Greenbelt MD (SPX) Feb 03, 2026
NASAs IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) began its two-year primary science mission on Feb. 1 to explore and map the boundaries of our heliosphere - the protective bubble created by the solar wind that encapsulates our solar system. The mission, which launched on Sept. 24, 2025, relies on 10 scientific instruments to chart a comprehensive picture of what is roiling in space

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 03, 2026
A PhD candidate at the University of Sydney has recreated a small slice of cosmic chemistry in the laboratory by manufacturing carbon rich dust under conditions that mimic space. Working in the School of Physics, materials and plasma physics researcher Linda Losurdo used a simple set of gases to simulate the harsh environments near aging stars and supernova remnants, then tracked how they assemb

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 03, 2026
Astronomers have used advanced computer simulations to show that the matter distribution just beyond the Local Group is organized in a vast, flattened structure of dark matter that extends tens of millions of light years. This large scale sheet surrounds the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy and is bordered above and below by enormous voids where galaxies are absent. For almost a century,

San Francisco USA (AFP) Feb 2, 2026
Elon Musk's SpaceX has taken over his artificial intelligence company xAI in a merger aimed at deploying space-based data centers, a statement said on Monday. The acquisition combines SpaceX's rocket capabilities with xAI's technology to create what Musk in the statement called "the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth." The merger comes as funding f

Video: 00:03:39

Satellite navigation is essential to everyday life, from tracking your morning jog to landing air ambulances. But as reliance on satellite navigation grows, so do the risks associated with its interruption, natural or intentional. To strengthen European resilience in navigation, the European Space Agency (ESA) takes part annually in Jammertest.

Organised on the remote island of Andøya, Norway, Jammertest is the world’s largest open air testing campaign for jamming and spoofing resilience. In September 2025, ESA engineers attended Jammertest with ESA’s mobile navigation lab to test how different systems respond to interference. After this, the data are analysed