Mission accomplished for Integral, ESA's gamma-ray telescope
Thursday, 27 February 2025 10:41
Paris (ESA) Feb 27, 2025
The European Space Agency's gamma-ray telescope ends its observations next 28th February. During its 22 years in space, Integral has reshaped our view of the most dramatic events in the Universe. The high-energy observatory played a pivotal role in revealing the nature of the cosmic explosions known as gamma-ray bursts and in uncovering the origin of gravitational wave events. Recently, it deliv

BlackSky Secures Major Defense Innovation Unit Contract for Gen-3 Tactical GEOINT Expansion
Thursday, 27 February 2025 10:41
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has secured a multimillion-dollar contract from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to oversee the launch integration of a Gen-3 Tactical GEOINT (TACGEO) satellite. This award builds on earlier U.S. government-funded research and development efforts aimed at advancing space-based tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Under

The Galactic Voyage of Our Solar System
Thursday, 27 February 2025 10:41
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
An international team of researchers, led by the University of Vienna, has determined that our Solar System journeyed through the Orion star-forming complex, a key structure within the Radcliffe Wave, around 14 million years ago. This passage through a dense region of interstellar space may have compressed the heliosphere, the protective bubble surrounding the Solar System, and increased the inf

NASA's EZIE Launching to Study Magnetic Fingerprints of Earth's Aurora
Thursday, 27 February 2025 10:41
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
High above Earth's poles, intense electrical currents called electrojets flow through the upper atmosphere when auroras glow in the sky. These auroral electrojets push about a million amps of electrical charge around the poles every second. They can create some of the largest magnetic disturbances on the ground, and rapid changes in the currents can lead to effects such as power outages.

UAH team determine local dark matter density using direct acceleration measurements
Thursday, 27 February 2025 10:41
Huntsville AL (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti, the Pei-Ling Chan Endowed Chair in the College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and her team have pioneered the use of gravitational acceleration measurements of binary pulsars to help illuminate just how much dark matter there is in the Milky Way galaxy and where it resides.
Their previous study promised that as the number of data point

Shenzhou 19 Crew Advances Scientific Research and Conducts Training in Space
Thursday, 27 February 2025 10:41
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
Astronauts aboard China's Tiangong space station have been actively engaged in scientific research and technical tasks, as confirmed by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
A video released by the CMSA on Sunday showcased astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze conducting operations inside the space station's core module, Tianhe. Having been in space for nearly four months, th

Metal made in space lands on Earth
Thursday, 27 February 2025 08:00
The first metal 3D part ever created on orbit has landed on Earth.
The sample was produced in ESA’s Metal 3D Printer on the International Space Station. Now, it’s on Earth for the first time, at ESA’s technical heart in the Netherlands (ESTEC).
The printer, developed by Airbus and its partners, was installed in the Columbus module by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen during his Huginn mission in January 2024. In June, the facility succeeding in making its first print, a curvy line in the shape of an 'S’. In summer, the printer produced its first full sample, and then a
Gilmour Space Sets March 15 Launch Window for Eris Orbital Rocket
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
Gold Coast and Bowen, Australia - February 24, 2025 - Gilmour Space Technologies has confirmed that its first orbital rocket, Eris, is set for launch no earlier than March 15. This milestone marks Australia's first domestically designed and built rocket attempting to reach orbit.
The announcement follows the final regulatory approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Air

Throttled Power Rocket Engine Demonstrator Completes Extended Hot-Fire Tests
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
Paris, France (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
A cutting-edge rocket engine demonstrator, developed by the Lukasiewicz Research Network - Institute of Aviation, has completed an extended hot-fire testing phase, demonstrating its ability to dynamically vary thrust levels. The Throttleable Liquid Propulsion Demonstrator (TLPD) is designed for use in upper-stage rockets, spacecraft, kick-stages, and planetary exploration missions, offering a fl

Rover finds evidence of 'vacation-style' beaches on Mars
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
University Park PA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
Mars may have once been home to sun-soaked, sandy beaches with gentle, lapping waves according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
An international team of scientists, including Penn State researchers, used data from the Zhurong Mars rover to identify hidden layers of rock under the planet's surface that strongly suggest the presence of a

Gardens on Mars? No, Just Rocks!
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 26, 2025
Over the past week, Perseverance has been parked at a location called "Tablelands," an area containing the "Serpentine Lake" abrasion patch acquired a few weeks ago. The Mars 2020 team has been diligently analyzing the data from the abrasion patch, and these findings led to the decision to return to Tablelands and attempt a sample at this location.
Due to the disaggregated material thwarti

MIT engineers prepare to send three payloads to the moon
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
Boston MA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
Three MIT payloads will soon hitch a ride to the moon in a step toward establishing a permanent base on the lunar surface. In the coming days, weather permitting, MIT engineers and scientists will send three payloads into space, on a course set for the moon's south polar region.

Have we been wrong about why Mars is red
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
Paris, France (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
New research combining spacecraft data from the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA with advanced laboratory experiments suggests that Mars developed its distinctive red hue much earlier in its history than previously assumed. Scientists found that the planet's iron-rich dust likely rusted during a time when liquid water was more abundant on the surface.
Mars has long been recognized by i

Ancient beaches testify to long-ago ocean on Mars
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
Berkeley CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
A Chinese rover that landed on Mars in 2021 detected evidence of underground beach deposits in an area thought to have once been the site of an ancient sea, providing further evidence that the planet long ago had a large ocean.
The now-inactive rover, called Zhurong, operated for a year, between May 2021 and May 2022. It traveled 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) roughly perpendicular to escarpme

NASA Prepares Gateway Lunar Space Station for Artemis Missions
Wednesday, 26 February 2025 09:26
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
The Power and Propulsion Element for NASA's Gateway lunar space station is currently undergoing assembly, setting the stage for its mission to orbit the Moon as part of the Artemis program. This crucial module will provide the station with unprecedented solar electric propulsion capabilities, ensuring its mobility and energy needs as astronauts prepare for deeper space exploration.
Astrona
