New insights into neutron star matter
Friday, 10 June 2022 10:52
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Throughout the Universe, neutron stars are born in supernova explosions that mark the end of the life of massive stars. Sometimes neutron stars are bound in binary systems and will eventually collide with each other.
These high-energy, astrophysical phenomena feature such extreme conditions that they produce most of the heavy elements, such as silver and gold. Consequently, neutron stars a Watch live: first impressions of Gaia data release 3
Friday, 10 June 2022 08:00 Write a comment
Join European Space Agency and Gaia mission representatives on Monday 13 June for a preview of the third major data release. This world-class treasure trove is set to reveal new insights into our Solar System, our Milky Way galaxy, and our wider cosmic neighbourhood.
Earth from Space: Singapore
Friday, 10 June 2022 07:00 Write a comment
This radar image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, shows us the only city-island-nation – Singapore – and one of the busiest ports in the world.
The face of Galileo
Friday, 10 June 2022 05:40 Write a comment
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The face of Galileo Astra ready for first of three NASA TROPICS launches
Friday, 10 June 2022 00:28 Write a comment
Astra Space is preparing to conduct the first of three launches of NASA cubesats to monitor tropical storms as soon as June 12, pending receipt of a launch license.
The post Astra ready for first of three NASA TROPICS launches appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA gets serious about UFOs
Thursday, 09 June 2022 19:30 Write a comment
NASA is officially joining the hunt for UFOs.
The space agency on Thursday announced a new study that will recruit leading scientists to examine unidentified aerial phenomena—a subject that has long fascinated the public and recently gained high-level attention from Congress.
The project will begin early this fall and last around nine months, focusing on identifying available data, how to gather more data in future, and how NASA can analyze the findings to try to move the needle on scientific understanding.
NASA audit reveals massive overruns in SLS mobile launch platform
Thursday, 09 June 2022 18:53 Write a comment
A new mobile launch platform that Bechtel is building for NASA will cost up to four times as much as originally planned and could push back the first launch of an upgraded version of the Space Launch System to the late 2020s, a NASA audit concluded.
Scheduling NASA's Webb telescope's science
Thursday, 09 June 2022 17:36 Write a comment
In the lead-up to the release of Webb's first full-color images and spectroscopic data on July 12, the Webb team is now in the last phase of commissioning the science instruments. The first two instrument modes, NIRCam imaging and NIRISS imaging, have been declared ready for science; watch the "Where is Webb" page as the team works their way through the other 15 instrument modes.
After commissioning is finished, the fun—and discoveries—will start: implementing the hundreds of peer-reviewed science programs that have been selected for Webb's first year. The area on the sky that Webb can see at any given time is called the field of regard. Deciding which observations to make on which day is a complicated process designed to optimize observational efficiency and manage the observatory's resources. We asked Christine Chen, science policies group lead at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), to tell us how Webb's schedule comes together.
"Webb will soon transition from commissioning to regular operations when Webb's time will be devoted to scientific observations," said Christine Chen, Webb science policies group lead, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.
James Webb telescope hit by micrometeoroid: NASA
Thursday, 09 June 2022 17:03 Write a comment
A mirror on the James Webb Space Telescope was struck by a micrometeoroid last month but is expected to continue to function normally, NASA said Thursday.
"After initial assessments, the team found the telescope is still performing at a level that exceeds all mission requirements despite a marginally detectable effect in the data," the US space agency said.
"Webb's beginning-of-life performance is still well above expectations, and the observatory is fully capable of performing the science it was designed to achieve," it added.
One of the space observatory's primary mirror segments suffered an impact from a micrometeoroid, which tend to be smaller than a grain of sand, between May 23 and 25.
Egypt’s Nilesat 301 passes health checks after SpaceX launch
Thursday, 09 June 2022 15:29 Write a comment
Egyptian operator NileSat’s latest communications satellite is ready to move to its final orbit after clearing health checks following its June 8 SpaceX launch, according to the spacecraft’s prime contractor.
The post Egypt’s Nilesat 301 passes health checks after SpaceX launch appeared first on SpaceNews.
Space Force delivers first of two U.S. payloads to launch on Space Norway’s arctic broadband mission
Thursday, 09 June 2022 14:18 Write a comment
The U.S. Space Force delivered the first of two military communications payloads that will launch in 2023 on Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission.
Methane emissions detected over offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico
Thursday, 09 June 2022 13:30 Write a comment
A team of scientists have used satellite data to detect methane plumes from an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the first time that individual methane plumes from offshore platforms are mapped from space.
NASA has purchased five more Crew Dragon missions, keeping the ISS going until 2030
Thursday, 09 June 2022 13:04 Write a comment
On November 15th, 2020, NASA and SpaceX made history when a crewed spacecraft—the Crew Dragon Resilience—lifted off from American soil and delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission (designated Crew-1) was a culminating achievement for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) and effectively restored domestic launch capability to the U.S. for the first time since the Space Shuttle's retirement in 2011. As of April, SpaceX's launch vehicles and spacecraft were used to mount the first all-private Axiom Mission-1 and the fourth flight of the CCP (Crew-4).
Building on this success, NASA recently filed a notice of intent (NOI) to purchase five additional Crew Dragon spacecraft. This decision is based in large part on the delays suffered by Boeing—NASA's other CCP commercial partner—and the development of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.
ESA gives a Boost! to D-Orbit industrial ramp-up plans
Thursday, 09 June 2022 12:00 Write a comment
Italy-based on-orbit transportation services provider D-Orbit is set to ramp-up industrialisation of its “last-mile” satellite delivery service with help from ESA’s Boost! programme.
Psyche launch delay forcing revamp of rideshare mission
Thursday, 09 June 2022 10:32 Write a comment
A delay in the launch of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission is forcing another asteroid mission hitching a ride to revise its plans.
The post Psyche launch delay forcing revamp of rideshare mission appeared first on SpaceNews.