Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 29, 2023
NASA's ambitious Dragonfly mission, aiming to send a groundbreaking rotorcraft to Saturn's moon Titan, has recently been given the green light to proceed into its next critical phase. Entering Phase C, the mission will focus on finalizing its design and fabrication during the fiscal year (FY) 2024. However, NASA has delayed the formal confirmation of the mission, including its total cost and sch

Xichang (XNA) Nov 27, 2023
China on Thursday sent a technology experiment satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The experiment satellite for satellite internet technologies was launched at 6:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-2D carrier rocket, and entered its planned orbit successfully. The launch is the 498th mission of the Long March carrier

Baltimore MD (SPX) Nov 28, 2023
Scientists have simulated conditions that allow hazy skies to form in water-rich exoplanets, a crucial step in determining how haziness muddles observations by ground and space telescopes. The research offers new tools to study the atmospheric chemistry of exoplanets and will help scientists model how water exoplanets form and evolve, findings that could help in the search for life beyond

Bern, Switzerland (SPX) Nov 27, 2023
Down on the ground, death equals stillness - but not in space. Abandoned satellites are prone to tumble in unpredictable ways and an ESA project with the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern sought to better understand this behaviour. ESA's Clean Space initiative has plans to remove dead satellites from highly trafficked orbits. The preferred method of 'Active Debris Removal' i

Beijing (XNA) Nov 27, 2023
Radars mounted on China's Mars rover Zhurong detected 16 irregular wedges buried underneath a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars. A collaborative team led by the researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified from the radar data the polygonal wedges below a depth of 35 meters within the rover's journey of approximately 1

Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Nov 27, 2023
The introduction of a reusable payload fairing by Beyond Gravity represents a significant stride in addressing major industry challenges like affordability and environmental impact. Beyond Gravity, a leading player in the international space sector, is pushing the envelope of innovation with its latest concept aimed at transforming space launches. Known for its expertise in payload fairing prod

Stockholm, Sweden (SPX) Nov 27, 2023
Ovzon AB, a leading provider of satellite communication services, is currently in the final stages of negotiations with the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) for a significant order. This potential deal, estimated at approximately 10 million USD, involves the provision of SATCOM-as-a-Service, including Ovzon's innovative mobile satellite terminals, with a projected delivery timeline in 2024.

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 29, 2023
A new catalog produced by a French-led international team of astronomers shows that NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has discovered 294 gamma-ray-emitting pulsars, while another 34 suspects await confirmation. This is 27 times the number known before the mission launched in 2008. "Pulsars touch on a wide range of astrophysics research, from cosmic rays and stellar evolution to the se

Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 29, 2023
Astronauts often react with awe when they see the curvature of the Earth below the International Space Station. Now Mars scientists are getting a taste of what that's like, thanks to NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, which completed its 22nd year at the Red Planet last month. The spacecraft captured a series of panoramic images that showcases the curving Martian landscape below gauzy layer

Boston MA (SPX) Nov 29, 2023
The success of the SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle has been one of the most remarkable technological achievements of the last decade. Powered by SpaceX's Merlin engine, the Falcon 9 booster can be reused over 10 times, with minimal maintenance between flights. Now there is a new generation of reusable rocket engines and vehicles that promise much larger payloads and greater reuse.