Week in images: 19 - 23 April 2021

Discover our week through the lens

Central Italy – already home to an ambitious national autonomous driving research initiative – will be the site of the ESA-backed P-CARS laboratory, intended to certify positioning devices for use within driverless cars.

Perth, Australia (SPX) Apr 23, 2021
New research led by Curtin University has revealed how radar satellites can improve the ability to detect, monitor, prepare for and withstand natural disasters in Australia including bushfires, floods and earthquakes. The research used Synthetic Aperture Radar data obtained by the European Space Agency Sentinel-1 satellite, amongst others, to evaluate Australia-specific case studies.

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 23, 2021
Earth observation and global communications - these two terms immediately bring satellites to mind. Constructing these satellites and placing them in orbit is costly and, at the end of their missions, their remains are sometimes left behind to become space debris. Aircraft or helicopters, however, are also not ideal for these tasks. Their deployment is limited by factors of time and locat

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 22, 2021
Astronaut Kate Rubins, who returned from a mission almost a week ago, has urged more research into growing produce while in orbit. "We don't get a lot of fresh food in space and so, you know, it's pretty funny to get very excited about a spinach salad, but I think that's the best thing in the world," Rubins said during a phone press conference with reporters Wednesday from Johnson Space

Beijing (XNA) Apr 23, 2021
The Long March 5B carrier rocket which will launch the core capsule of China's space station was moved on Friday morning to the launch tower at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southernmost island province of Hainan, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The agency said in a brief statement that the rocket with the core capsule inside will begin pre-launch examinations.

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 23, 2021
A long-term stay on the Moon would subject the human body to a high level of radiation, as radiation in space is generally many times stronger than it is on Earth. Before humans return to the Moon, the German Aerospace Center will send a small measuring device, the M-42 radiation detector, to Lacus Mortis to record radiation levels on the surface. It will travel there on board the commercial Per

Sparks NV (SPX) Apr 23, 2021
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the global aerospace and national security leader, announced the creation of Sierra Space, a new commercial space company. The new company's "space-as-a-service" business model will leverage cutting-edge technologies, such as Dream Chaser spaceplanes and expandable LIFE habitats, within the fast-growing new space economy, which is projected to grow to $1.4T by 20

Birmingham UK (SPX) Apr 23, 2021
Stars spin faster than expected as they age according to a new study led by scientists at the University of Birmingham which uses asteroseismology to shed new light on this emerging theory. All stars, like the Sun, are born spinning. As they grow older, their spin slows down due to magnetic winds in a process called 'magnetic braking'. Research published in 2016 by scientists at Carnegie O

Columbus OH (SPX) Apr 23, 2021
In the continuing search for dark matter in our universe, scientists believe they have found a unique and powerful detector: exoplanets. In a new paper, two astrophysicists suggest dark matter could be detected by measuring the effect it has on the temperature of exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system. This could provide new insights into dark matter, the mysterious s