The European Space Agency (ESA) is participating in the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which will open its doors on Monday 29 September and last until Friday 3 October in Sydney, Australia. Over 8000 participants from 90 countries are expected to attend the event at the International Convention Centre (ICC) under the theme “Sustainable Space: Resilient Earth”.

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 22, 2025
Astronomers once suggested that the exoplanet K2-18b, 124 light-years away, could be an ocean world filled with life. A new study led by ETH Zurich shows that such sub-Neptune planets are far drier than previously assumed, making them poor candidates for habitable conditions. "Water on planets is much more limited than previously believed," said ETH Zurich professor Caroline Dorn. The stud

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 22, 2025
For millions of years, two massive black holes circled each other until, in a split second, they merged at near light speed. The collision unleashed gravitational waves so strong and clear that researchers now have their most detailed look yet at spacetime's most violent events. "These are waves in spacetime itself-like ripples in water-that travel at the speed of light," explained Jose Ma

London, UK (SPX) Sep 22, 2025
University of Warwick astronomers have identified the chemical signature of an icy, water-rich planetary fragment being devoured by a white dwarf star. The finding offers strong evidence that volatile-rich planetesimals, capable of delivering water and the raw ingredients for life, exist in systems beyond our Solar System. The team used ultraviolet spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telesc

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 22, 2025
A rare look inside the wintry north polar vortex of Mars has revealed that conditions are far colder than outside its boundary, and that the months of complete darkness allow ozone to accumulate in the martian atmosphere. "The atmosphere inside the polar vortex, from near the surface to about 30 kilometres high, is characterised by extreme cold temperatures, about 40 degrees Celsius colder

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 22, 2025
Curtin University scientists have identified evidence of a giant asteroid impact hidden in tiny fragments of natural glass, known as tektites, found only in Australia. Tektites form when a space rock collides with Earth, melts surface material, and blasts molten debris across vast distances. The newly recognised tektites, discovered mainly in South Australia, mark a previously unknown impa

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 26, 2025
Northrop Grumman's Advanced Hypersonic Technology Inertial Measurement Unit (AHT IMU) has surpassed expectations in its third major test, this time onboard a sounding rocket. The trial confirmed the unit's ability to withstand extreme g-forces, altitudes, and velocities beyond projected limits. The navigation system demonstrated reliable operation in GPS-denied environments, validating its

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 26, 2025
Teledyne Labtech is leading a Welsh effort to rethink thermal management for spacecraft electronics through the Advanced Thermal Management for Space Electronics project, developed with Bangor University and supported by Airbus Endeavr, a joint initiative between Airbus and the Welsh Government. The collaboration targets one of space engineering's hardest problems: moving heat in vacuum. T

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 22, 2025
NASA has selected Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, for a new Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) task order, assigning the company an option to deliver the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) to the Moon's South Pole. The rover will probe permanently shadowed regions to search for ice and other volatiles critical to future human missions on the Moon and Mars. "NASA

Washington DC (UPI) Sep 21, 2025
SpaceX launched 28 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit via a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The first stage booster from the launch returned to the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after separating. It was the 11th time this first stage booster had been used by SpaceX, the aerospace company said.