China will aim to change the trajectory of a potentially threatening asteroid with a kinetic impactor test as part of plans for a planetary defense system.

The post China to conduct asteroid deflection test around 2025 appeared first on SpaceNews.

Kirtland AFB NM (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
The Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate held a ribbon cutting ceremony April 11 to open a new facility named Skywave Technology Laboratory. The 3,500 square foot, $3.5 million lab is located in a remote area on Kirtland Air Force Base. Though small in square footage compared to many AFRL labs, in acreage it is one of the largest. The Skywave Lab is situated on 72 acres

Dresden, Germany (SPX) Apr 15, 2022
Starship Enterprise flew through the galaxy using deuterium as fuel. Even if this was science fiction from the 1960s and 70s, research on the real application of the hydrogen isotope for energy generation is still going on today. The main challenge here is the extraction of the isotope. Deuterium (chem. abbrev. D, "heavy" hydrogen) is one of the three natural isotopes of hydrogen, along with pro

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 23, 2021
Scientists say they are one step closer to understanding Europa, a moon orbiting Jupiter that's widely considered the prime candidate for alien life forms within the solar system. Europa is believed to contain subterranean salty water hidden by a thick outer shell of ice. But according to a new study examining the moon's topology, a certain topographical feature called a "double ridge"

A flat budget for NASA’s space technology programs is “very constraining” for the agency as it faces tough decisions about what efforts it can fund and at what amounts.

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Companies pursuing emerging technologies are getting funding from venture investors but also are looking for U.S. government support

The post Space startups argue for more agile business models appeared first on SpaceNews.

Kirtland AFB NM (AFRL) Apr 22, 2022
In honor of Earth Day, the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is highlighting its efforts toward harnessing the Sun's energy, converting it to radio frequency, or RF, and beaming it to the Earth providing a green power source for the U.S. and allied forces. Key technologies need to be developed to make such a challenging process a reality. In response to this challenge, AFRL for

Plainsboro NJ (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
A puzzling process called magnetic reconnection triggers explosive phenomena throughout the universe, creating solar flares and space storms that can take down mobile phone service and electrical power grids. Now scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have detailed a roadmap for untangling a key aspect of this puzzle that could deepen insig

Huntsville AL (SPX) Apr 22, 2022
Imagine a mountaineering expedition in a wholly uncharted environment, where the hikers had the ability to generate a real-time 3D map of the terrain. NASA researchers and their industry partners have developed a remote-sensing mapping system set to aid explorers in the most isolated wilderness imaginable: the airless wastes at the South Pole of the Moon. The Kinematic Navigation and Carto

Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 22, 2022
We made it! Perseverance is at the delta, and gracing us with stunning images to pour over. Mars 2020 is officially out of "Rapid Traverse" mode, where we put the pedal to the metal and focused on driving. This week, we are back to standard operations, and the team is beginning our Delta Front Campaign. You can check out last week's blog for details on why exploring the delta is so exciting.