China Prepares to Launch Next-Gen Lunar Relay Satellite, Queqiao 2
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is poised to launch Queqiao 2, a pivotal relay satellite designed to support the Chang'e 6 moon mission and future lunar explorations, within the coming days. The launch preparations include the satellite and its Long March 8 carrier rocket, both of which have recently been positioned at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province.
Fol A Return to Your Regularly Scheduled Touch-And-Go: Sols 4130-4131
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
It was a fairly calm planning day after a few weeks of activity at Mineral King, with a familiar touch-and-go plan. That's not the only thing that's back to normal - ENV has ended our dust storm watch as dust activity has calmed down to seasonal levels. We even have a (slightly hazy) view of the crater rim again (see above)!
After leaving Mineral King behind we were greeted by a new worksp GMV Secures Contract for Development of Time-Keeping Systems for Revolutionary SKA Telescopes
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
GMV has been selected to develop the Timescales for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory's (SKAO) innovative telescopes, positioning itself at the forefront of the next-generation radio astronomy. The SKAO, an international entity headquartered at the iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK, is on a mission to revolutionize our comprehension of the cosmos through the construction and operati Aerospace Corp., Space Foundation partner to boost inclusivity in space industry
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
Aerospace Corp. and the Space Foundation announced a partnership Monday aiming to promote more diverse and inclusive hiring in the space industry.
The Space Foundation announced that Melanie Stricklan, a co-founder of Slingshot Aerospace, will serve as the inaugural executive director of the initiative dubbed Space Workforce 2030.
"Mel's track record of leading with insight and i Frontgrade Debuts Game-Changing Plastic Microcontroller for Space
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
Frontgrade Technologies, a pioneer in mission-critical electronics for the aerospace and defense sectors, has unveiled a groundbreaking plastic-encapsulated Arm Microcontroller targeted at the burgeoning space industry. Set for flight grade production by July 2024, this innovation is poised to meet NASA's PEM INST-001 Level 2 qualification, a benchmark for plastic-encapsulated microcircuits' rad Rivada Space Networks Unveils OuterNET: A Global Communications Revolution
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
Rivada Space Networks has announced the launch of the OuterNET, its groundbreaking low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation designed to deliver the first-ever single, global, and omnipresent communications network. "With OuterNET, we're making true global wireless connectivity a reality for the first time," proclaimed Declan Ganley, CEO of Rivada. This innovation not only symbolizes a leap NASA Announces Selection of 10 CubeSat Missions for International Space Station Deployment
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
In a significant advancement of its CubeSat Launch Initiative, NASA has chosen 10 small research satellites from a diverse array of educational and research institutions across eight states for deployment to the International Space Station. This initiative aims to enhance educational and scientific exploration, foster technological progress, and support workforce development.
Adhering to a Airbus Prepares EUTELSAT 36D Satellite for Launch with Innovative BelugaST Transport
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
The Airbus-built geostationary telecommunications satellite, EUTELSAT 36D, was recently transported from Toulouse, France, to Sanford, Florida, USA, utilizing the Airbus BelugaST, marking a significant step towards its launch at the Kennedy Space Center later this month on a SpaceX Falcon 9. This move underscores the full global freight transport capabilities of the Airbus BelugaST fleet, partic A New Dawn in Satellite Technology: MDA Space Unveils AURORA
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
MDA Space (TSX: MDA), a leader in the global space sector, introduced its innovative software-defined satellite series named AURORA at the Satellite 2024 Conference in Washington, D.C. The AURORA line signifies a leap forward in satellite technology, offering a mix of flexibility and advanced functionality to enhance satellite constellation performance, while minimizing both costs and time to de MatSing Elevates Satellite Communications with Advanced Lens Antenna Technology
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:58
MatSing, the leading developer of Luneburg Lens antennas, unveiled its latest innovation aimed at transforming satellite communications. The company has expanded its range of multibeam lens solutions, historically renowned in the telecom sector, to accommodate a wide array of satellite applications. This strategic advancement leverages the unique multibeam and high-performance capabilities of it Pentagon’s innovation unit steps up role in Space Force’s responsive launch program
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 17:36
NASA's Swift temporarily suspends science operations
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 16:27
Operations begin to de-ice Euclid's vision
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 16:20
A few layers of water ice—the width of a strand of DNA—are starting to impact Euclid's vision; a common issue for spacecraft in the freezing cold of space, but a potential problem for this highly sensitive mission that requires remarkable precision to investigate the nature of the dark universe.
NASA delivers science instrument to JAXA's Martian Moons mission
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 15:54
On March 14, NASA handed over its gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer instrument to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for integration onto JAXA's MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission spacecraft and final system-level testing.
NASA's Mars-moon Exploration with Gamma Ray and Neutrons (MEGANE) instrument, developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, in collaboration with colleagues from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, will play a major role in the MMX mission, which aims to characterize and determine the origin of Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos and deliver a sample from Phobos to Earth.
Scientists suspect the asteroid-sized bodies either are remnants of an ancient collision between Mars and a large impactor or are themselves asteroids captured by Mars' gravity.
Advanced imager ready for installation on IMAP spacecraft
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 14:37
Another of the instruments planned for flight aboard NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is ready for installation on the spacecraft.
IMAP-Ultra is a particle imager capable of capturing energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), particularly hydrogen atoms and is the third instrument to be delivered for integration. Engineers will now perform a series of tests to ensure Ultra can properly communicate with the spacecraft before it is fully integrated into the IMAP structure and into the onboard electronics system.
IMAP-Ultra is one of three imagers on IMAP that capture ENAs traveling from the boundary of our solar system. When charged particles from the solar wind reach our outer heliosphere, they interact with interstellar neutral particles and transform into ENAs. ENAs still retain information about the original charged particles, but losing their charge allows them to travel through space unbounded by the sun's magnetic field and eventually reach IMAP.