Sydney, Australia (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
An international research team led by Professor Jian Ge from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory has announced the discovery of five new ultra-short-period planets (USPs), each smaller than Earth and orbiting their stars in less than one day. The discoveries were made using data from the Kepler space telescope, originally released in 2017. The breakthrough came through the application of an ad

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
TTTech Aerospace is collaborating with Thales Alenia Space to support NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. The company is supplying TTEthernet networking and computing platforms for the European segments of the Lunar Gateway, a space station in cislunar orbit. The Gateway will feature key modules built by Thales Alenia Space, including the International Habitation Mod

London, UK (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
Teleoperated robots for gathering lunar dust are now closer to reality, thanks to new research from the University of Bristol. Researchers successfully completed a sample collection task using a virtual simulation that transmitted commands to a physical robot, replicating the simulation's actions. The process relied solely on monitoring the simulation, without needing physical camera feeds

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
Great Lakes Science Center, which serves as the visitor center for NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, hosted the final phase of NASA's Watts on the Moon Challenge on September 20. NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen was present to recognize the top winners. NASA distributed a total of $1.5 million in awards to two U.S. teams for their innovative solutions in energy distribution, managemen

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
A recent study using automatic wildlife cameras across three continents has shed light on how the moon's phases affect the behaviour of tropical forest mammals. Half of the species studied altered their activity levels or timing, or both, in response to the full moon. The findings suggest that even in some of the darkest places on earth - the floors of tropical forests - the moon's phases can in

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
Maritime Launch Services Ltd. (Maritime Launch) (Cboe CA: MAXQ, OTCQB: MAXQF) and Reaction Dynamics (RDX) have announced a new phase in their partnership, marked by an agreement to pursue future orbital launches from Canada. The collaboration will start with a pathfinder mission aiming to reach the Karman Line, the recognized boundary of space, as a precursor to achieving future orbital la

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink Internet satellites early Tuesday, lifting off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at around 2:10 a.m. EDT. The Falcon 9 rocket carried the satellites into low-Earth orbit, adding to the ever-expanding constellation aimed at providing global high-speed Internet coverage. The mission began with the rocket launching from Space Launch Com

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
Canadian rocket company Reaction Dynamics has partnered with Southern Launch to perform the first flight of its RE-102 hybrid rocket engine and Aurora vehicle from the Koonibba Test Range in 2025. This inaugural suborbital mission will qualify the rocket engine for space, reaching 125 km above Earth. It aims to provide key data and demonstrate the company's readiness for future orbital missions.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
Sandia National Laboratories' National Solar Thermal Test Facility is utilizing solar energy to simulate the intense heat experienced during atmospheric reentry and hypersonic flight. The latest tests aim to support NASA missions, including the Mars Sample Return campaign, a joint effort with the European Space Agency to bring Martian rock samples to Earth for analysis. These samples could revea

With the initial images from each of the instruments aboard ESA’s EarthCARE satellite now in hand, it's time to reveal how these four advanced sensors work in synergy to measure exactly how clouds and aerosols influence the heating and cooling of our atmosphere.