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The eye of the crater

Wednesday, 15 May 2024 10:12
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The eye of the crater Image: The eye of the crater
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Video: 00:00:29

Over the weekend of 10–12 May 2024, Earth was struck by the largest solar storm in more than a decade. While many of us enjoyed colourful auroras lighting up Earth’s protective atmosphere, spacecraft had to endure being buffeted by incredibly strong solar winds and electromagnetic radiation.  

Positioned between the Sun and Earth, the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) caught the entire solar outburst on camera. The Sun can be seen spewing out clouds of particles, with an extremely large burst sent to Earth on 11 May. The bright spots on the left and right are Jupiter

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NASA tests technology, practices Artemis moonwalks in Arizona desert
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas push a tool cart loaded with lunar tools through the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff, Arizona, as they practice moonwalking operations for Artemis III. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

To prepare for exploring the moon during NASA's Artemis campaign, the agency is conducting a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona to practice moonwalk scenarios.

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas are serving as the crewmembers and wearing mockup spacesuit systems as they traverse through the desert, completing a variety of technology demonstrations, hardware checkouts and Artemis science-related operations.

During the test, two integrated teams will work together as they practice end-to-end lunar operations.

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Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 14, 2024
Electrons can exhibit different behaviors based on their energy levels. High-energy or low-energy electron interactions with solid materials trigger various effects. For instance, low-energy electrons can cause cancer but can also be used to treat tumors. They are also critical in microelectronics for producing tiny structures. Measuring slow electrons is challenging, and understanding the
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Washington (AFP) May 13, 2024
The spectacular auroras that danced across the sky in many parts of the world over the weekend are fading, scientists said Monday, as the massive sunspot that caused them turns its ferocious gaze away from Earth. Since Friday, the most powerful solar storm to strike our planet in more than two decades has lit up night skies with dazzling auroras in the United States, Tasmania, the Bahamas an
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 14, 2024
Terran Orbital has been selected by Lockheed Martin to produce 18 satellite buses for the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 2 (T2) Tracking Layer contract. Lockheed Martin will supply the SDA with 16 wide field-of-view missile warning/missile tracking space vehicles equipped with infrared sensors and two vehicles with missile defense infrared sensors capable of generating fire control-qua
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Starliner
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew ship approaches the International Space Station on the company's Orbital Flight Test-2 mission before automatically docking to the Harmony module's forward port. Credit: public domain

The first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spaceship to the International Space Station has been postponed again due to a technical snafu, the company said Tuesday.

The next attempt will be May 21 at the earliest.

The high-stakes mission was already called off last week, with two strapped in and ready to fly.

That was because engineers detected a problem with a valve that regulates liquid oxygen pressure on the Atlas V rocket meant to propel Starliner into orbit.

The valve was replaced and a new launch date of May 17 was set.

But a new problem emerged—a small helium leak in a part of Starliner called the service module, which holds instruments used to control and operate the spacecraft.

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Tokyo, Japan (SPX) May 14, 2024
Scientists are investigating Martian sediments to understand early environmental conditions and potential signs of past life. Sediments collected by the Curiosity rover from Gale Crater, an ancient lake formed 3.8 billion years ago, revealed organic matter with a lower carbon-13 isotope content than Earth's, suggesting different formation processes on Mars. A study in Nature Geoscience on
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 14, 2024
The expansion of commercial space capabilities has transformed how we deliver mass and services to the Moon. These capabilities could create a real off-Earth economy if they operate jointly. An underlying analytical framework emphasizing integrated models of economic activity is needed to bridge current approaches to lunar system development and an integrated future lunar economy. This framework
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Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 14, 2024
The first high-definition geologic atlas of the entire Moon, scaled at 1:2.5 million, was unveiled on April 21. The atlas, available in Chinese and English, consists of the Geologic Atlas of the Lunar Globe and the Map Quadrangles of the Geologic Atlas of the Moon (including explanatory manual). The Geologic Atlas of the Lunar Globe includes the Geologic Map of the Moon, the Lithologic Map
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