Biology and Robotics Research Occupy Crew
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55A multitude of advanced microgravity research benefitting humans and robotics took precedence aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. Two Expedition 68 astronauts investigated how living in space affects the way a crew member reaches for and grasps objects. NASA Flight Engineer Josh Cassada has been working in the Columbus laboratory module all week exploring how spaceflight im
Study quantifies global impact of electricity in dust storms on Mars
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55Mars is infamous for its intense dust storms, some of which kick up enough dust to be seen by telescopes on Earth. When dust particles rub against each other, as they do in Martian dust storms, they can become electrified, transferring positive and negative electric charge in the same way as you build up static electricity if you shuffle across a carpet. Strong electric fields build
New aurorae detected on Jupiter's four largest moons
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea in Hawai?i have discovered that aurorae at visible wavelengths appear on all 4 major moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Using Keck Observatory's High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) as well as high-resolution spectrographs at the Large Binocular Telescope and Apache Point Observatory, a team led by Caltech and Boston
Does ice in the Universe contain the molecules making up the building blocks of life in planetary systems?
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55The James Webb Space Telescope - the most precise telescope ever built - was decisive in discovering the frozen forms of a long series of molecules, such as carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, methanol and even more complex molecules, frozen out as ices on the surface of small dust grains. The dust grains grow in size when being a part of the discs of gas and dust forming around young stars.
Webb reveals intricate networks of gas, dust in nearby galaxies
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55Peering through obscuring clouds of dust, the MIRI instrument has revealed networks of giant cavities and blown-out bubbles in the gaseous arms of distant galaxies. Researchers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are getting their first look at star formation, gas, and dust in nearby galaxies with unprecedented resolution at infrared wavelengths. The data has enabled an initial collect
D-Orbit signs launch contract with Patriot Infovention
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55On the final day of the Global Space and Technology Convention of Singapore, the space transportation and logistics company D-Orbit has announced the signing of a launch contract with Patriot Infovention, a Thai software company specializing in government assistance services, support and assistance, data management and cyber security. This satellite repre
New space capability mapping tool unveiled at the 2023 Avalon Airshow
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55Satellite Applications Catapult, SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), and the UK Government have announced a new space supply chain mapping tool to showcase the United Kingdom (UK) and Australian space sector capabilities. Enabled by the Space Bridge, an alliance between the UK and Australia that enhances cooperation across both nations to boost respective space industries, this mapping t
SpaceDaily Streamlines Imaging Process with ChatGPT Technology
Friday, 17 February 2023 05:55SpaceDaily, a leading news organization covering space exploration, astronomy, and technology, has implemented ChatGPT's technology, along with simple rules lists and innovative software development, to streamline its imaging process. The combination of these technologies has enabled SpaceDaily to generate filenames for image files based on their captions and vice versa, while also enablin
Space Force to change how it buys national security launch services
Friday, 17 February 2023 01:28The U.S. Space Force on Feb. 16 released its procurement strategy for the next national security launch services contracts expected to be awarded in 2024.
Space Force to change how it buys national security launches
Friday, 17 February 2023 01:28The U.S. Space Force on Feb. 16 released its procurement strategy for the next national security launch services contracts expected to be awarded in 2024.
NASA advisers raise concerns about Artemis safety and workforce
Thursday, 16 February 2023 22:59A NASA safety panel, while congratulating the agency on a successful Artemis 1 mission, said it was worried about the agency’s safety culture and workforce as it prepares for the first crewed Artemis flight.
Analyst: U.S. military space budget likely to get another boost in 2024
Thursday, 16 February 2023 21:47The Biden administration in its budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 is likely to seek a significant increase for the U.S.
Lockheed Martin completes delivery of 10th GPS 3 satellite
Thursday, 16 February 2023 18:57The U.S.
What is a UFO? The US shot down three mysterious objects as interest and concern increase over unidentified craft
Thursday, 16 February 2023 18:20On the heels of the Feb. 4, 2023, shooting down of a Chinese balloon suspected of spying on the U.S., American fighter jets have shot down three additional objects in or near U.S. airspace.
When the media asked Glen VanHerck, the Air Force general responsible for overseeing North American airspace, about these events, he refused to rule out extraterrestrial forces at play. Other military officialslater clarified that otherworldly origins aren't a serious consideration, but the comment highlighted the U.S. government's lack of knowledge about these objects.
As a space policy expert, I'm often confronted with questions about UFOs and little green people. However, as these recent episodes have shown, a UFO is far more likely to be human-made, rather than originating from some faraway place in the universe.
An extremely lightweight fission rocket could reach the solar gravitational lens in 15 years
Thursday, 16 February 2023 18:04Novel propulsion ideas for moving around space seem like they're a dime a dozen recently. Besides the typical argument between solar sails and chemical propulsion lies a potential third way—a nuclear rocket engine. While we've discussed them here at UT before, NASA's Institute of Advanced Concepts has provided a grant to a company called Positron Dynamics for the development of a novel type of nuclear fission fragment rocket engine (FFRE). It could strike the balance between the horsepower of chemical engines and the longevity of solar sails.
FFREs are not a new concept in themselves, but many have massive technical hurdles to overcome before they can be considered useful. Their advantages, such as high specific impulse and extremely high power density, are offset by their disadvantages, such as requiring a complicated form of plasma levitation.