Stellar success for ESA's first open day in the UK
Wednesday, 03 July 2024 08:53
Thousands of visitors flocked to ESA’s establishment in the UK last Saturday to experience first-hand how the agency is pushing the boundaries of exploration and using space to improve life on Earth.
A snaking scar on Mars
Wednesday, 03 July 2024 08:00
A fascinating feature takes centre stage in this new image from ESA’s Mars Express: a dark, uneven scar slicing through marbled ground at the foot of a giant volcano.
SpaceX wins NASA contract to launch gamma-ray astronomy mission
Wednesday, 03 July 2024 04:44

NASA assessment suggests potential additional delays for Artemis 3 lunar lander
Wednesday, 03 July 2024 04:39

Europe's Ariane 6 rocket finally ready for liftoff
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
Japan succesfully launches H3 next-gen rocket with new observation satellite
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
Ahead of Ariane 6 launch, what are the other big rockets?
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
SpaceX launches U.S. spy satellites from Vandenberg
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission Prepares for Launch
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
China's Tianwen 2 Probe to Undertake Ambitious Asteroid and Comet Mission
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
Mapping Mars with Open Science Tools
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
University of Michigan wins NASA's lunar lander challenge award
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 22:02
Robotic rover could support astronauts on moonwalks
Tuesday, 02 July 2024 18:52
Robotic companions are a mainstay of sci-fi series everywhere. From R2D2 to Johnny 5, these characters typically have a supporting role in the story and are helpful to their human companions. But what if they were integral to the humans in the story? So much so that they couldn't live without their robotic compatriots?
That's the idea behind Biobot, which was given a NIAC grant in 2018—why not use a robotic companion to carry supporting equipment on human extravehicular activities (EVAs) on other planets?
If you watch the footage from the Apollo missions, you can see how awkward it is for the astronauts to bend over to pick things up. Also, these extraordinarily naturally fit and gifted people seem to fall over an awful lot, given how coordinated they are on Earth. That's probably because of a 61 kg pack on their back that is helping to keep them alive.
Each moonwalker had to carry a life support system on their suit to maintain conditions inside the suit that allowed them to breathe and not cook to death.