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.

Two startups recently raised a combined $25 million in seed rounds to advance plans for lunar and asteroid missions, showing continued interest in space startups despite broader market uncertainty.

The post Startups raise millions for lunar rovers and asteroid mining appeared first on SpaceNews.

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 01, 2022
Watching the skies for large asteroids that could pose a hazard to the Earth is a global endeavor. So, to test their operational readiness, the international planetary defense community will sometimes use a real asteroid's close approach as a mock encounter with a "new" potentially hazardous asteroid. The lessons learned could limit, or even prevent, global devastation should the scenario play o

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 01, 2022
Perseverance has continued into Hawksbill Gap, making remote sensing observations of small portions of outcropping rock layers in search of a good place to collect a sample. Since Perseverance is in the Shenandoah quadrangle, we are using target names from Shenandoah National Park. Some of the names this past week included "Bald_Face_Mountain," "Little_Devil_Stairs," "Sunset_Hill," "Luck_H

Moffett Field CA (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
Once it arrives at the Moon's South Pole, NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will need to perform one of the trickiest parts of its 100-day mission: driving off the Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander and onto the Moon's surface. After another successful round of testing this "egress" activity, VIPER is one step closer to being ready for launch. VIPER has already co

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

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
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

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.

Image: Plato’s cave: vacuum test for exoplanet detection