Dresden, Germany (SPX) Dec 08, 2023
In the world of materials science, discoveries that challenge established norms often lead to groundbreaking innovations. Such is the case with a fascinating development involving laser-induced magnetization, a technique that was initially uncovered in 2018 by researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). In a recent collaboration with the Laserinstitut Hochschule Mittweida (LH

Moffett Field CA (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
When NASA's VIPER (short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) lands on the surface of the Moon on a mission to better understand the environment where NASA plans to send astronauts as part of the increasingly complex Artemis missions, its journey will be guided by the human ingenuity of its human team - and several key tools that use artificial intelligence. From helping the scie

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
Space botany, human research, and bioprinting were the dominant science topics aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 70 septet also focused on lab hardware and cargo operations throughout the day. Growing plants in space is critical as astronauts prepare for longer missions farther away from Earth. Space agriculture may help feed crews and provide a cleaner bre

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
NASA's Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) has successfully obtained its initial images of the mesosphere, marking a major milestone for the project. Installed on the International Space Station (ISS) on November 18, AWE commenced operations shortly thereafter, with the first commands being transmitted to the instrument on November 20. The recent acquisition of these "first light" images is a cru

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
Ovzon, a prominent player in mobile satellite communication, is on the cusp of a significant milestone with its latest project, Ovzon 3. This satellite, poised for launch no earlier than December 15, 2023, represents a critical advancement in the field of space technology. In partnership with SpaceX, Ovzon 3 will be launched from the historic Cape Canaveral, Florida, using the renowned Falcon 9

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
The best known use of GPS satellites is to help people know their location whether driving a car, navigating a ship or plane, or trekking across remote territory. Another important, but lesser-known, use is to distribute information to other Earth-viewing satellites to help them pinpoint measurements of our planet. NASA and several other federal agencies, including the U.S. Space Force, U.

Berkeley CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
The shimmering green, red and purple curtains of the northern and southern lights - the auroras - may be the best-known phenomena lighting up the nighttime sky, but the most mysterious are the mauve and white streaks called Steve and their frequent companion, a glowing green "picket fence." First recognized in 2018 as distinct from the common auroras, Steve - a tongue-in-cheek reference to

Boulder CO (SPX) Dec 10, 2023
A new group of graduate students and postdocs are hard at work this fall with full freedom to explore a variety of solar and space physics research paths because of a unique fellowship program started by the University of Colorado Boulder at the time of the relocation of the National Science Foundation's National Solar Observatory to campus. The George Ellery Hale Fellowships, created by t

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
Deep beneath a hill in the rural Kaiping area of Jiangmen, China's largest underground laboratory, the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), is on the verge of completing a decade-long construction project that promises to shed light on some of the universe's most enduring mysteries. Our expedition to this clandestine scientific haven began with a 15-minute journey in a dimly l

Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 11, 2023
Astronomers found what looks like a glowing cloud of dust from a massive planetary pile-up-and NASA volunteers helped make the discovery! A recent paper in Nature describes how an international group of professional and amateur astronomers teamed up to measure the heat glow of two ice giant planets colliding and see the resultant dust cloud moving in front of the parent star several years later.