Madrid, Spain (SPX) May 23, 2024
ESA has signed a euro 340 million contract with Airbus Defence and Space UK to develop the Vigil satellite. This satellite will improve early warning systems for severe space weather events, such as solar storms, from its unique position in deep space. A declaration celebrating the contract was signed by ESA, Airbus Defence and Space, and the UK Minister of State for Science, Research and

Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 23, 2024
The 3200-megapixel LSST Camera, a critical instrument for the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, has arrived at Cerro Pachon in Chile. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science (DOE/SC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the LSST Camera will support the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), starting in late 2025. When operational, the LSST Camera will capture de

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024
Astronomers have discovered that huge black holes are redirecting powerful beams of particles into space. This discovery, made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Radio Astronomical Observatory's (NRAO) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), reveals the widespread impact black holes can have on their surrounding galaxies. A team of astronomers examined 16 supermassive black h

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024

An ocean of liquid water deep beneath the icy surface of Pluto is coming into focus thanks to new calculations by Alex Nguyen, a graduate student in earth, environmental and planetary sciences in Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. In a paper published in the journal Icarus, Nguyen used mathematical models and images from the New Horizons spacecraft that passed by Pl

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024
People might assume the search for life on Mars ended when NASA's first rovers sent back images of the planet's barren, inhospitable surface. However, as scientists broaden their understanding of the extreme conditions in which life can flourish here on Earth - and expand their notions of what extraterrestrial life might look like - the search for life on Mars continues. In recent years, N

Washington DC (SPX) May 23, 2024
Uranus is thought to possess a core of rock and ice beneath its vast frosty atmosphere. Just how much rock lies at the center of this giant world is unknown, but a newly proposed technique could provide a way to find out. When the Voyager 2 spacecraft whizzed past Uranus in January 1986, it revealed the planet's dark, delicate rings and its pale cyan atmosphere. Precisely what lies beneath

Paris, France (SPX) May 23, 2024
Twelve nations have signed the Zero Debris Charter at the ESA/EU Space Council, committing to long-term sustainability in Earth orbit. The European Space Agency (ESA) also signed the charter as an International Organisation (IGO). The Zero Debris Charter aims to become debris neutral by 2030, first unveiled at the ESA Space Summit in Seville in November 2023. For the first time, coun

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024
The Psyche spacecraft, now beyond Mars, is using ion propulsion to reach a metal-rich asteroid for orbit and data collection. NASA's Psyche spacecraft, launched on Oct. 13, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center, passed its six-month checkup and is now using electric thrusters to speed towards its target. These thrusters, emitting a blue glow, will propel the spacecraft continuously during its jo

Washington DC (UPI) May 23, 2024
SpaceX launched another 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Wednesday, the same day the space company launched a group of U.S. spy satellites from California. Falcon 9 lifted off one minute behind schedule, at 10:36 p.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. "Merlin engine ignition and liftoff of Falcon 9," SpaceX wrote Wed

Today, ESA’s Euclid space mission releases five unprecedented new views of the Universe. The never-before-seen images demonstrate Euclid’s ability to unravel the secrets of the cosmos and enable scientists to hunt for rogue planets, use lensed galaxies to study mysterious matter, and explore the evolution of the Universe.