LCO discovers activity on largest comet ever found
Thursday, 15 July 2021 00:50
A newly discovered visitor to the outer edges of our Solar System has been shown to be the largest known comet ever, thanks to the rapid response telescopes of Las Cumbres Observatory. The object, which is named Comet C/2014 UN271 Bernardinelli-Bernstein after its two discoverers, was first announced on Saturday, June 19th, 2021.
C/2014 UN271 was found by reprocessing four years of data fr A potential new tracer of exoplanet formation
Thursday, 15 July 2021 00:50
An international team of astronomers, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, have become the first in the world to detect isotopes in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. It concerns different forms of carbon in the gaseous giant planet TYC 8998-760-1 b at a distance of 300 light-years in the constellation Musca (Fly).
The weak signal was measured with ESO's Very Larg A star in a distant galaxy blew up in a powerful explosion, solving an astronomical mystery
Thursday, 15 July 2021 00:50
Dr. Iair Arcavi, a Tel Aviv University researcher at the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, participated in a study that discovered a new type of stellar explosion - an electron-capture supernova. While they have been theorized for 40 years, real-world examples have been elusive. Such supernovas arise from the explosions of stars 8-9 times the mass of the sun. The discovery a New UK Space Fund aims to make space safer
Thursday, 15 July 2021 00:50
One of the biggest challenges facing the space sector is orbital congestion and space debris. There are currently around 3,000 working satellites in orbit, and an estimated 130 million other pieces of debris, including old satellites, spent rocket bodies and even tools dropped by astronauts.
One collision could create thousands of small, fast-moving fragments, damaging the satellites that DIU director Michael Brown withdraws as Pentagon acquisition nominee
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 19:38
WASHINGTON — President Biden’s pick to serve as undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, Michael Brown, has withdrawn his nomination.
Brown is the director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Pentagon’s commercial outreach office based in Silicon Valley.
Seraphim’s investment trust gets firepower for bigger space deals
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 17:36
TAMPA, Fla. — Space startup investor Seraphim Capital’s investment trust started trading on the London Stock Exchange July 14, raising about $250 million for larger international acquisitions.
The listing gives the group “the firepower to become really impactful in this market,” Seraphim Capital CEO Mark Boggett told SpaceNews.
National Reconnaissance Office official picked to run Space Force acquisitions command
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 14:37
WASHINGTON — President Biden has nominated the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office Maj. Gen. Michael Guetlein for promotion to lieutenant general and assignment as commander of the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command.
NASA and ESA sign agreement on climate science cooperation
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 10:22
WASHINGTON — NASA and the European Space Agency have agreed to cooperate on future Earth science missions and related activities in an effort to better understand climate change.
The leaders of the two agencies signed a joint statement of intent in a virtual meeting July 13, declaring their plans to cooperate on Earth science research, particularly involving climate change, ranging from missions to research and applications.
Chinese rocket companies are preparing for hop tests
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 10:15
HELSINKI — A number of Chinese rocket firms are preparing to carry out first hop tests in a bid to develop reusable launch vehicles.
Video: Making Juice's thermal vacuum test happen
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 08:14
Video: making Juice's thermal vacuum test happen
NASA, European Space Agency join forces on climate change
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 07:18
NASA and the European Space Agency joined forces Tuesday in the battle against climate change, a move they said paves the way to a global response to the problem.
"To ensure that data from Earth-observing satellites are used to their best advantage, further science and, ultimately, bring the most benefit to humankind, ESA and NASA have formed a strategic partnership for Earth science and climate change," ESA said in a statement.
The partnership was formalised on Tuesday with a statement of intent signed by ESA's Director General Josef Aschbacher and NASA's Administrator Bill Nelson.
This aims "to pave the way to leading a global response to climate change, through the monitoring of the Earth and its environment with their combined efforts in Earth science observations, research and applications," the statement said.
The US and European space agencies have already worked together on environmental issues, notably on the Copernicus Sentinel-6 programme in which satellites about the size and shape of a large minivan measure sea level rise, tracking changes threatening to disrupt tens of millions of lives within a generation.
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Feel the force NASA Launches Entrepreneurs Challenge to identify innovative ideas
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 05:23
NASA is announcing its 2021 Entrepreneurs Challenge to invite fresh ideas and new participants that will lead to new instruments and technologies with the potential to advance the agency's science mission goals.
The agency's Science Mission Directorate is seeking novel ideas that focus on priority areas for the commercial sector. The Entrepreneurs Challenge aligns with NASA's goal to foste Mars Helicopter reveals intriguing terrain for rover team
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 05:23
Images snapped on July 5 by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on its ambitious ninth flight have offered scientists and engineers working with the agency's Perseverance Mars rover an unprecedented opportunity to scout out the road ahead. Ingenuity provided new insight into where different rock layers begin and end, each layer serving as a time capsule for how conditions in the ancient climate cha Training an AI eye on the moon
Wednesday, 14 July 2021 05:23
A Moon-scanning method that can automatically classify important lunar features from telescope images could significantly improve the efficiency of selecting sites for exploration.
There is more than meets the eye to picking a landing or exploration site on the Moon. The visible area of the lunar surface is larger than Russia and is pockmarked by thousands of craters and crisscrossed by ca