Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
The University of Freiburg has announced the establishment of a new tenure track professorship in Earth and Planetary Geodynamics within the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources. This development is supported by a 1.71 million euro grant from the Volkswagen Foundation. This tenure track professorship is part of a broader initiative to integrate Earth system sciences with planetary scienc

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
Engineers and scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), under the leadership of Oliver Krause, have successfully developed and delivered critical optical elements for the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) of the Roman Space Telescope to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the USA. The fully assembled CGI has now reached NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre (GSFC), where it will

Boston MA (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
Hot Jupiters are some of the most extreme planets in the galaxy. These scorching worlds are as massive as Jupiter, and they swing wildly close to their star, whirling around in a few days compared to our own gas giant's leisurely 4,000-day orbit around the sun. Scientists suspect, though, that hot Jupiters weren't always so hot and in fact may have formed as "cold Jupiters," in more frigid

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
NASA has decided to discontinue the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) project after a thorough internal review. The decision was made due to escalating costs, launch delays, and potential future financial risks. Initially slated for a late 2023 launch, the VIPER project was postponed to late 2024 to allow for additional preflight testing of the Astrobotic lander. Howe

New York (AFP) July 17, 2024
New York has been the backdrop to countless "end of the world" storylines in film and TV. But on Tuesday an actual meteor shot over the city's iconic Statue of Liberty before disintegrating high above Manhattan, NASA's Meteor Watch said in a post on Facebook. Residents flooded the internet with reports of a fireball in the sky, with some describing the sensation of an earthquake, and oth

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
NASA has transported the core stage of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from New Orleans to Florida, marking a significant milestone in preparation for the Artemis II mission, the agency's first crewed lunar flight under the Artemis program. The massive core stage was carefully moved from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to NASA's Pegasus barge, which will carry it over 900

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
A new study has advanced the navigation of spacecraft between Earth and the Moon using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). By utilizing an adaptive Kalman filter, the research addresses issues such as weak signals and poor observation conditions near the Moon, significantly enhancing the accuracy and reliability of future space missions. As lunar exploration accelerates, there i

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
Following a comprehensive internal review, NASA announced Wednesday its intent to discontinue development of its VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) project. NASA cited rising costs, delays in the launch schedule, and the risks of further cost growth as reasons for halting the mission. The rover was initially set to launch in late 2023, but in 2022, NASA requested a del

Image: Heart of Hertz 2.0

The Farnborough International Airshow is set to return for its 76^th edition. Held every two years, the UK’s largest trade airshow will be back at the historic Farnborough Airport in Hampshire from 22 to 26 July 2024. ESA will be there to showcase the agency’s latest achievements and to highlight its next steps and future vision for Europe in space. An intense programme of panels and sessions awaits industry professionals and trade visitors on the first four days, while the public is welcome on 26 July for the public day.