Strasbourg, France (SPX) Dec 14, 2023
A new set of tools for astronomers and planetary explorers use interactive visual analytics and machine learning to reveal and contrast properties of objects in our galaxy. From identifying the 'weirdest' outliers in a population of stars to creating maps of the dusty Milky Way, or combining datasets for an immersive exploration of the lunar surface, the open-source tools are designed to help as

Melbourne, Australia (SPX) Dec 14, 2023
The year 2023 proved a big one for lunar science. India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed near the south pole of the Moon, a huge accomplishment for a country relatively new to the space scene, especially after its Chandrayaan-2 craft crashed in 2019. At the same time, NASA's been gearing up for a host of Moon-related missions, including its Artemis program. In 2023, the agency gained nine

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 14, 2023
Deep Sand Technology (DST), a leader in affordable autosteering and GPS guidance for agricultural equipment, has announced a significant advancement in precision agriculture through its partnership with the GEODNET Foundation. This collaboration aims to extend the reach of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) services, enhancing farming operations in rural areas of North America. Deep Sand Technology

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 14, 2023
NASA is actively collaborating with several prominent commercial space companies under its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This initiative marks a significant step in expanding opportunities for science and technology payloads, leveraging the growing capabilities of the U.S. commercial launch market. The VADR program partners NASA with

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
Los Angeles-based spacecraft manufacturing company Apex recently announced the opening of its new headquarters, Factory One, in the Playa Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles. Factory One, a blend of office, warehouse, and light manufacturing spaces spanning 46,000 square feet, is not just a corporate hub but a significant step towards amplifying the company's spacecraft production capabilities.

Washington (AFP) Dec 15, 2023
Several new European and American rockets are set for blast off in 2024, at a time the aerospace industry faces a shortage of launch vehicles fueled by the rise of satellite constellations. Here are the maiden flights space watchers can look forward to next year. - Countdown for Ariane 6 - The Ariane 6 rocket, which carries Europe's hopes for space autonomy from the United States and

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
Kymeta Corporation, a leader in the development of flat panel antennas, and satellite communications giant Eutelsat Group have jointly announced a significant advancement in land mobile connectivity. The Kymeta electronically steered Hawk u8 LEO terminal has received approval for use on the Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network for land mobility applications. This approval marks the Kyme

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
A new all-sky map by the eROSITA telescope reveals X-rays emitted by million-degree hot plasma in and around the Milky Way. Analysing this data, the team at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics found that the very hot, ionized gas shows a disk-like distribution similar to the stellar disk, possibly embedded in a much larger spherical halo. This discovery sheds light on the shape

Klosterneuburg, Austria (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
Supernovae-stellar explosions as bright as an entire galaxy-have fascinated us since time immemorial. Yet, there are more hydrogen-poor supernovae than astrophysicists can explain. Now, a new Assistant Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has played a pivotal role in identifying the missing precursor star population. The results, now published in Science, go back t

Toronto, Canada (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
Astronomers at the University of Toronto have discovered a population of massive stars that have been stripped of their hydrogen envelopes by their companions in binary systems. The findings, published in Science, shed light on the hot helium stars that are believed to be the origins of hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers. For over a decade, scientists have theo