Munich, Germany (SPX) Jun 28, 2023
This cloud of orange and red, part of the Sh2-284 nebula, is shown here in spectacular detail using data from the VLT Survey Telescope, hosted by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). This nebula is teeming with young stars, as gas and dust within it clumps together to form new suns. If you take a look at the cloud as a whole, you might be able to make out the face of a cat, smiling down from

Trieste, Italy (SPX) Jun 28, 2023
Isaac Newton formulated his theory of gravity as an action at a distance: a planet instantly feels the influence of another celestial body, no matter the distance between them. This characteristic motivated Einstein to develop the famous theory of general relativity, where gravity becomes a local deformation of spacetime. The principle of locality states that an object is directly influenced onl

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 26, 2023
We started planning today with the great news that our drive was successful! This put us in a perfect position for our split touch-and-go plan - lots to see, and no need to worry that we might be on unsteady footing, like we were on Friday. Our two nearby targets are bedrock blocks: the nodular bedrock 'Lousoi,' which we'll be investigating up close (the 'touching' in the touch-and-go) wit

Beijing, China (SPX) Jun 27, 2023
A joint research team led by Prof. DU Aimin from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) has found extremely weak magnetic fields during the Zhurong rover's first 1-km traverse on Mars. This indicates no detectable magnetization anomalies below Zhurong's landing site. The researchers utilized two fluxgate magnetometers aboard the Zhurong rover to

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 28, 2023
Advanced Space, an industry frontrunner in the creation of cutting-edge space technology, is set to make significant strides in deep space and planetary exploration through its collaboration with the University of California Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL). The partnership centers around NASA's forthcoming Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission, s

Paris (AFP) June 27, 2023
France has for the first time tested a hypersonic glide vehicle, a warhead that defies interception thanks to its unpredictable trajectory, a source with knowledge of the test said Tuesday. The speed of HGVs can exceed Mach 5, or 6,000 kilometres per hour (3,730 mph). The technology is being developed or deployed by a small number of countries that includes China, Russia and the United State

Wallops Island VA (SPX) Jun 19, 2023
Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a Fortune 500 technology, engineering and science solutions and service leader, announced its Dynetics team has successfully completed a large-scale test for its MACH-TB program. The Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) program is meant to increase the speed of testing for all commercially available hypersonic systems. The program also called for t

Blacksburg VA (SPX) Jun 28, 2023
Fascination surrounding spaceflight and rockets is at an all-time high. Sites near launchpads draw crowds of spectators, eager to witness the flash of fire and feel the vibrations as the rumble of the motor becomes a roar. People, squinting and craning their necks to watch the rocket hurtle out of sight, aren't likely thinking about the science behind the propulsion that makes it all possible.

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 28, 2023
NASA has selected four teams to advance to the final level of the agency's Watts on the Moon Challenge, which seeks solutions to transmit and store energy on the lunar surface. NASA is working to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon and beyond. The next major step in this effort will be Artemis II, the first crewed test flight to the Moon since the Apollo program. Long-term exp

Midland TX (SPX) Jun 28, 2023
In a week of significant fundraising for space companies, AST SpaceMobile, Inc. and Maritime Launch Services Inc. have separately announced capital raising ventures. AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS) disclosed the pricing and upsizing of its previously announced public offering of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. The company plans to sell 12,500,000 shares of Class A