Santa Barbara CA (SPX) May 13, 2022
The Hunga volcano ushered in 2022 with a bang, devastating the island nation of Tonga and sending aid agencies, and Earth scientists, into a flurry of activity. It had been nearly 140 years since an eruption of this scale shook the Earth. UC Santa Barbara's Robin Matoza led a team of 76 scientists, from 17 nations, to characterize the eruption's atmospheric waves, the strongest recorded fr

Athens (AFP) May 19, 2022
"Blade Runner" and "Chariots of Fire" composer Vangelis, the Oscar-winning electronic music pioneer whose distinctive musical style defined a generation of film soundtracks, has died aged 79, Greece's prime minister said on Thursday. According to several Greek media outlets, Vangelis died of the coronavirus in France where he lived part-time, as well as in London and Athens. "Vangelis Pa

Madison WI (SPX) May 18, 2022
Once upon a time, all life on Earth was alien. But eventually, strange single-celled organisms thriving on a harsh planet gave way to complex, multicellular organisms made up of the basic building blocks we associate with life today, including carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Announced by NASA this week, a new collaboration of astrobiology researchers across the country working together under

Vandenberg SFB CA (SPX) May 16, 2022
A year after becoming part of the Department of Defense's newest branch, Vandenberg Space Force Base's community paused to celebrate May 11, 2022. During a ceremony held at the base's Pacific Coast Club, both Col. Rob Long, commander, Space Launch Delta 30, and Chief Master Sgt. Jason DeLucy, command chief master sergeant, Space Launch Delta 30, showcased highlights from the past year.

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) May 13, 2022
Water scarcity is a growing problem around the world. Desalination of seawater is an established method to produce drinkable water but comes with huge energy costs. For the first time, researchers use fluorine-based nanostructures to successfully filter salt from water. Compared to current desalination methods, these fluorous nanochannels work faster, require less pressure and less energy, and a

Washington DC (SPX) May 18, 2022
Future fusion reactors have a conundrum: how to maintain a plasma core that is hotter than the surface of the sun without melting the device walls. Researchers call this challenge "core-edge integration." One method of cooling the plasma edge is to inject impurities such as nitrogen. The impurities absorb heat and release the energy as light that dissipates evenly across the walls. New res

Toulouse, France (SPX) May 19, 2022
The last two satellites of the Airbus-built, owned and operated Pleiades Neo constellation are on track for launch later this year, following successful final tests in Toulouse's clean rooms. Following the seamless parallel integration of both Pleiades Neo 5 and 6 satellites, and the successful conclusion of the environment (thermal vacuum, acoustic, vibration) test campaign, both final sp

Abu Dhabi UAE (SPX) May 17, 2022
Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC, the UAE's flagship satellite solutions provider, has announced that its dedicated government arm, Yahsat Government Solutions (YGS), has been successfully awarded a contract by the UAE Government, to provide satcom capabilities for its platforms. To supplement and support the UAE Government contract, YGS has also been awarded a contract by the

Paris, France (SPX) May 17, 2022
Exotrail signed a contract with the Defence Innovation Agency (AID), an organisation which is part of the French Ministry of Defence. The contract is to provide the French Space Command (CDE) with a customised and enhanced version of ExoOPS - Mission Design, Exotrail's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product dedicated to simulation and mission analysis. The customised product will be known as

New Brunswick NJ (SPX) May 12, 2022
Algorithms that help consumers decide what to stream or buy online can do more than predict customers' habits: They can help satellites see the Earth better, according to a Rutgers study. Optical satellites lose sight of the Earth's surface when it is covered by clouds, and researchers have long relied on inaccurate tools to fill the blind spots, particularly along coastlines. By adapting