Vancouver, Canada (SPX) Jun 16, 2022
Metaspectral, a software company delivering the next generation of computer vision, has received funding as part of the smartEarth Canadian Space Agency initiative to build a method to systematically and methodically quantify the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels present at ground-elevation using hyperspectral data. Metaspectral has created a hybrid on-premise and cloud-based software platform t

Kirtland AFB NM (AFRL) Jun 16, 2022
Dr. Kelly Hammett, who has led the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate for the past six years, departed AFRL June 6 for his new assignment as director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SpRCO), both located on Kirtland AFB. "I will miss bragging on the Directed Energy team, and all that we accomplished in the six years I was in the director's seat," said Hammett.

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 19, 2022
New images using data from ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA missions showcase the dust that fills the space between stars in four of the galaxies closest to our own Milky Way. More than striking, the snapshots are also a scientific trove, lending insight into how dramatically the density of dust clouds can vary within a galaxy. With a consistency similar to smoke, dust is created by dy

Tucson AZ (SPX) Jun 19, 2022
In the mid-1980s, the discovery of complex carbon molecules drifting through the interstellar medium garnered significant attention, with possibly the most famous examples being Buckminsterfullerene, or "buckyballs" - spheres consisting of 60 or 70 carbon atoms. However, scientists have struggled to understand how these molecules can form in space. In a paper accepted for publication in th

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 19, 2022
From afar, the Sun appears blank and featureless in visible light. But through a solar telescope in different wavelength, it is revealed to be much, much more. In extreme ultraviolet light, the Sun resembles a rumpled ball of yarn. It teems with giant radiant arcs known as coronal loops soaring through the Sun's corona, or outer atmosphere. Coronal loops are considered fundamental to the S

Davis CA (SPX) Jun 19, 2022
Anew study of an old meteorite contradicts current thinking about how rocky planets like the Earth and Mars acquire volatile elements such as hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and noble gases as they form. The work is published June 16 in Science. A basic assumption about planet formation is that planets first collect these volatiles from the nebula around a young star, said Sandrine Pero

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 16, 2022
The difficulty of driving on Martian terrain proves itself once again! Our Sol 3504 drive did not complete successfully, leaving us in basically the same spot as our last plan. Thankfully, all the science we planned executed successfully: check out an interesting Dust Removal Tool result on "Omai" showing erosion-resistant veins beneath the surface and a MAHLI closeup of ChemCam's eye where the

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 19, 2022
Associate professor Vincent Chevrier at the U of A Center for Space and Planetary Sciences was awarded $100,000 to study the stability and distribution of clathrate hydrates and clathrasils on the surface of Mars in hopes of discovering a source of methane. Identifying probable sources of methane would be a critical step in advancing the exploration of Mars, as methane could be utilized to

Littleton CO (SPX) Jun 19, 2022
Asteroid Bennu's boulder-covered surface gives it protection against small meteoroid impacts, according to observations of craters by NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) spacecraft. "These observations give new insight into how asteroids like Bennu respond to energetic impacts," said Edward (Beau) Bierhaus of Lockheed Ma

Beijing (XNA) Jun 19, 2022
A three-stage engine of China's new generation manned carrier rocket will go to prototype sample development, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The long-distance and multiple ignition tests of the engine have been successfully completed, indicating that it is ready to enter the next stage of prototype sample development. The test examined the key te