Earth will soon forever lose its 'second moon', astronomers say
Saturday, 30 January 2021 05:05
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NASA has confirmed that the enigmatic object, 2020 SO, is the remains of a Centaur rocket booster from the mid 20th century Space Age, adding that the orbiting space junk can be classified as a mini-moon to our planet.
Near-Earth orbiting object 2020 SO, informally dubbed by astronomers "the planet's second moon", is expected to pass at a relatively close distance to our planet on 2 Februa MDA extends satellite operations capability through contract award by the Canadian Space Agency
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MDA will provide spacecraft health monitoring and control, operational analysis, basic system maintenance, data order handling, image quality control and data processing and archiving for the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), SCISAT and NEOSSat from the CSA's Multi-Mission Control Centre in Longueuil, Quebec.
MDA has partnered with two leading Canadian space firms - Calian Advanced T
EDMO Distributors signs distribution agreement with AvMap Satellite Navigation
Saturday, 30 January 2021 05:05 Write a comment
EDMO Distributors, a global leader in the distribution of avionics and installation supplies, has signed a distribution agreement with AvMap Satellite Navigation.
The AvMap company has built a solid reputation as a value-oriented navigation system, with the first units fielded in 1994. The EKP V is a stand-alone moving map display that can be carried on or panel mounted. Customers can add NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer prepares for environmental testing
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Despite COVID-19-related hurdles, NASA's newest X-ray astronomy mission is a step closer to launch. Engineers recently completed integration of the agency's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer, or IXPE, at Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado. Now, Ball will put the fully assembled observatory through a series of tests that simulate the harsh conditions the small spacecraft will encounter on its r Test paves way for new planetary radar
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The National Science Foundation's Green Bank Observatory (GBO) and National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Raytheon Intelligence and Space conducted a test in November to prove that a new radio telescope system can capture high-resolution images in near-Earth space.
GBO's Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia - the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope - was outfit Waldrop leads $75M NASA mission to investigate Earth's atmosphere
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University of Illinois Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Lara Waldrop has been selected by NASA to lead the development of a $75 million satellite that ultimately may help protect technology like satellite electronics, radio communication, electric power distribution, and even air travel from the dangers of solar storms.
Waldrop's Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) Scienc Next SpaceX commercial crew mission to launch in April
Friday, 29 January 2021 23:23 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — The second operational SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station will now launch in mid-April, carrying astronauts from Europe, Japan and the United States.
NASA said Jan. 29 that it set a launch date of April 20 for the Crew-2 mission to the station.
Space Command to expand network of allies that help monitor orbital traffic
Thursday, 28 January 2021 23:34 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — To get intelligence about what is happening in orbit, U.S. Space Command works with a close-knit group of allies and private companies.
The command is now looking to expand its network of data-sharing partners as activities in space grow and the Pentagon worries about Chinese weapons targeting U.S.
NASA to perform second SLS Green Run test
Thursday, 28 January 2021 23:25 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — NASA will carry out a second hotfire test of the Space Launch System core stage, a move that makes it more likely the vehicle will miss its scheduled launch date of late this year.
U.S. Space Force mostly sticking with Air Force ranks
Thursday, 28 January 2021 20:58 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — It’s now official: There will be no admirals in the U.S. Space Force.
The Space Force on Jan. 29 revealed its new rank structure for officers and enlisted personnel. The service for the most part is adopting the U.S.
FAA reviews delay SpaceX Starship test
Thursday, 28 January 2021 19:02 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — A test flight of SpaceX’s Starship launch vehicle is on hold as the company awaits approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, a delay that has publicly aggravated the company’s chief executive.
SpaceX had planned to perform a suborbital flight of its Starship SN9 vehicle at its Boca Chica, Texas, test site Jan.
Week in images: 25 - 29 January 2021
Thursday, 28 January 2021 14:28 Write a comment
Week in images: 25 - 29 January 2021
Discover our week through the lens
SpaceX vs NASA: Who will get us to the moon first? Here's how their latest rockets compare
Thursday, 28 January 2021 14:00 Write a comment
No one has visited the moon since 1972. But with the advent of commercial human spaceflight, the urge to return is resurgent and generating a new space race. NASA has selected the private company SpaceX to be part of its commercial spaceflight operations, but the firm is also pursuing its own space exploration agenda.
To enable flights to the moon and beyond, both NASA and SpaceX are developing new heavy lift rockets: SpaceX's Starship and NASA's Space Launch System.
But how do they differ and which one is more powerful?
Starship
Rockets go through multiple stages to get into orbit. By discarding spent fuel tanks while in flight, the rocket becomes lighter and therefore easier to accelerate. Once in operation, SpaceX's launch system will be comprised of two stages: the launch vehicle known as "BFR" (Big Falcon Rocket) and the Starship.
BFR is powered by the Raptor rocket engine, burning a combination of liquid methane and liquid oxygen.
Could game theory help discover intelligent alien life?
Thursday, 28 January 2021 13:50 Write a comment
New research from the University of Manchester suggests using a strategy linked to cooperative game playing known as 'game theory' in order to maximize the potential of finding intelligent alien life.
If advanced alien civilisations exist in our galaxy and are trying to communicate with us, what's the best way to find them? This is the grand challenge for astronomers engaged in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). A new paper published in The Astronomical Journal by Jodrell Bank astrophysicist, Dr. Eamonn Kerins, proposes a new strategy based on game theory that could tip the odds of finding them more in our favor.
SETI programs tend to use one of two approaches. One is to conduct a survey that sweeps large areas of sky in the hope of seeing a signal from somewhere. This survey approach can quickly generate huge volumes of data that can be very hard to search through comprehensively. An alternative approach is targeted SETI, where the search focuses more intensively on specific star systems where life might exist. This provides more comprehensive data on those systems, but maybe there's nobody there?
ExoMars orbiter's 20,000th image
Thursday, 28 January 2021 12:54 Write a comment
The CaSSIS camera onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has captured its 20,000th image of Mars.
The image, taken on 13 December 2020, features Solis Dorsum, a segment of a prominent wrinkle ridge system in a vast volcanic plateau, known as Tharsis. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features that form in layered basalt lavas due to loading and flexure of the planet's crust and upper mantle. These tectonic stresses are caused by the planet's interior cooling and subsequent contraction.
The study of wrinkle ridges, and in particular their distribution and orientation, can reveal details of the complex and dynamic geological history of Mars.
The scale is indicated on the image. Download high-res PNG for the full image swath.