New measurements by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) has detected water vapour in the inner disc of the system PDS 70, located 370 light-years away. This is the first detection of water in the terrestrial region of a disc already known to host two or more protoplanets.

Launching soon on one of the next cargo missions to the International Space Station is the Multi-Needle Langmuir Probe that will measure the “weather” in the upper atmosphere. The experiment is part of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Huginn mission climate science.

A robotic arm – entirely developed and built in Europe – that enables a satellite to change and control its orbit fuel efficiently has passed its qualification review for launch into space on the OneSat range of satellites.

Image: New Galileo station goes on duty

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 20, 2023
For many decades, the aircraft industry has predominantly relied on aluminium for manufacturing. Today, however, the drive for more sustainable, climate-friendly air travel necessitates innovative solutions. In a groundbreaking development, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), in partnership with Premium AEROTEC, Airbus, and Aernnova, has presented a prototype for an entirely new approach to aircr

Pittsburgh PA (SPX) Jul 21, 2023
A research group in Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute is creating the next generation of explorers - robots. The Autonomous Exploration Research Team has developed a suite of robotic systems and planners enabling robots to explore more quickly, probe the darkest corners of unknown environments, and create more accurate and detailed maps. The systems allow robots to do all thi

London, UK (SPX) Jul 19, 2023
The World Nano Foundation (WNF), an international not-for-profit body dedicated to commercializing nanoscale technologies, has announced the publication of its latest white paper titled "Space Exploration: Unveiling the Potential of Nanotechnology in Advanced Materials Science." This document dives deep into the breakthroughs in materials science, which are propelling a revolution in space explo

Albuquerque NM (SPX) Jul 21, 2023
Remember what it's like to twirl a sparkler on a summer night? Hold it still and the fire crackles and sparks but twirl it around and the light blurs into a line tracing each whirl and jag you make. A new patented software system developed at Sandia National Laboratories can find the curves of motion in streaming video and images from satellites, drones and far-range security cameras and t

Austin TX (SPX) Jul 21, 2023
Keith Hawkins, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has used chemical cartography - also known as chemical mapping - to identify regions of the Milky Way's spiral arms that have previously gone undetected. His research, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, demonstrates the value of this pioneering technique in understanding the sha

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 21, 2023
Engineers and scientists have shipped NASA's ComPair instrument to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, ahead of its scheduled August flight early in NASA's 2023 fall balloon campaign. ComPair's goal is to test new technologies for studying gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light. It was assembled and tested at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The gamma-ray energy