Permafrost thaw: it’s complicated
Thursday, 27 January 2022 14:00
One of the many serious consequences of the climate crisis is that precious permafrost is thawing, and this is unleashing even more carbon to the atmosphere and further exacerbating climate change. However, it’s complicated. For example, sometimes permafrost can thaw rapidly and scientists are unsure why and what these abrupt thaws mean in terms of feedback loops. This makes it difficult to predict the future impact on the climate. Thanks to an ESA–NASA initiative, new research digs deep into understanding the complexities of permafrost thaw and how carbon is released over time.
Microsoft helps JPL with Deep Space Network scheduling
Thursday, 27 January 2022 13:00
Microsoft is working with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to speed up the process for scheduling communications with distant spacecraft through NASA's Deep Space Network.
The post Microsoft helps JPL with Deep Space Network scheduling appeared first on SpaceNews.
Israel becomes 15th nation to join Artemis Accords
Thursday, 27 January 2022 12:30
Israel has joined the U.S.-led Artemis Accords for space exploration, hoping to use the agreement as a means of enhancing its space cooperation in the fields of research, science and innovation.
The post Israel becomes 15th nation to join Artemis Accords appeared first on SpaceNews.
University spy in Germany 'passed Ariane rocket details to Russia'
Thursday, 27 January 2022 12:10
German prosecutors on Thursday said they had charged a Russian scientist working at a Bavarian university with espionage, accusing him of sharing information about Europe's Ariane space rocket programme with Moscow.
The accused, identified only as Ilnur N., was arrested last June, the latest in a string of alleged Russian spies uncovered on German soil at a time of the worst tensions betwe Volcano and impact craters seen in geologically rich new image from ESA's Mars Express
Thursday, 27 January 2022 11:51
At first glance, two contrasting circular features jump out of this scene: a volcano that rises gently above the surface with a collapsed caldera system, and an impact crater that digs down below. Both features have different stories to tell.
Volcano in a lava sea
Lying in the shadows of the Solar System's largest volcano, Olympus Mons, the much smaller Jovis Tholus shield volcano bears its own evidence of a long eruptive history.
Its complex caldera system comprises at least five craters. The largest is about 28 km wide, and sits off center, as clearly seen in the plan view images. The calderas step down towards the southwest where the youngest eventually meets with the surrounding sea of even younger lava flows. The lavas create a shoreline around the flanks, obscuring the original relief of the volcano, which now only sits about 1 km above the surrounding plains.
NASA selects a dozen companies for smallsat launch services
Thursday, 27 January 2022 11:50
NASA awarded contracts Jan. 26 to a dozen companies, ranging from industry stalwarts to startups yet to launch their first rocket, to provide low-cost launches of agency smallsats.
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Image: Orbital resupply vehicle departs ISS
Thursday, 27 January 2022 11:48
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station farewelled over 2000 kg of scientific experiments and hardware on Sunday 23 January as a cargo Dragon spacecraft began its return to Earth.
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer captured the resupply vehicle in all its glory as it departed the orbital outpost at 15:40 GMT/16:40 CET. It splashed down approximately 29 hours later off the coast of Florida, U.S..
The SpaceX spacecraft arrived at the Space Station just before Christmas, bringing new experiments alongside Christmas treats. It returned with a bellyful of science, including several European experiments that were quickly transported to NASA's Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, and other items that flew with ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet during his Alpha mission.
Among the experiments were an investigation into the effect of microgravity on resting muscle tone known as Myotones, cell cultures for the Cytoskeleton experiment that looks at how human cells behave in weightlessness, and a new device called Thermo-Mini for continually monitoring core body temperature that you might have seen Matthias sporting on Station.
Join Webb Quest: Mind-blowing mission to the early Universe
Thursday, 27 January 2022 11:05
Meet the man who won a trip to space and gave it to a friend
Thursday, 27 January 2022 08:03![Meet the man who won a trip to space and gave it to a friend](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2022/meet-the-man-who-won-a.jpg "This photo provided by Kyle Hippchen shows him, right, with Chris Sembroski near launch complex 39A in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on April 21, 2021. Hippchen says Sembroski is the one person "who lives and breathes" space stuff like he does. Credit: Courtesy Kyle Hippchen via AP")
He told his family and a few friends. He dropped hints to a couple of colleagues. So hardly anyone knew that the airline pilot could have—should have—been on board when SpaceX launched its first tourists into orbit last year.
Meet Kyle Hippchen, the real winner of a first-of-its-kind sweepstakes, who gave his seat to his college roommate.
He won a trip to space. Then he gave it away to a friend
Thursday, 27 January 2022 08:03He told his family and a few friends. He dropped hints to a couple of colleagues. So hardly anyone knew that the airline pilot could have—should have—been on board when SpaceX launched its first tourists into orbit last year.
Meet Kyle Hippchen, the real winner of a first-of-its-kind sweepstakes, who gave his seat to his college roommate.
Reaching the tipping point for 3D printing satellites
Thursday, 27 January 2022 07:14
The number of 3D-printed parts on board satellites is growing amid advances in additive manufacturing. But how close is the industry to 3D printing entire satellites?
The post Reaching the tipping point for 3D printing satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
Blue Origin set to acquire Honeybee Robotics
Thursday, 27 January 2022 06:07
Honeybee Robotics (Honeybee) will be acquired by Blue Origin. With major operations in Longmont, Colorado and Altadena, California, Honeybee will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Origin, headquartered in Kent, Washington. The deal between Honeybee's parent organization, Ensign-Bickford Industries, and Blue Origin is expected to close in mid-February. Terms of the deal are not being discl New tech spurs spaceplane vision: halfway around world in 40 minutes
Thursday, 27 January 2022 05:19
Seattle-area company Radian Aerospace plans to build and commercialize a true spaceplane that could take off from a commercial runway, fly to space and return under its own power - a feat never achieved in aerospace history.
The company emerged from secrecy in an announcement last week that said a former Boeing official who oversaw that company's X-33 spaceplane program, Livingston Hol Satellogic completes transaction to become publicly traded company
Thursday, 27 January 2022 05:19
Satellogic Inc., a leader in sub-meter resolution satellite imagery collection has completed its previously announced business combination with CF Acquisition Corp. V (Nasdaq: CFV) ("CFV"), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald. The business combination was approved at a special meeting of CFV stockholders on January 24, 2022. Beginning Wednesday, J