Facilities at ESA's European Astronaut Centre are buzzing with training activities. While a new generation of ESA astronauts began their basic training last month, private astronauts Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner, part of Axiom Space's Crew-2, visited the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) near Cologne, Germany, in February to receive training by ESA instructors for their upcoming journey to the International Space Station.

The Axiom-2 crew is currently scheduled to launch no earlier than 21 May 2023.

Beijing, China (SPX) May 18, 2023
On May 15, the China Meteorological Administration unveiled the first set of maps from the country's premier low-inclination orbit precipitation measurement satellite, Fengyun-3 G (FY-3G). These images, supplied by the National Satellite Meteorological Center, illustrate the three-dimensional structure of precipitation at different levels. This invaluable data, collected from the six payloads ab

Chicago IL (SPX) May 15, 2023
Imagine if sending your science experiment 70,000 ft in the air just took painter's plastic, tape, a dash of charcoal dust, and plenty of sunlight. Daniel Bowman of Sandia National Laboratories will present his findings using solar-powered hot air balloons to eavesdrop on stratospheric sounds at the upcoming 184th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, running May 8-12 at the Chicag

Beijing (XNA) May 19, 2023
China's next manned mission, the Shenzhou XVI, is scheduled to be launched within this month to transport three astronauts to the Tiangong space station, according to plans made by the China Manned Space Agency. It will become the first crewed mission to the Tiangong station after its completion, which was done through the Shenzhou XIV and XV flights. The Shenzhou XVI crew members, w

San Jose CA (SPX) May 19, 2023
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) has deployed the Qosmosys Zeus-1 payload from its Vigoride-5 Orbital Service Vehicle and is now providing comprehensive hosted payload support services for Caltech's Space-based Solar Power Project payload. The Qosmosys Zeus-1 payload was deployed in orbit on May 10, 2023. Effective May 15, 2023, Momentus is providing on-orbit support to Caltech, including prov

Washington DC (SPX) May 16, 2023
Modern technologies are laden with sensors - a now-customary fact of life in much of the world. On smart watches and phones, and in cars and homes, sensors help monitor health, adjust various settings for comfort, and warn of potential dangers. More widely, sensors are deployed across countless commercial and defense systems, including in the oil and gas sector, the automotive industry, alternat

Image: The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Oslo, Norway’s capital and largest city, and host of the 2023 Global Space Conference on Climate Change, taking place on 23–25 May.

Nanjing, China (SPX) May 19, 2023
Chinese astronomers have recently transformed our understanding of the spiral structure of the Milky Way. They determined that it is more like a common multiple-arm galaxy, rather than a special galaxy with four spiral arms extending from its inner parts to its outer parts. Largely speaking, there are three types of spiral galaxies in the universe. Grand-design spiral galaxies are characte

Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 19, 2023
To help learners of all ages understand how to safely observe the Oct. 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse and the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse, NASA has released a new set of resources for educators. My NASA Data, in collaboration with the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT), has released a new set of resources for educators centered around solar eclipses. My NASA Da

Pasadena CA (JPL) May 19, 2023
The Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover recently collected 152 images while looking deep into Belva Crater, a large impact crater within the far larger Jezero Crater. Stitched into a dramatic mosaic, the results are not only eye-catching, but also provide the rover's science team some deep insights into the interior of Jezero. "Mars rover missions usually end up expl