New study finds satellites contribute significant light pollution to night skies
Monday, 29 March 2021 04:58
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Scientists reported new research results today suggesting that artificial objects in orbit around the Earth are brightening night skies on our planet significantly more than previously understood.
The research, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, finds that the number of objects orbiting Earth could elevate the overall brightness of the n Nine global space startups to join Australia's first space dedicated incubator program
Monday, 29 March 2021 04:58 Write a comment
The University of South Australia's Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) has announced nine startups have been merit selected for a place in the Venture Catalyst Space program, supported by the South Australian Government's Space Innovation Fund.
A leader in space innovation and business acceleration, the program is the first of its kind in Australia.
Startups will receive the i MyGalileoSolution and MyGalileoDrone: A word from the winners
Monday, 29 March 2021 04:58 Write a comment
The winners of the MyGalileoSolution and MyGalileoDrone were announced at Entrepreneurship Day, organised by the GSA in March 2021 to promote EGNSS-based creativity and business opportunities. The goal was also to raise awareness of the role of downstream space in achieving the EU's common goals. The winners spoke about their experience during the competition and how it was helping to take their Utilis secures $6m from Beringea to harness satellites to protect critical infrastructure and global water supplies
Monday, 29 March 2021 04:58 Write a comment
Utilis, a pioneer of satellite-based infrastructure intelligence, has announced that it has raised $6m from Beringea, the transatlantic venture capital firm. The funding will be used to accelerate the growth of its data-driven analytics which enables detection of water leaks and infrastructure asset management, reflecting the rising focus on resource preservation around the world during the clim Corridor test of Proba-3's formation flying sensors
Monday, 29 March 2021 04:58 Write a comment
The longest corridor in ESA's largest establishment was turned into a test site for one of the Agency's most ambitious future missions, Proba-3. The two satellites making up this mission will line up so that one casts a shadow onto the other, revealing inner regions of the Sun's ghostly atmosphere. But such precision formation flying will only be possible through a vision-based sensor system all Axelspace and KSAT expands their partnership
Monday, 29 March 2021 04:58 Write a comment
In a newly signed agreement, Axelspace Corporation and KSAT are expanding their existing partnership on Global Ground Network support to also include data distribution from AxelGlobe, powered by the constellation of GRUS, a 100Kg microsatellite for optical Earth observation.
With the successful launch of 4 satellites (GRUS-1B, 1C, 1D and 1E) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on March Inmarsat takes Dutch government to court over 3.5 GHz auction plan
Sunday, 28 March 2021 20:51 Write a comment
TAMPA, Fla. — Inmarsat is launching legal action over the Dutch government’s plan to auction 3.5 GHz spectrum, which the British satellite operator uses for maritime safety services.
NASA begins final assembly of spacecraft destined for asteroid Psyche
Sunday, 28 March 2021 19:31 Write a comment
A major component of NASA's Psyche spacecraft has been delivered to the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, where the phase known as assembly, test, and launch operations is now underway. Over the next year, the spacecraft will finish assembly and undergo rigorous checkout and testing before it's shipped to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for an August 2022 launch to the main asteroid belt.
The Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) Chassis, crafted by Maxar Technologies' team in Palo Alto, California, is the size of a van and represents more than 80% (by mass) of the hardware that will ultimately make up the Psyche spacecraft. The large, box-shaped structure made a dramatic entrance as it rolled into the white-walled clean room of JPL's storied High Bay 1 of the Spacecraft Assembly Facility.
SpaceX says no Starship launch on Monday
Sunday, 28 March 2021 19:20 Write a comment
SpaceX has postponed the latest test flight of its prototype interplanetary Starship rocket from the company's south Texas facility, Elon Musk said Monday.
"FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) inspector unable to reach Starbase in time for launch today," the company's founder and CEO tweeted.
"Postponed to no earlier than tomorrow."
No launch window has so far been provided for Tuesday.
The company is hoping to finally perform a successful test flight after the last three attempts ended in spectacular explosions, and had been granted a five hour window for spaceflight activities by local authorities on Monday.
Congress raises concerns about FAA’s handling of Starship launch license violation
Sunday, 28 March 2021 18:58 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — As SpaceX gears up for another test flight of a Starship prototype, the Federal Aviation Administration is facing new scrutiny from Congress for how it handled SpaceX’s violation of its launch license on an earlier test flight.
Even with regular exercise, astronaut's heart left smaller after a year in space
Sunday, 28 March 2021 18:38 Write a comment
With NASA preparing to send humans to Mars in the 2030s, researchers are studying the physical effects of spending long periods in space. Now a new study by scientists at UT Southwestern shows that the heart of an astronaut who spent nearly a year aboard the International Space Station shrank, even with regular exercise, although it continued to function well.
The results were comparable with what the researchers found in a long-distance swimmer who spent nearly half a year trying to cross the Pacific Ocean.
The study, published today in Circulation, reports that astronaut Scott Kelly, now retired, lost an average of 0.74 grams—about three-tenths of an ounce—per week in the mass of his heart's left ventricle during the 340 days he spent in space, from March 27, 2015, to March 1, 2016. This occurred despite a weekly exercise regimen of six days of cycling, treadmill, or resistance work.
SPACs in Space: A New Frontier for Investment Webinar
Sunday, 28 March 2021 17:48 Write a comment
Advances in space technologies were largely invisible to the public equity markets until July 2019, when Virgin Galactic announced its intent to go public through a merger with Social Capital Hedosophia, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC).
Biden administration to continue the National Space Council
Sunday, 28 March 2021 16:13 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — In the wake of speculation that there would not be a National Space Council in the Biden administration, the White House confirmed March 29 that the council will be renewed.
The administration’s decision to reestablish the council was first reported by Politico.
SecDef briefed on military space programs, threats to satellites
Sunday, 28 March 2021 15:02 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week received a detailed briefing on DoD space programs and national security threats in the space domain. This was Austin’s first high-level briefing on space issues since taking office.
Why we need to get better at predicting space weather
Sunday, 28 March 2021 14:45 Write a comment
The sun is the most important source of energy for sustaining life on Earth, but it gives us a lot more than just light and heat. It also gives us solar storms.
Disturbances on the sun, such as coronal mass ejections produced by solar flares that emanate from active sunspot regions, can cause solar storms. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections emit vast quantities of radiation and charged particles into space.
These events can damage the Earth's communication and power infrastructures, resulting in power outages and reduced system functionality. Satellites, space stations and astronauts, aviation, GPS, power grids and more can be affected.
As our civilisation becomes more advanced, we become more vulnerable to the effects of solar storms. Now, as the sun's activity is on the increase, we need to get better at predicting solar weather.
Many people still remember the collapse of Canada's Quebec electrical grid on 13 March 1989, which lasted for nine hours and affected six million people. It caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and lost revenues.