Scientists are harnessing data from ESA’s Swarm mission and ground-based instruments to precisely measure the strength and duration of intense upper-atmosphere heating – dramatic ‘hot flushes’ triggered by solar storms that also cause Earth’s tenuous outer atmospheric layers to expand rapidly.

This research, funded by ESA's Earth Observation FutureEO Science for Society initiative, offers crucial insights into how geomagnetic activity affects satellite orbits and space weather conditions.

Houston TX (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Dark matter, although not visible, is believed to make up most of the total mass of the universe. One theory suggests that ultralight dark matter behaves like a continuous wave, which could exert rhythmic forces that are detectable only with ultra-sensitive quantum instrumentation. New research published in the American Physical Society June 24 and led by Rice University physicist Christop

Davis CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
The Center for Space Exploration Research at the University of California, Davis, has partnered with Proteus Space to launch a US government-sponsored satellite into space with a custom AI-enabled payload in a brand-new, first-ever rapid design-to-deployment small satellite. The team will launch the satellite and payload in October 2025 from Vanderberg, CA. From the time the project was fu

Houston TX (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
An international team of scientists led by Rice University's Pengcheng Dai has confirmed the existence of emergent photons and fractionalized spin excitations in a rare quantum spin liquid. Published in Nature Physics on June 19, their findings identify the crystalline compound cerium zirconium oxide (Ce2Zr2O7) as a clear, 3D realization of this exotic state of matter. Long a subject of th

Raleigh, NC (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
A new study is shedding light on why solar radiation is more effective than other forms of energy at causing water to evaporate. The key factor turns out to be the oscillating electric field inherent to sunlight itself. "It's well established that the sun is exceptionally good at causing water to evaporate - more efficient than heating water on the stove, for instance," says Saqlain Raza,

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University have discovered that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid commonly found on meteorites, can induce the formation of nanocavities in the mineral montmorillonite clay. This unexpected finding suggests a novel mechanism by which extraterrestrial molecules could have influenced the prebiotic chemistry that led to life on Ea

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
York Space Systems has announced the successful launch and early contact of its Dragoon satellite, a defense-focused mission developed for the Space Development Agency (SDA) under an accelerated timeline. The satellite lifted off on June 23, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Within two hours of deployment, York established communications with the spacecraft.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Six new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites built by ICEYE have successfully launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission, marking the company's largest single deployment to date. The launch raises ICEYE's total number of deployed satellites to 54 and strengthens its position as the operator of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation. The satellites, featuring

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Varda Space Industries launched its fourth mission, W-4, on Sunday, marking the inaugural flight of a fully integrated spacecraft built entirely in-house at its El Segundo facility. The mission, which took off aboard a SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 2:25 pm PT, represents several operational milestones for the company. Unlike prior missions, Varda indep