Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 05, 2024
The longevity of space telescopes is improving as researchers devise serviceable designs for future observatories. Inspired by current missions like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the European Space Agency's Gaia, a new servicing plan has been developed to ensure these powerful tools can operate for longer periods. "Although the next generation of large space telescopes are bein

Boston MA (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
Plextek, a leading consultancy recognized for its expertise in low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) sensing technology, has published its latest innovation in the field of in-orbit space operations and sensing. In their technical paper titled "Sensing in Space" Plextek showcases groundbreaking mmWave radar technology, designed to improve the safety and reliability of future space and satellite missions.

Hamden CT (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
When you bake a loaf of bread or a batch of muffins, you put the dough into a pan. As the dough bakes in the oven, it expands into the baking pan. Any chocolate chips or blueberries in the muffin batter become farther away from each other as the muffin batter expands. The expansion of the universe is, in some ways, similar. But this analogy gets one thing wrong - while the dough expands in

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
Mercury, the smallest and innermost planet in the solar system, continues to intrigue planetary researchers with its unique composition and structure, which differ significantly from Earth's Moon despite surface similarities. BepiColombo, a collaborative mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aims to resolve these mysteries. Launched in 2018, th

Paris, France (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
The Anthropic Principle (AP), first proposed by Brandon Carter in 1973, suggests that the universe is uniquely fine-tuned to support life. This idea has long sparked philosophical and scientific debates but has lacked empirical methods for validation. A recent paper in the *Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP)*, co-authored by Nemanja Kaloper from the University of California, D

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
In 1989, NASA's Voyager mission made history by capturing humanity's first close-up glimpse of Neptune, completing its exploration of the solar system's four giant outer planets. Since their 1977 launches, the twin spacecraft, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, revealed Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune to be far more intricate than scientists had previously imagined, prompting continued exploration.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
A team of planetary scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder has shed new light on the dynamics behind Mars' infamous dust storms. These events, which sometimes enshroud the entire planet in fine particles, may be triggered by warmer and sunnier conditions on the Martian surface. Lead researcher Heshani Pieris emphasized the importance of understanding these storms for the safety

Boston MA (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
The asteroid that extinguished the dinosaurs is estimated to have been about 10 kilometers across. That's about as wide as Brooklyn, New York. Such a massive impactor is predicted to hit Earth rarely, once every 100 million to 500 million years. In contrast, much smaller asteroids, about the size of a bus, can strike Earth more frequently, every few years. These "decameter" asteroids, meas

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
NASA researchers have announced the discovery of seven additional dark comets, celestial bodies that appear asteroid-like but exhibit cometary behavior. This finding doubles the total known count to 14 and reveals two distinct populations based on size, location, and orbital characteristics within the solar system.

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 10, 2024
The Long March 8A rocket, developed to become China's primary launch vehicle for medium- and low-Earth orbit missions, is set to make its maiden flight in January 2025, as announced by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). On Monday, the rocket was loaded onto a ship to begin its journey to the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, South China. "The Long Mar