Seoul (AFP) Oct 31, 2024
North Korea said Thursday it had test-fired one of its newest and most powerful weapons to boost its nuclear deterrent, with Seoul warning it could be a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. AFP takes a look at what we know: What is a solid-fuel missile? Solid-fuel missiles are powered by a chemical mixture which is cast into the missile's airframe when it is built - like a

Marine heatwaves – periods of prolonged, unusually warm seawater – are increasingly threatening marine ecosystems around the world. A recent study, led by the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISMAR) as part of ESA’s CAREHeat project, specifically examined these effects in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea.

By combining satellite data from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI), in situ robotic platforms called BioGeoChemical-Argo floats and Copernicus Marine’s biogeochemical models, the research highlights how these heatwaves significantly disrupt the spring phytoplankton bloom – a vital process for marine life.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024
Researchers at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) recently participated in an international study of fragments from asteroid 162173 Ryugu, collected by a Japanese space mission. The APS, a light source facility operated by the Department of Energy, employed Mossbauer spectroscopy - a technique uniquely suited to studying small samples - on specks of dust from Ryugu. The results revealed that the a

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024
GomSpace North America has been awarded a $250,000 (2.6 MSEK) contract to provide critical components and technical expertise for an ambitious new satellite mission led by Proteus Space. The mission aims to establish a world record in satellite design, assembly, and testing speed, enabled by Proteus Space's innovative AI-driven design platform, MERCURY. Proteus Space, recognized for its ad

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has expanded its Space System Spacecraft and Payload Processing Facility with a newly installed semi-anechoic shielded chamber dedicated to spacecraft electromagnetic compatibility and interference (EMC/EMI) testing. This addition marks an essential advancement in SwRI's strategy to offer a fully integrated spacecraft test and processing center within its 74,0

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024
Aerodata AG has secured a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its GPS Anti-Jamming and Anti-Spoofing system. This newly certified technology is compatible with Garmin 5000 avionics and is installed in Cessna Citation Latitude aircraft. In response to the rising risk of GPS jamming and spoofing affecting civil and military aviation,

Boston MA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024
The MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MKI) is a project lead for one of two finalist missions recently selected for NASA's new Probe Explorers program. Working with collaborators at the University of Maryland and Goddard Space Flight Research Center, the team will produce a one-year concept study to launch the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) in 2032. Erin Kar

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024
China is accelerating its mission to place astronauts on the Moon by 2030, with substantial progress across development, testing, and infrastructure construction. In a recent press briefing, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) detailed the work underway to achieve this ambitious lunar objective, highlighting both technical advancements and testing milestones. CMSA's strategy involves depl

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Oct 31, 2024
For four years, the Martian "Mole" HP3 experiment made notable contributions to planetary research on Mars. Named after the burrowing animal, the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3), developed by the German Aerospace Center and European partners, was deployed on Mars in January 2019 as part of NASA's InSight mission. Its goal was to dig up to five meters into the Martian soil and mea

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 30, 2024
NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission is poised to answer longstanding questions about the distribution and composition of water on the Moon. While scientists have long suspected the presence of lunar water, the details of where it resides, its forms, and its movement across the Moon's surface remain unknown. Launching next year, Lunar Trailblazer will circle the Moon to create a high-resolutio