Houston TX (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
An international team of scientists led by Rice University's Pengcheng Dai has confirmed the existence of emergent photons and fractionalized spin excitations in a rare quantum spin liquid. Published in Nature Physics on June 19, their findings identify the crystalline compound cerium zirconium oxide (Ce2Zr2O7) as a clear, 3D realization of this exotic state of matter. Long a subject of th

Raleigh, NC (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
A new study is shedding light on why solar radiation is more effective than other forms of energy at causing water to evaporate. The key factor turns out to be the oscillating electric field inherent to sunlight itself. "It's well established that the sun is exceptionally good at causing water to evaporate - more efficient than heating water on the stove, for instance," says Saqlain Raza,

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University have discovered that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid commonly found on meteorites, can induce the formation of nanocavities in the mineral montmorillonite clay. This unexpected finding suggests a novel mechanism by which extraterrestrial molecules could have influenced the prebiotic chemistry that led to life on Ea

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
York Space Systems has announced the successful launch and early contact of its Dragoon satellite, a defense-focused mission developed for the Space Development Agency (SDA) under an accelerated timeline. The satellite lifted off on June 23, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Within two hours of deployment, York established communications with the spacecraft.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Six new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites built by ICEYE have successfully launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission, marking the company's largest single deployment to date. The launch raises ICEYE's total number of deployed satellites to 54 and strengthens its position as the operator of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation. The satellites, featuring

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Varda Space Industries launched its fourth mission, W-4, on Sunday, marking the inaugural flight of a fully integrated spacecraft built entirely in-house at its El Segundo facility. The mission, which took off aboard a SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 2:25 pm PT, represents several operational milestones for the company. Unlike prior missions, Varda indep

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has finalized its N3X satellite constellation with the successful launch of two new microsatellites, ARVAKER 2 and ARVAKER 3, aboard SpaceX's Transporter-14 mission from California. The N3X network is engineered to strengthen Norway's maritime domain awareness. "With our initial N3X satellite constellation in orbit, KONGSBERG's role as one of Eur

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
ICEYE, a global leader in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite operations, will supply its satellite data to NATO Allied Command Operations (ACO) under the Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) initiative. The APSS program, overseen by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), is a collaborative, multi-national effort aimed at enhancing space-based intelligenc

Washington DC (UPI) Jun 26, 2025
Axiom-4 astronauts on Thursday morning arrived on the International Space Station, including the first Indian to set foot on the space station. The crew made its way from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and opened the hatch to enter the ISS at about 8:14 a.m. EDT after docking at 6:13 a.m., NASA said. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency astronaut Slawosz Uznan

Asteroid 2024 YR4 made headlines earlier this year when its probability of impacting Earth in 2032 rose as high as 3%. While an Earth impact has now been ruled out, the asteroid’s story continues.

The final glimpse of the asteroid as it faded out of view of humankind’s most powerful telescopes left it with a 4% chance of colliding with the Moon on 22 December 2032.

The likelihood of a lunar impact will now remain stable until the asteroid returns to view in mid-2028. In this FAQ, find out why we are left with this lingering uncertainty and how