Week in images: 14 - 18 June 2021

Discover our week through the lens

The Tana River, Kenya’s longest river, is featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The UK’s new National Space Propulsion Facility has been declared open. ESA oversaw the design, assembly and commissioning of the facility – equipped to test-fire the most powerful classes of rocket engines used aboard spacecraft – which will now be managed by the UK Government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Beijing (XNA) Jun 18, 2021
It was in August 1958 that Chinese scientists started to float the idea of sending Chinese astronauts to space. At that time, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the country's top scientific body, had formed a panel of distinguished scientists to discuss the research and development of satellites. Whether and how China should start a manned space program was also included on the agenda, three

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 18, 2021
computer halted on Sunday, June 13, shortly after 4 p.m. EDT. After analyzing the data, the Hubble operations team is investigating whether a degrading memory module led to the computer halt. The team is preparing to switch to one of several backup modules on Wednesday, June 16. The computer will then be allowed to run for approximately one day to verify that the problem has been solved. The tea

Washington DC (UPI) Jun 17, 2021
A chaotic, young star system, located 400 light-years from Earth, has offered astronomers new insights into the planet formation process. Observations of the stellar system Elias 2-27 - made using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA - confirmed the presence of significant gravitational instabilities, a phenomenon scientists have long suspected played an important

Moscow, Russia (SPX) Jun 16, 2021
Scientists from ITMO University and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) have proven that small objects, just like big ones, are capable of perfect light absorption. The results of this research will be helpful in the development of new technologies for wireless transfer of energy and data. The paper was published in Laser and Photonics Reviews. Light can interact with matter

London, UK (SPX) Jun 18, 2021
The centre will allow UK companies and academics to test state-of-the-art propulsion engines which are used to move small satellites in space at a more affordable rate than having to go abroad. It will also allow new types of more sustainable propellants to be tested, such as Hydrogen Peroxide and Liquid Oxygen which are more environmentally friendly in sourcing, storage and combustion. Ba