Redondo Beach CA (SPX) Mar 18, 2022
Built by Northrop Grumman in support of the Missile Defense Agency, two demonstration Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) satellites successfully completed their missions and have been retired. Their achievements pave the way for future operational missile warning and tracking systems that will defend the nation. "Launched in 2009 and expected to operate for four years, these dem

Beijing (XNA) Mar 19, 2022
China plans to conduct a number of frontier scientific experiments on its Tiangong space station, with the two laboratory modules, Wentian and Mengtian, scheduled to be launched this year, according to the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The experiments include raising fish, growing vegetables, setting up the most precise clock

Golden CO (SPX) Mar 19, 2022
As Western nations look for ways to reduce their reliance on Russian oil and gas, another aspect of the Ukraine crisis has received less attention: Most of the 32 countries that use nuclear power rely on Russia for some part of their nuclear fuel supply chain. Nuclear power is a critical part of many national electricity grids. European countries especially rely on nuclear power, including

Burlington, Canada (SPX) Mar 18, 2022
Canada is a leader in nuclear energy and nuclear safety and has one of the world's most promising domestic markets for the safe and responsible development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology. SMRs have the potential to provide strong economic benefits to the Canadian economy and support Canada's efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Honourable Francois-Ph

Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 19, 2022
Major smashups between rocky bodies shaped our solar system. Observations of a similar crash give clues about how frequent these events are around other stars. Most of the rocky planets and satellites in our solar system, including Earth and the Moon, were formed or shaped by massive collisions early in the solar system's history. By smashing together, rocky bodies can accumulate more material,

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 18, 2022
An international research team led by Lund University in Sweden has managed to study the flight behaviour of the mysterious black swift. They found, among other things, that the black swift rises to extreme heights during a full moon, seemingly catching insects in the moonlight. And, during a lunar eclipse, the birds simultaneously lost altitude. The results are published in Current Biology.

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Mar 19, 2022
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have for the first time been able to create an RNA molecule that replicates, diversifies and develops complexity, following Darwinian evolution. This has provided the first empirical evidence that simple biological molecules can lead to the emergence of complex lifelike systems. Life has many big questions, not least being where did we come from? Mayb

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 19, 2022
The United States has actively pursued the development of hypersonic weapons-maneuvering weapons that fly at speeds of at least Mach 5-as a part of its conventional prompt global strike program since the early 2000s. In recent years, the United States has focused such efforts on developing hypersonic glide vehicles, which are launched from a rocket before gliding to a target, and hypersonic crui

Starkville MS (SPX) Mar 19, 2022
On Sept. 1 and 2, 1859, telegraph systems around the world failed catastrophically. The operators of the telegraphs reported receiving electrical shocks, telegraph paper catching fire, and being able to operate equipment with batteries disconnected. During the evenings, the aurora borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights, could be seen as far south as Colombia. Typically, these light

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 18, 2021
Elon Musk's SpaceX launched 53 Starlink satellites from Florida early Saturday morning after a short delay. The company was scheduled to launch the spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket at 11:23 p.m. EDT from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff time was instantaneous, meaning any problems could prompt a delay of about 24 hours to Saturday night.