Benchmark awarded Air Force Research Lab contract to scale ascent-fueled thrusters
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47Benchmark Space Systems, a prominent developer and integrator of in-space mobility solutions, has been awarded a significant two-year, $4.9 million contract by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). The contract aims to advance the company's non-catalytic propulsion systems, ranging from 22 Newton to 100 Newton, to support government missions using the high-performance ASCENT monopropellant. A
NASA reviews progress of ACS3 solar sail system in orbit
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47Since deploying its sail last week, NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft has been transmitting data and images, helping the mission team assess the performance of the boom technology demonstration. The main objective of the mission is to carry out the deployment operation and gather insights that will inform the future use of large-scale solar sails in space exploration. The te
S. Korea space transport ambitions hopes to challenge SpaceX
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47South Korea's new space agency said Thursday it was looking to grow its share of the industry and take on Elon Musk's SpaceX, as it unveiled plans to create a "space passageway". The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) opened in May with the goal of turning the land of K-pop into a new space powerhouse, following the United States, Russia, and China. Seoul, which is also locked in a sp
Beyond Gravity: Precise in-orbit positioning of Europe's new environmental satellite
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47On September 4, the European environmental satellite "Sentinel-2C" is set for launch aboard a European Vega rocket from Kourou. Beyond Gravity has supplied critical components for this mission, including the satellite's onboard computer and navigation receiver. "The opportunity to contribute essential elements to this environmental mission, which aims to enhance our understanding of climat
NASA prepares for Boeing Starliner's uncrewed return to Earth
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47The beleaguered Boeing Starliner spacecraft that took two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station will attempt to make its uncrewed return to Earth on Friday evening, the company has announced. NASA on Thursday issued a timeline and a set of criteria for the Starliner's departure from the ISS and return to Earth. The space capsule has faced a host of issues since well
Hubble and MAVEN collaborate to uncover Mars' water loss
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47Mars, once a planet with abundant water, now presents a mystery regarding the fate of its water resources. While scientists believe some water may have gone underground over the past 3 billion years, a significant amount has escaped. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission are now shedding light on this longstanding mystery. "There are o
Small asteroid creates 'spectacular fireball' while burning up over Philippines
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47A small asteroid burned up after it entered the Earth's atmosphere Wednesday afternoon over the Philippines. It did not cause any harm to humans or infrastructure. The European Space Agency discovered the small asteroid early Wednesday and said it would enter the atmosphere at 12:46 p.m. EDT over the western Pacific Ocean near the Philippines' island of Luzon. Qbout 3 foot
Researchers confirm volcanic activity on the Moon 120 million years ago
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47Geological evidence has long shown that volcanic activity occurred on the Moon, but the duration of this activity has remained uncertain. A recent discovery by Prof. LI Qiuli's lab at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS), has provided new insights into the Moon's volcanic history. The team identified three volcanic glass beads from lunar soil samples coll
Gigantic asteroid impact shifted the axis of Solar System's biggest moon
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:47Around 4 billion years ago, an asteroid struck Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, leading to a significant shift in its axis. A researcher from Kobe University has recently confirmed that this impact was caused by an asteroid approximately 20 times larger than the one responsible for the extinction event that ended the age of the dinosaurs on Earth, making it one of the most significant impacts w
Boeing's beleaguered space capsule is heading back to Earth without two NASA astronauts
Friday, 06 September 2024 15:20After months of turmoil over its safety, Boeing's new astronaut capsule is set to depart the International Space Station on Friday without its crew.
Week in images: 02-06 September 2024
Friday, 06 September 2024 12:10Week in images: 02-06 September 2024
Discover our week through the lens
Detecting satellite orbit anomalies requires human intelligence
Friday, 06 September 2024 12:00Mars rover trials
Friday, 06 September 2024 09:00Rover trials in a quarry in the UK showing a four-wheeled rover, known as Codi, using its robotic arm and a powerful computer vision system to pick up sample tubes.
The rover drives to the samples with an accuracy of 10cm, constantly mapping the terrain. Codi uses its arm and four cameras to locate the sample tube, retrieve it and safely store it on the rover – all of it without human intervention. At every stop, the rover uses stereo cameras to build up a 180-degree map of the surroundings and plan its next maneouvres. Once parked, the camera
Debris from DART impact could reach Earth
Friday, 06 September 2024 08:00In 2022 NASA’s DART spacecraft made history, and changed the Solar System forever, by impacting the Dimorphos asteroid and measurably shifting its orbit around the larger Didymos asteroid. In the process a plume of debris was thrown out into space.
The latest modelling, available on the preprint server arXiv and accepted for publication in the September volume of The Planetary Science Journal, shows how small meteoroids from that debris could eventually reach both Mars and Earth – potentially in an observable (although quite safe) manner.