ESA has the tension on the pull
Thursday, 27 January 2022 05:19
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ESA engineers need to be certain of the strength and tensile behaviour of candidate materials for coming space missions - so they pull them apart.
This tensile testing machine (otherwise known as a universal testing machine) does exactly that: a test sample is placed between its two sets of 'jaws' and subjected to a steadily increasing pull force, until the moment of fracture.
The ap Physicist solves century old problem of radiation reaction
Thursday, 27 January 2022 05:19 Write a comment
A Lancaster physicist has proposed a radical solution to the question of how a charged particle, such as an electron, responded to its own electromagnetic field.
This question has challenged physicists for over 100 years but mathematical physicist Dr Jonathan Gratus has suggested an alternative approach - published in the Journal of Physics A- with controversial implications.
It is w Russian cosmonaut secures U.S. visa after initial denial
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 23:05 Write a comment
A Russian cosmonaut has received a visa to come to the United States for routine space station training after initially having his application rejected, an incident that’s raised questions about how increased tensions over Ukraine might affect space.
Europe ready to unveil sovereign broadband constellation plan
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 22:06 Write a comment
The European Commission will unveil the architecture for its proposed satellite broadband constellation “in a few weeks,” the European Union commissioner in charge of space policy said Jan. 25.
The post Europe ready to unveil sovereign broadband constellation plan appeared first on SpaceNews.
Astroscale pauses debris-removal demo following anomaly
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 21:12 Write a comment
Astroscale said Jan. 26 it has paused an attempt to autonomously capture an in-orbit satellite for the first time after detecting “anomalous spacecraft conditions.”
The post Astroscale pauses debris-removal demo following anomaly appeared first on SpaceNews.
White House official: Norms needed for ‘satellite to satellite interaction’
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 19:30 Write a comment
Audrey Schaffer, director of space policy at the National Security Council, said an emerging concern is whether there should be a set of rules for satellites that dock with other satellites.
Three, two, one: astronomers predict SpaceX space junk will hit the Moon
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 19:16 Write a comment
A chunk of a SpaceX rocket that blasted off seven years ago and was abandoned in space after completing its mission will crash into the Moon in March, experts say.
The rocket was employed in 2015 to put in orbit a NASA satellite called the Deep Space Climate Observatory.
Since then the second stage of the rocket, or booster, has been floating in what mathematicians call a chaotic orbit, astronomer Bill Gray told AFP Wednesday.
It was Gray who calculated the space junk's new collision course with the Moon.
The booster passed by pretty close to the Moon in January in a rendezvous that altered its orbit, said Gray.
He is behind Project Pluto, software that allows for calculating the trajectory of asteroids and other things in space and is used in NASA-financed space observation programs.
Scientific hardware, experiments return to Earth on SpaceX CRS-24 Dragon
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 19:14 Write a comment
A retired microscope and samples from studies on colloids and cellular signaling are among the cargo returning from the International Space Stationaboard the 24th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. The Dragon craft, which arrived at the station Dec. 22, 2021, was scheduled to undock Jan. 22 with splashdown the next afternoon off the coast of Florida.
These quick return flights allow scientists to make additional observations and analyses of their experiments at Kennedy Space Center, minimizing the effects of gravity on samples.
Star Trek tribute mission to fly on ULA’s Vulcan inaugural launch
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 17:07 Write a comment
Celestis, a company that provides space memorial services, will launch a Star Trek tribute mission on the first flight of United Launch Alliance’s new rocket Vulcan Centaur, ULA announced Jan. 26.
The post Star Trek tribute mission to fly on ULA’s Vulcan inaugural launch appeared first on SpaceNews.
Athens under snow
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 14:00 Write a comment
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An unusual snowstorm has blanketed parts of Turkey and Greece, causing power cuts and chaos on the roads and flight cancellations. Two images from Copernicus Sentinel-2 show Athens before and after the snowstorm. GEO satellite operators seek multi-orbit strategies
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 13:25 Write a comment
Beyond the technical challenges of combining GEO satellites with constellations is figuring out how to work with those constellations — and if those constellations want to work with them.
The post GEO satellite operators seek multi-orbit strategies appeared first on SpaceNews.
Beaming with science
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 13:15 Write a comment
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Astronauts aboard the International Space Station farewelled over 2000 kg of scientific experiments and hardware on Sunday 23 January as a cargo Dragon spacecraft began its return to Earth.
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer captured the resupply vehicle in all its glory as it departed the orbital outpost at 15:40 GMT/16:40 CET. It splashed down approximately 29 hours later off the coast of Florida, USA.
The SpaceX spacecraft arrived at the Space Station just before Christmas, bringing new experiments alongside Christmas treats. It returned with a bellyful of science, including several European experiments that were quickly transported to NASA’s Space Station
Satellogic completes SPAC merger
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 11:43 Write a comment
Earth observation company Satellogic will start trading as a public company Jan. 26 after completing a delayed merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
The post Satellogic completes SPAC merger appeared first on SpaceNews.
Blue Origin to acquire Honeybee Robotics
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 10:32 Write a comment
Blue Origin is buying Honeybee Robotics, a company that develops robotic systems for space and other extreme environments.
The post Blue Origin to acquire Honeybee Robotics appeared first on SpaceNews.
China growing space capabilities represent 'Pacing Challenge' for US, Pentagon Says
Wednesday, 26 January 2022 09:19 Write a comment
China and Russia are both developing space capabilities but the difference is the speed with which China is progressing and it represents a "pacing challenge" for the United States, US Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond said.
"I think they both are developing capabilities for their own use," Raymond said on Wednesday. "I think what's different is that China has gone ve