Washington DC (UPI) Feb 26, 2024
Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency said very early Monday they have regained communication with the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon exploration vehicle after nearly a month. The Japanese space agency said on social media minutes after 12 a.m. local time that after sending a command to the machine, known as SLIM, a response had unexpectedly been received back. "Confirming th

Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 27, 2024
On Feb. 2, a large asteroid safely drifted past Earth at a distance of about 1.8 million miles (2.9 million kilometers, or 7 0.5 times the distance between Earth and the Moon). There was no risk of the asteroid - called 2008 OS7 - impacting our planet, but scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California used a powerful radio antenna to better determine the size, rotation,

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 27, 2024
China has announced plans to undertake around 100 space launch missions within the year, setting a new precedent for its national space industry's activity levels. This ambitious agenda, disclosed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the leading state-owned space contractor, at a news conference in Beijing, underscores China's accelerating pace in the global space race.

Tel Aviv (AFP) Feb 23, 2024
Omer Sharar had just received the first delivery of his new GPS anti-jamming technology when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7. Since then he and his team at InfiniDome, a start-up based in Caesarea, north of Tel Aviv, have been working around the clock to prevent the Israeli army's mini-drones from being intercepted by cheap and simple jamming in Gaza. Israel - one of the wo

Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 26, 2024
The planning team came in after the weekend to see another beautiful Martian drill hole on the target Mineral King! Mineral King is named after a silver mining district in Sequoia National Park, California. This was a pretty odd-looking rock, with the big overhanging ledges and several different colors, so we were all pretty anxious to see the drilling results. Fortunately, the rock was strong e

Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Feb 27, 2024
A new paradigm is taking shape in the space industry as the countries and entities accessing space continue to grow and diversify. This dynamic landscape creates both competition and potential for scientific collaboration, as well as the challenges and opportunities of progress. In the past decade, humanity has seen the birth and expansion of a commercial space sector with new, private pla

London, UK (SPX) Feb 26, 2024
In a significant stride toward revolutionizing global broadband connectivity, Avanti Communications has announced a strategic partnership with Telesat (NASDAQ and TSX: TSAT), a leading name in satellite services. This collaboration, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), is set to spearhead the development and testing of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) services, marking a pivotal componen

Abu Dhabi UAE (SPX) Feb 26, 2024
Thuraya Telecommunications Company has introduced at Mobile World Congress 2024 the SKYPHONE by Thuraya. This innovative device is heralded as the world's most powerful consumer smartphone, offering unparalleled satellite connectivity for both consumers and businesses. The launch marks a pivotal moment in mobile telecommunications, blending the everyday functionality of a smartphone with the exp

Washington (AFP) Feb 24, 2024
President Joe Biden on Saturday hailed the landing of a US spacecraft on the Moon as a historic achievement in space research led by the United States. The uncrewed Odysseus lander, built by a private company and funded by NASA, landed near the lunar south pole Thursday, more than 50 years since the agency's last Apollo 17 mission to Earth's cosmic neighbor. Biden called the landing "a t

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2024
Blue Origin marked a significant milestone in its space exploration endeavors with the first rollout and vertical positioning of its New Glenn rocket at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36). This event unveils the advanced heavy-lift vehicle to the public, showcasing its capability to support a wide range of missions, including contributions to NASA's Artemis program for lunar exploration. The New Gl