAWARE users around the world a robust tool for identifyi NASA's InSPA Aims to Stimulate Commercial Manufacturing in Low Earth Orbit
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
NASA has outlined a comprehensive strategy for its In Space Production Applications (InSPA), aimed at stimulating commercial manufacturing initiatives in low Earth orbit (LEO). This program employs a multi-phase award process designed to elevate the technological readiness of selected projects and boost their market viability.
NASA's annual calls for white papers under its Research Opportu Data from NASA's WISE used to preview Lucy mission to Asteroid Dinkinesh
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
Researchers have utilized infrared survey data to refine the asteroid's size and surface brightness in support of the Nov. 1 encounter by NASA's Lucy mission. NASA's Lucy mission will soon have its first asteroid encounter as the spacecraft travels through deep space en route to Jupiter's orbit. But before the spacecraft passes 265 miles (425 kilometers) from the surface of the small asteroid Di CGI pilots integrated satellite and terrestrial networks for seamless broadband on trains
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
In an ambitious initiative to modernize and improve the United Kingdom's rail network, technology solutions firm CGI, satellite operator Eutelsat OneWeb, and connectivity solutions provider Icomera are conducting live trials of a hybrid satellite and terrestrial communication network. The effort is part of the Satellites for Digitalisation of Railways (SODOR) project, supported by the European S AI-enhanced LizzieSat satellite by Sidus Space clears crucial environmental tests
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
Sidus Space, listed on the NASDAQ as SIDU, has reached a key juncture in its satellite development timeline. The company recently concluded environmental testing on its LizzieSat satellite bus, setting the stage for a launch slated for the first quarter of 2024. This satellite is notably enhanced with artificial intelligence capabilities, which are expected to give it a leading edge in its opera InSPA collaborates with multi-sector partners to fast-track space commercialization
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
Aiming to bring commercial manufacturing in space closer to reality, NASA's Inter-Agency Space Platform for Advanced (InSPA) portfolio is rallying support from diverse sectors. NASA is engaging with professionals from industry, academia, and other government agencies to help fine-tune its InSPA objectives, share expertise, and increase the chances of commercial success in space.
These coll MDA acquires SatixFy's Digital Payload Division in $60 Million deal
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
In a significant move, SatixFy Communications Ltd. has concluded its $60 million strategic transaction with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), according to a company announcement. Both firms are pivotal players in the satellite communications space, with SatixFy known for its cutting-edge chipsets and MDA as a powerhouse in the provision of technology and services for the ever-growi Daily Minor Planet volunteers spot an asteroid passing close to Earth
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
Volunteers working with The Daily Minor Planet have made the project's first big discovery: an asteroid passing very near planet Earth. On the night of October 3rd, a telescope for the Catalina Sky Survey snapped four pictures of a far northern section of the sky. The next day, volunteers H. N. DiRuscio, X. Liao, V. Gonano and E. Chaghafi spotted a clear streak moving through each image and quic Scientists discover molten layer covering Martian core
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
NASA's InSight mission to Mars helped scientists map out Mars' internal structure, including the size and composition of its core, and provided general hints about its tumultuous formation.
But findings from a new paper published in the journal Nature could lead to reanalysis of that data. An international team of researchers discovered the presence of a molten silicate layer overlying Mar New jet stream discovered in Jupiter's upper atmosphere
Wednesday, 01 November 2023 11:01
High-speed jet streams are a common feature in the atmospheres of many planets. On the Earth, jet streams form at various latitudes and meander around the planet, changing latitude and reaching speeds approaching 400 km/h at an altitude of over 10 km above the surface. On the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn, jet streams are one of the main features of the atmosphere; they are perfectly aligned