Washington (AFP) Mar 15, 2025
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Saturday its massive Starship rocket would leave for Mars at the end of 2026 with Tesla humanoid robot Optimus onboard, adding that human landings could follow "as soon as 2029." "Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely," Musk said

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 17, 2025
India's space program marked a significant stride forward in March 2025 with a trio of successful operations that underscore the growing sophistication and efficiency of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). From a milestone in-orbit maneuver involving its SPADEX satellite duo to innovations in cryogenic engine testing, ISRO's achievements reflect a focused drive to advance indigenous c

Washington (AFP) Mar 17, 2025
A pair of US astronauts stuck for more than nine months on the International Space Station will be returned to Earth on Tuesday evening, NASA said. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are to be transported home with another American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft, which arrived at the ISS early Sunday. The stranded duo have been on the ISS since June aft

Image: Biomass out of the box

Video: 00:13:17

Meet Sara García Alonso — biotechnologist, cancer researcher, passionate science communicator and member of ESA’s Astronaut Reserve.

She’s our first guest in this miniseries, where we dive into the journey of the ESA Astronaut Reserve and explore the first part of their Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC). Here, our “ARTists” are learning all about ESA and the International Space Station programme, the European space industry and institutions, and gaining hands-on experience in technical skills like spacecraft systems and robotics, as well as human behaviour, scientific lessons, scuba diving, and survival skills. This interview

London, UK (SPX) Mar 13, 2025
A recent study suggests that at least two of Earth's mass extinctions may have been triggered by the powerful effects of nearby supernova explosions. Researchers at Keele University propose that these cosmic blasts-marking the end of massive stars-could have stripped Earth's atmosphere of ozone, induced acid rain, and exposed life to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. The study im

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 13, 2025
Amentum (NYSE: AMTM), a global leader in advanced engineering and technology solutions, has partnered with Rivada Space Networks to introduce an ultra-secure low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity network tailored for critical U.S. government communications worldwide. Rivada's Outernet represents a breakthrough in global communications, offering a unified, low-latency, point-to-point satellite

Paris, France (SPX) Mar 14, 2025
Above the Arctic Circle on Norway's Andoya Island, three ESA radionavigation engineers take a brief respite from their demanding mission, playing shuffleboard as sheep graze under the aurora borealis. Their task is a critical one: evaluating how navigation systems endure interference threats. Over five days, they amassed 100 terabytes of data, essential for fortifying the resilience of satellite

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2025
Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) has finalized a securities purchase agreement for a private placement, expected to generate approximately $40 million in gross proceeds for the company, prior to deducting associated fees and expenses. The transaction is anticipated to close on or around March 14, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, Spire will iss

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Mar 14, 2025
Observing distant stars and galaxies comes with a challenge: how much of what we see is affected by cosmic dust? The presence of interstellar dust clouds can make celestial objects appear redder and dimmer than they actually are, an effect known as reddening and extinction. To address this, two astronomers have created an intricate 3D map that provides an unprecedented view of dust distribution