Webb unveils evolving dust system and energetic jets
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 10:51
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 05, 2025
This latest NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month showcases HH 30 with extraordinary clarity. Set within the dark cloud LDN 1551 in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, this edge-on protoplanetary disc features both jets and a disc wind, emphasizing the turbulent environment in which stars and planets form.
Herbig-Haro objects, like HH 30, appear as luminous markers in star-f

SFL Missions Inc. Secures CSA Contract for HAWC Satellite Concept Study
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 10:51
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2025
SFL Missions Inc. has been selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to conduct a conceptual design study for the High-Altitude Aerosols, Water Vapour, and Clouds (HAWC) satellite mission. This initiative represents Canada's contribution to NASA's Atmosphere Observing System (AOS), which is scheduled for launch in 2031.
"The HAWC mission will collect atmospheric data that will support ex

Physicists measure a key aspect of superconductivity in "magic-angle" graphene
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 10:51
Boston MA (SPX) Feb 06, 2025
Superconducting materials are similar to the carpool lane in a congested interstate. Like commuters who ride together, electrons that pair up can bypass the regular traffic, moving through the material with zero friction.
But just as with carpools, how easily electron pairs can flow depends on a number of conditions, including the density of pairs that are moving through the material. This

CSA awards $72M contract to Spire Global Canada for WildFireSat Mission
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 10:51
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2025
Spire Global Canada, has secured a Can$72 million contract, including harmonized sales tax, from the Government of Canada. The company will design and develop a satellite constellation dedicated to monitoring active wildfires across Canada from space as part of the country's WildFireSat mission. Spire will collaborate with OroraTech, a leader in space-based thermal intelligence, to develop the p

Satellogic and Telespazio Brasil to provide low-latency satellite imagery for the Brazilian Air Force
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 10:51
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2025
Satellogic and Telespazio Brasil have signed a multi-year contract with the Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) to provide low-latency satellite imagery for defense and security applications. The agreement, which includes an initial one-year term with an option for a one-year extension, highlights Satellogic's growing role in delivering real-time geospatial intelligence to military

Green light for AI-driven mapping of New Zealand's forests
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 10:51
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 06, 2025
Researchers from Flinders University and New Zealand have successfully integrated artificial intelligence and 3D laser scanning to map radiata pine plantations across much of New Zealand's North Island with remarkable accuracy.
This innovative method differentiates between large-scale plantations, small woodlots, and newly established stands as young as three years old. The technique demon

DGIST Unveils Motion Powered System for Both Electricity and Light
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 10:51
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 05, 2025
DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) has revealed that a combined research effort by Prof. Kim Hoe Joon (Department of Robotics and Mechatronics), Dr. Jeong Soon Moon (Division of Energy and Environmental Technology), and Prof. Mishra (University of Southern Denmark) has yielded a self-powered sensor that simultaneously produces electricity and light through motion and pressure. This battery-free advanc

Perseverance Rover's Groundbreaking Soil and Rock Samples
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2025
NASA's Perseverance rover has successfully collected its first soil, airfall dust, and rock fragment samples, marking a historic step in Martian exploration. A new study highlights these early sample returns and their implications for understanding Mars' past.
Until now, the only Martian materials accessible to scientists were meteorites that naturally landed on Earth. However, thanks to N

Mark Sykes' Statement in Support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Tucson AZ (SPX) Feb 12, 2025
This is a statement by Planetary Science Institute CEO Mark V. Sykes, and reflects the values and principles that guide the daily management of and planning for this Institute under his leadership.
h4>Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Are Important for the Workplace and Science /h4>
To the American Public and Government Officials:
I would like to share a positive

For astronaut radiation protection just add water
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Paris, France (SPX) Feb 10, 2025
Space presents significant hazards, particularly exposure to intense radiation. Without adequate shielding, space instruments may fail, and astronauts face serious health risks. Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium are investigating the effectiveness of 3D-printed hydrogels, highly absorbent materials that retain large amounts of water, as a novel approach to radiation shielding.
Rad

Multinational research project shows how life on Earth can be measured from space
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Merced,CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2025
Measurements and data collected from space can be used to better understand life on Earth.
An ambitious, multinational research project funded by NASA and co-led by UC Merced civil and environmental engineering Professor Erin Hestir demonstrated that Earth's biodiversity can be monitored and measured from space, leading to a better understanding of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Hesti

How life's building blocks formed on early Earth examined through polyester protocell formation limits
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 10, 2025
One prominent theory regarding the emergence of life on Earth suggests that simple chemical molecules progressively evolved into complex structures, eventually giving rise to protocells-rudimentary, non-living structures that preceded modern cells. A leading candidate for these protocells is polyester microdroplets, which arise through the polymerization of alpha-hydroxy acids (aHAs), compounds

Space Navigation and Plasma Crystal Research Lead Wednesday's Science Activities
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 06, 2025
Wednesday aboard the International Space Station was marked by significant research efforts focused on space navigation and plasma crystal phenomena. The Expedition 72 crew also continued organizing cargo and tidying up after the recent spacewalk.
As humanity prepares for more distant missions beyond Earth's orbit, refining navigation systems remains a priority. NASA Flight Engineer Don Pe

Astrolab's FLIP rover to ride aboard Astrobotic's Griffin-1 for lunar mission
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 06, 2025
Venturi Astrolab (Astrolab) and Astrobotic have confirmed that the Astrolab FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) rover will be transported to the Moon aboard Astrobotic's Griffin lander as part of Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1). The rover will be deployed at the Nobile Region near the lunar south pole, with the mission slated for late 2025. Originally designed to carry NASA's VIPER payload und

Thales Alenia Space and MBRSC collaborate on Emirates Airlock Module for Lunar Gateway
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 12:17
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 06, 2025
Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has secured a contract with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to design and develop the Emirates Crew and Science Airlock Module for the Lunar Gateway station orbiting the Moon.
The signing ceremony, held in Abu Dhabi, included the presence of Teodoro Valente, President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI
