London, UK (SPX) Aug 02, 2024
A team of researchers, including scientists from the University of Oxford, has uncovered a new species of mollusc dating back 500 million years. Named Shishania aculeata, this fossil reveals that the earliest molluscs were flat, shell-less slugs protected by spiny armor. These findings are published in the journal Science. The discovery comes from well-preserved fossils found in eastern Yu

London, UK (SPX) Aug 05, 2024
A newly developed timeline of early animal fossils reveals a link between sea levels, changes in marine oxygen, and the appearance of the earliest ancestors of present-day animals. The study reveals clues into the forces that drove the evolution of the earliest organisms, from which all major animal groups descended. A team from the University of Edinburgh studied a compilation of ro

Washington DC (UPI) Aug 6, 2024
China on Tuesday successfully launched a satellite group up into space with more on the way aimed at improving broadband services across the massive Asian nation. The group of 18 satellites were launched at 2:42 p.m. local time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi Province attached to a Long March 6A rocket for Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology, which

Washington (AFP) Aug 6, 2024
NASA on Tuesday postponed the departure of astronauts bound for the International Space Station on a SpaceX flight due to ongoing issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The Starliner, which brought two NASA astronauts aboard the ISS in early June, has been docked for the past two months due to anomalies detected in its propulsion system during its flight, with the mission's return date i

Washington DC (UPI) Aug 6, 2024
Northrup Grumman's Cygnus resupply spacecraft reached the International Space Station early Tuesday morning, delivering some four tons of supplies to the orbiting laboratory, NASA said. Cygnus completed installation on the ISS at 5:33 a.m. EDT, NASA said. It brought 8,200 pounds of scientific investigation and cargo to the ISS's orbiting laboratory on the 21st resupply mission ca

Washington DC (UPI) Aug 6, 2024
SpaceX has delayed this month's Crew-9 astronaut launch to Sept. 24, to accommodate a traffic jam at the International Space Station as Boeing's Starliner remains stalled at the orbiting laboratory. SpaceX was scheduled to launch its ninth operational flight for NASA with four astronauts to the ISS on Aug. 18, before the space agency announced the delay Monday. "This adjustment a

Mars once hosted a lake larger than any on Earth. The broken-down and dried-up remnants of this ancient lakebed are shown here in amazing detail by ESA’s Mars Express.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 06, 2024
Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a leader in satellite communications, has announced that the ViaSat-3 F1 (VS3 F1) satellite is now in commercial service. This satellite is available to aviation customers operating over North America, including routes to Hawaii, following a series of tests and live trials conducted in the first half of 2024. "This is exciting news for our aviation customers an

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 06, 2024
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has launched its Advanced Satellite Dispenser (ASD) at the Small Satellite Conference in Logan, Utah. This new satellite separation system enhances the deployment of small satellites in the CubeSat form factor, building on Rocket Lab's proven Canisterized Satellite Dispenser (CSD) technology that has successfully deployed over 60 satellites during its 11-year tenure. T

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 06, 2024
NASA has announced a new opportunity for CubeSat developers to participate in upcoming launches through the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). CubeSats, a class of small spacecraft known as nanosatellites, provide unique opportunities for educational institutions and non-profits to access space. The initiative is open to U.S. educational institutions, non-profits, informal educatio