Plainsboro NJ (SPX) Aug 30, 2024
Whether between galaxies or within doughnut-shaped fusion devices known as tokamaks, the electrically charged fourth state of matter known as plasma regularly encounters powerful magnetic fields, changing shape and sloshing in space. Now, a new measurement technique using protons, subatomic particles that form the nuclei of atoms, has captured details of this sloshing for the first time, potenti

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 30, 2024
Using observations from a NASA suborbital rocket, an international team of scientists has, for the first time, successfully measured a planet-wide electric field thought to be as fundamental to Earth as its gravity and magnetic fields. Known as the ambipolar electric field, scientists first hypothesized over 60 years ago that it drove how our planet's atmosphere can escape above Earth's North an

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
The space industry is expected to experience significant growth, with a market valuation projected to reach $6.1 trillion by 2064, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The report, titled "Future of Space Industry," provides an in-depth analysis of the factors driving this anticipated expansion and highlights the key areas of opportunity within the sector. The study outlines the

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
It takes a long time for supermassive black holes, like the one at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, to form. Typically, the birth of a black hole requires a giant star with the mass of at least 50 of our suns to burn out - a process that can take a billion years - and its core to collapse in on itself. Even so, at only about 10 solar masses, the resulting black hole is a far cry from th

Huntsville AL (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
Team TERMINUS from The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, successfully launched a student-developed payload aboard a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket that featured two experiments designed by the UAH Space Hardware Club (SHC). The student packages were launched as part of the NASA RockSat-X program, a flight that soared to an altitude

Washington DC (UPI) Aug 30, 2024
NASA on Friday shared the reduced crew for its upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station in order to accommodate the return of the stranded astronauts of the Boeing Starliner. The space agency announced the decision Friday to send only NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard the mission, which will launch no earlier than Sept.

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
Chinese scientists have introduced the world's first professional multimodal large language model (LLM) tailored specifically for lunar science, promising a significant boost in the speed and efficiency of processing vast quantities of lunar data. This cutting-edge tool was launched at the China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, located in Southwest China's Guizhou province.

Washington DC (UPI) Aug 30, 2024
NASA said Thursday that Boeing's technically troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to return to Earth next week without stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni WIlliams. "NASA and Boeing concluded a detailed Delta-Flight Test Readiness Review on Thursday, polling 'go' to proceed with undocking of the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft no earlier than 6:04 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 6, from

Washington DC (UPI) Aug 31, 2024
SpaceX carried out back-to-back launches of Falcon 9 rockets carrying Starlink satellites into orbit early Saturday, just hours after U.S. officials lifted a temporary ban on the rocket fleet. The company first launched the Starlink 8-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:43 a.m. EDT, and quickly followed that just an hour later with another Falcon 9 launch of Starlink