Washington DC (SPX) Sep 26, 2024
NASA's TBIRD (TeraByte InfraRed Delivery) demonstration and its host spacecraft - the PTD-3 (Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-3) - have completed their technology demonstration. The TBIRD payload spent the past two years breaking world records for the fastest satellite downlink from space using laser communications. NASA's PTD series leverages a common commercial spacecraft to provide a

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 30, 2024
A team of scientists from the University of Maryland has uncovered evidence of a sunken ancient seafloor, dating back to the age of dinosaurs, deep within Earth. This discovery, located at the East Pacific Rise, a tectonic boundary on the southeastern Pacific Ocean floor, challenges existing models of Earth's structure. The findings were published in 'Science Advances' on September 27, 2024.

Puerto San Julian, Argentina (AFP) Oct 2, 2024
An annual solar eclipse will create a rare "ring of fire" phenomenon visible in parts of South America on Wednesday. A "ring of fire" occurs when the Moon lines up between the Sun and the Earth to create a solar eclipse but does not block out the Sun's light entirely. This year, the Moon will be further from the Earth than usual, so those in parts of Chile and Argentina will be able to w

Paris (AFP) Oct 1, 2024
A rare exoplanet smaller than Earth has been discovered orbiting one of the closest stars to the Sun, although its surface is far too hot to sustain life, astronomers said on Tuesday. The planet orbits Barnard's Star, which is just six light years away, according to observations made over five years by the Very Large Telescope in the Chilean desert. The astronomers were looking for plan

Paris (AFP) Oct 1, 2024
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected carbon dioxide on the frozen surface of Pluto's biggest moon, Charon, for the first time, research revealed on Tuesday. The discovery of CO2, along with another chemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), could shed light on the icy worlds in the mysterious outer reaches of our Solar System. Pluto was long known as the ninth planet fro

This September saw the completion of a critical milestone for the construction of ESA's new deep space communication antenna in New Norcia, Australia: the lifting of the 122-tonne reflector dish.

New research reveals that dust carried by the wind from southern Africa towards Madagascar triggered the largest phytoplankton bloom in two decades – and, unusually, this occurred at a time of year when such blooms are rarely seen.

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 30, 2024
Since 1953, an equation known as at-a-station hydraulic geometry (AHG) has been used to explain the relationship between river width, depth, velocity, and river discharge - the volume of water flowing through a river channel. AHG plays a key role in hydraulic engineering, flood prediction, and navigation. However, traditional methods for studying AHG through field research offer limited sample s

Beijing (AFP) Sept 26, 2024
China said on Thursday that its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean was "legitimate and routine", insisting that its nuclear stance remained defensive after the rare test prompted an outcry from countries in the region. Beijing announced the trial on Wednesday - its first such test in four decades - saying that the missile was carrying a dummy warh