NASA Collaboration Using Harvard Technology Could Advance Earth Science from Orbit
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56Sunlight traveling through the atmosphere becomes polarized in different ways as it is scattered by water vapor, ice, aerosols created by living organisms, dust, and other particulates. Measuring that polarization lets scientists extrapolate what is in the atmosphere, and the next generation of polarimeters for the job could benefit from a new technology developed by researchers at Harvard
Local lockdowns brought fast global ozone reductions
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56As the coronavirus pandemic slowed global commerce to a crawl in early 2020, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) - which create ozone, a danger to human health and to climate - decreased 15% globally, with local reductions as high as 50%, according to a study led by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. As a result of the lower NOx emissions, by June 2020, global
China accuses US of 'paranoid delusion' over huge innovation bill
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56Beijing on Wednesday accused Washington of "paranoid delusion" after the US Senate passed a sweeping industrial policy bill aimed at countering the surging economic threat from China. America's political parties overcame partisan divisions to support pumping more than $170 billion into research and development, one of the most significant achievements in Congress since Joe Biden's presidency
Liquid water on exomoons of free-floating planets
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56The moons of planets that have no parent star can possess an atmosphere and retain liquid water. Astrophysicists at LMU have calculated that such systems could harbor sufficient water to make life possible - and sustain it. Water - in liquid form - is the elixir of life. It made life possible on Earth and is indispensable for the continuing existence of living systems on the planet. This e
Scientists discover new exoplanet with an atmosphere ripe for study
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56An international group of collaborators, including scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and The University of New Mexico, have discovered a new, temperate sub-Neptune sized exoplanet with a 24-day orbital period orbiting a nearby M dwarf star. The recent discovery offers exciting research opportunities thanks to the planet's substantial atmosphere, small star, and how fast the system
Launch of competition for young people to help make UK spaceflight history
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56Young people will have the chance to send their own small satellite into space as a competition to inspire the next generation of British space scientists and entrepreneurs launches today (9 June 2021). Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was at Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall today to announce the contest, which is looking for nanosatellite designs that can help support the UK's ambitiou
Scientists identify distinctive deep infrasound rumbles of space launches
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56After their initial blast, space rockets shoot away from the Earth with rumbles in infrasound, soundwaves too low to be heard by human ears that can travel thousands of miles. New research used a system for monitoring nuclear tests to track the infrasound from 1,001 rocket launches. The research identified the distinctive sounds from seven different types of rockets, including the Space Sh
A study shows the unexpected effect of black holes beyond their own galaxies
Thursday, 10 June 2021 05:56At the heart of almost every sufficiently massive galaxy there is a black hole whose gravitational field, although very intense, affects only a small region around the centre of the galaxy. Even though these objects are thousands of millions of times smaller than their host galaxies our current view is that the Universe can be understood only if the evolution of galaxies is regulated by the acti
Kepler unveils expansion plans after $60 million funding round
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 17:25TAMPA, Fla. — Canadian startup Kepler plans to build a U.S. presence after raising $60 million for its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite data constellation.
The company said the office expansion will bring it closer to U.S.
Shenzhen offers support to boost satellite sector in Chinese city
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 11:47HELSINKI — Shenzhen will provide up to $47 million in support for development of satellite equipment, applications and other areas to drive space-related innovation in the southern Chinese city.
The city in Guangdong province will provide as much as 40 percent of total investment for a project, or up to 300 million yuan per project, the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission announced Monday.
Solar eclipse chaser: What to expect from this week's partial eclipse
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 11:41In December 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, I made the somewhat questionable decision to fly 11,200km from where I live in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Santiago, Chile. Then, I boarded a connecting two-hour flight and drove for a further two hours, just to experience two minutes and 20 seconds of darkness.
I followed the guidelines of both the UK and Chilean governments. I got COVID-compliant travel insurance; I took a PCR test 72 hours before arriving in Chile; I wore a mask for the 15-hour flight and had my temperature taken in every building I entered. I also risked getting stranded on the other side of the world the week before Christmas, as the UK was considering banning domestic flights from England to Northern Ireland.
You might wonder why I'd go through all of this. The answer? To witness the most spectacular sight in nature: a total solar eclipse. Despite my endeavor, the Chilean weather thwarted my efforts and cloud coverage denied me a glimpse of the Sun's ethereal pearly atmosphere.
Sierra Space signs Dream Chaser agreement with British spaceport
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 11:00WASHINGTON — Sierra Space, the new space subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation, announced June 9 that it signed an initial agreement with a British spaceport that could lead to landings of the company’s Dream Chaser vehicle there.
Colorado lawmakers invite VP Harris to tour space facilities
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 08:00WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers from Colorado in a June 9 letter urge Vice President Kamala Harris to visit military and space industry facilities in the state as she prepares to take over as chair of the National Space Council.
Dust: An Out-of-This World Problem
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 06:44Dust is a nuisance on Earth. Thankfully, we can simply pull out a vacuum or grab a rag to rid ourselves of the concoction of dust mites, fibers, soil, pollen, and other tiny bits. Beyond Earth's atmosphere, dust is insidious. On the Moon, it's made of crushed rock and is damaging to everything from lunar landers to spacesuits and human lungs if inhaled. As NASA readies to return to the Moo
SpaceX Cargo Dragon truck docks at Space Station
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 06:44While the International Space Station was traveling more than 250 miles over the South Pacific ocean, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the space-facing side of the orbiting laboratory's Harmony module at 5:09 a.m. EDT, Saturday, June 5. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur were monitoring docking operations for Dragon. This 22nd contracted resupply miss