Laurel MD (SPX) Mar 16, 2023
By early 1930, Lowell Observatory junior astronomer Clyde Tombaugh had spent months poring over hundreds of telescopic photo plates in the search for a single moving object - which would turn out to be Pluto, the ninth planet. Nearly a century later, the team that famously explored the planet Tombaugh discovered is expanding its own search for new targets of discovery - and doing it with t

Mountain View CA (SPX) Mar 16, 2023
In a groundbreaking announcement at the 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held in The Woodlands, Texas, scientists revealed the discovery of a relict glacier near Mars' equator. Located in Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus at coordinates 7 degrees 33' S, 93 degrees 14' W, this finding is significant as it implies the presence of surface water ice on Mars in recent times, even near the equator

Moffett Field CA (SPX) Mar 16, 2023
NASA's first robotic lunar rover is officially coming together and the team building it is over the Moon. "I'm super excited...it makes me very proud of all the time and effort the team has invested to get this far," said David Petri, system integration and test lead for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). The team recently began assembling the 1,000-pound rover at

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 16, 2021
Rocket Lab confirmed Thursday that it has successfully deployed its payload of two commercial satellites into orbit. The mission "Stronger Together" carried two Synthetic Aperture Radar commercial satellites from U.S. manufacturer Capella Space into orbit on Thursday evening. The Electron booster lifted off shortly after 6:30 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional S

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 17, 2021
Britain is pinning its hopes on nuclear power becoming the energy source that will fuel the next phase of human exploration of the moon, the country's space agency said Friday. Announcing $3.5 million funding for Roll Royce research into how nuclear could be used to power a manned base on the moon, the U.K. Space Agency said the technology would provide the power for humans to live and

Prestwick, Scotland (SPX) Mar 17, 2023
Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., and Astraius Ltd. announced today a collaboration to enhance future satellite launch capabilities from Prestwick Spaceport. During a visit to the Spaceport by Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism, and Enterprise Ivan McKee, the companies commemorated the announcement with a signing ceremony. Prestwick Spaceport, a joint partnership between Gla

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 16, 2021
Satellite launch provider Virgin Orbit said Thursday it was suspending operations with immediate effect. The company confirmed the "company-wide operational pause" to CNBC and the BBC while saying it would provide "an update on go-forward operations in the coming weeks." Virgin Orbit also reportedly told staff that 600 employees, nearly all of the company's workforce, would be fu

Image: Botswana’s Okavango Delta – the world’s largest inland delta – is featured in this multitemporal radar image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.

Image: Hubble’s neighbourhood watch

Week in images: 13-17 March 2023

Discover our week through the lens