Lisbon, Portugal (SPX) Dec 27, 2023
For the first time, an instrument to find planets light years away was used on an object in the Solar System, in a study on Jupiter's winds. We find ourselves at a time when it has become almost commonplace to discover planets orbiting another star, with more than 5,000 already registered. The first distant worlds to incorporate this list were mainly giant planets, similar to but also very diffe

London, UK (SPX) Dec 27, 2023
In a significant boost to the UK's space technology sector, GMV, a leader in aerospace and defense systems, has been selected by the UK Space Agency for a substantial project in the realm of in-orbit servicing. The Enabling Technologies Programme (ETP), an initiative of the UK Government aimed at accelerating the space sector's development, is providing GMV with GBP 250,000 (approximately Euro 2

Beijing (XNA) Dec 27, 2023
Shenzhou XVII crew members conducted their first spacewalk on Thursday, completing a host of tasks outside the Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The agency said in a news release that mission commander Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo and crew member Lieutenant Colonel Tang Shengjie returned to the Wentian science module at 9:35 pm after floating seven-and-a-hal

Tokyo (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Japan's space agency announced Thursday it will launch its next-generation H3 rocket in February after two failed attempts early this year. The rocket, billed as a flexible and cost-effective new flagship, is scheduled to lift off between 9:22 am and 1:06 pm (0022 and 0406 GMT) on February 15 from the southern island of Tanegashima, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said in a

Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 29, 2023
When NASA's Curiosity Mars rover isn't on the move, it works pretty well as a sundial, as seen in two black-and-white videos recorded on Nov. 8, the 4,002nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rover captured its own shadow shifting across the surface of Mars using its black-and-white Hazard-Avoidance Cameras, or Hazcams. Instructions to record the videos were part of the last set of c

Moscow (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Russian and US space agencies have agreed to keep working together to deliver crews to the International Space Station (ISS) until at least 2025, Russian corporation Roscosmos said Thursday. The space sector - including its so-called cross-flights that involve sending crews from different nationalities on one spacecraft - is a rare area of cooperation remaining between Moscow and Washingto

Washington DC (UPI) Dec 28, 2021
NASA's Juno spacecraft is preparing for a close flyby of Jupiter's moon Io, which scientists hope will lend insight into the structure of the volcanically active moon. Juno is expected to pass within about 930 miles of Io's surface on Saturday. During the flyby, Juno will use three instruments to examine the moon. "The pass is expected to allow Juno instruments to generate a fire

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 28, 2023
Today, SpaceX is scheduled to launch the USSF-52 mission using the Falcon Heavy rocket, with liftoff planned for 8:07 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This mission is a collaborative effort between Space Systems Command (SSC) and SpaceX, aimed at advancing the U.S. Space Force's capabilities in space. The mission has faced delays leading up to today'

Beijing (XNA) Dec 27, 2023
China launched a Kuaizhou 1A carrier rocket on Monday morning from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country's northwestern Gobi Desert, placing four satellites in orbit, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp said. The State-owned space contractor said in a news release that the solid-propellant rocket blasted off at 9 am and placed four satellites that are part of the Tianmu

Beijing (XNA) Dec 27, 2023
China launched two satellites into orbit on Tuesday morning for its Beidou Navigation Satellite System, according to the China Satellite Navigation Office. The satellites were carried by a Long March 3B rocket that lifted off at 11:26 am from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province and were deployed into a medium-Earth orbit. They are the 13th group of third-generation Beid