Tempe AZ (SPX) Apr 27, 2022
In Oman, on the Persian Gulf, there is a large slab of ancient seafloor - including ultramafic rocks from Earth's upper mantle - called the Samail Ophiolite. These unique rocks not only provide valuable information about the ocean floor and Earth's upper mantle, they may also hold clues to life on other planets. To find these clues, a team of scientists from Arizona State University, who a

Exeter UK (SPX) Apr 28, 2022
Since the 1960s, many experts have argued that the emergence of eukaryotes (cells containing a clearly defined nucleus) happened in response to the oxygenation of Earth's surface environment. But a team led by the universities of Stanford and Exeter say recent advances in the Earth and life sciences challenge this view. Their review says these breakthroughs "decouple" the emergence o

Tucson AZ (SPX) Apr 29, 2022
Scientists have been studying the sediments within Mars' Gale crater for many years using orbital data sets, but thanks to the Curiosity rover driving across these deposits we can also obtain up-close observations and detailed measurements of the rocks, similar to field work done by geologists on Earth. A new paper led by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Catherine Weitz takes a

Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 29, 2022
While angular, pointy rocks have damaged the rover's wheels since early in the MSL mission, sometimes the wheels damage rocks as the rover drives over them. As seen especially at the upper left side of this image, the bedrock was scraped and fractured by the rover during the Sol 3456 drive. Unfortunately, that drive did not complete as planned, but the tactical team took advantage of the s

Paris, France (SPX) Apr 29, 2022
For the past thirty years, the star ss Pictoris has fascinated astronomers because it enables them to observe a planetary system in the process of formation. It is made up of at least two young planets, and also contains comets, which were detected as early as 1987. These were the first comets ever observed around a star other than the Sun. Now, an international research team headed by Ala

Midland TX (SPX) Apr 29, 2022
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network designed to be accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has announced a Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") with Globe Telecom, Inc. ("Globe") (NASDAQ: GTMEF). Globe is a leading digital platform in the Philippines, serving consumers and businesses' telecommunications

Bordeaux, France (SPX) Apr 29, 2022
HyPrSpace, a startup specializing in the design of space launchers, has announced that it has raised euro 1.1 million from the Geodesic fund, the French Tech Seed fund managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, and private investors. This funding will allow the startup to strengthen its teams to accelerate the development of its OB-1 reusable launcher, and t

Vilnius, Lithuania (SPX) Apr 29, 2022
Satellite operator Promethee has contracted mission integrator NanoAvionics to build the first nanosatellite for the French company's planned constellation of Earth observation nanosatellites and image analysis platform. "ProtoMethee-1" will be based on NanoAvionics' flight-proven 16U nanosatellite bus M16P. In addition to the satellite with onboard camera and propulsion, NanoAvionics will

Edwards AFB CA (SPX) Apr 26, 2022
Looking forward to catching an air taxi? NASA is working to answer where Advanced Air Mobility or AAM vehicles will take off and land. Many AAM aircraft will be electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOLs, so they will have the ability to take off and land vertically like helicopters on helipads. AAM vehicle types could also include other power and operating concepts. NASA's Advanced

Moffett Field CA (SPX) Apr 29, 2022
Talented students from communities around the U.S. recently gained hands-on experience in high-performance computing, NASA style. With help from experts in the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) division at the agency's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, the students took part in a supercomputing competition. Twelve teams of undergraduate and graduate students from six Historic