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Spacecraft are not so different to humans – whilst the Sun can be a great source of vital energy, both people and machines must also be protected from its harmful effects.
In this video, engineers at Thales Alenia Space in Turin are attaching a combined sunshield and solar panel module to the main body of ESA’s Euclid spacecraft. This process took place on 23 May 2022 and lasted an entire day.
The module has two functions: whilst the solar panels will provide the spacecraft with power, the sunshield will shade the instrument-carrying payload module from

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
Mitsubishi Electric has developed the prototype of what is believed to be the world's first* optical receiver for use in laser communication terminals (LCTs), that integrates space optical communication using laser beams and a function to detect the direction of received beams in the 1.5-um band, a general-purposeband used for terrestrial optical fiber communications and other applications.

Media representatives are invited to join a virtual press event at 13 June 2022 from 10:00 to 11:00 CEST, to learn more about the new data set to be released by ESA’s Gaia mission.

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are now targeting Nov. 1, 2022, as the new launch date for NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite mission. During recent tests of a key instrument designed to collect visible and infrared images, the team found and corrected an issue, which resulted in additional time needed to complete thermal vacuum testing.

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
Building on the successful launch and deployment of its first two CubeSat Networked Communications Experiment (CNCE) Block 1 space vehicles last June, the Missile Defense Agency launched two CNCE Block 2 CubeSats May 25, 2022 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Successful communications with both CubeSats was confirmed on May 31, 2022. The new mission is a planned follow-on to the Block 1 suc

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
The delightful view of all five naked-eye planets will greet early risers throughout the month of June. While seeing two or three planets close together (in what's known as a conjunction) is a rather common occurrence, seeing five is somewhat more rare. And what's even more remarkable about this month's lineup is that the planets are arranged in their natural order from the Sun. Throughout

Geneva, Switzerland (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
All was amiss with the Sun! In the early 2000s, a new set of data brought down the chemical abundances at the surface of the Sun, contradicting the values predicted by the standard models used by astrophysicists. Often challenged, these new abundances made it through several new analyses. As they seemed to prove correct, it was thus up to the solar models to adapt, especially since they serve as

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
Astronomers may now understand why the similar planets Uranus and Neptune are different colors. Using observations from the Gemini North telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, and the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers have developed a single atmospheric model that matches observations of both planets. The model reveals that excess haze on Uranus builds up in the planet's stagnant, sl

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 01, 2022
Today in tactical planning I was staffed as Surface Properties Scientist, which means I get to put my geology field experience hat on and work with the rover drivers to assess the terrain we'll cross in our upcoming drive. We'll crest onto a plateau in today's drive, but before we do, we have to finish climbing a small but steep slope. The topography today actually reminds me a little bit