Virgin Galactic countersues Boeing about mothership project
Friday, 05 April 2024 08:35
A stellar role for ESA
Friday, 05 April 2024 08:30
Launched on 21 February 2024 on Apple TV+, new original series Constellation has gripped viewers with its mix of sci-fi and mind-bending mystery.
Earth from Space: Victoria, Australia
Friday, 05 April 2024 07:00
Image:
This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features part of Victoria, a state in southeast Australia. Astro Chat with Pablo Álvarez Fernández | ESA Explores podcast
Friday, 05 April 2024 07:00
Video:
00:29:37
Pablo Álvarez Fernández, one of ESA's five astronaut candidates currently undergoing basic astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, shares his experiences in astronaut training, his favourite lessons, and his view on the future of space exploration. Also, stay tuned to hear his favourite space-related quote and movie!
This is Episode 5 of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022, recorded in November 2023.
Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.
First ‘glory’ on hellish distant world?
Friday, 05 April 2024 07:00
For the first time, potential signs of the rainbow-like ‘glory effect’ have been detected on a planet outside our Solar System. Glory are colourful concentric rings of light that occur only under peculiar conditions.
Data from ESA’s sensitive Characterising ExOplanet Satellite, Cheops, along with several other ESA and NASA missions, suggest this delicate phenomenon is beaming straight at Earth from the hellish atmosphere of ultra-hot gas giant WASP-76b, 637 light-years away.
Seen often on Earth, the effect has only been found once on another planet, Venus. If confirmed, this first extrasolar glory will reveal
Total solar eclipse forecast: Will your city have clear skies Monday?
Thursday, 04 April 2024 20:20
Some who hope to witness Monday's total solar eclipse may see the sun obscured by clouds instead of by the moon.
There's still plenty of time for forecasts to change, but meteorologists predict that eclipse day storms could blanket parts of the path, which stretches from Mexico and Texas through Maine and parts of Canada.
If clouds don't get in the way, viewers in the path wearing eclipse glasses will see the moon begin to slowly cover the sun until it is completely blocked, a period of darkness called "totality" during which temperatures drop and the sun's corona will be visible.
What's the forecast along the eclipse's path?
Clouds are expected in much of the eclipse's path Monday thanks to storms that are moving across the central U.S.
Artificial Eclipses on Demand: ESA's Proba-3 Breakthrough
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
Hundreds of millions of people will witness next week's total solar eclipse across North America, and solar physicists from around the globe are flocking to join them. Eclipses offer a brief glimpse of the Sun's ghostly surrounding atmosphere - the solar corona - normally kept invisible by the Sun's sheer glare. But the corona will soon be opened up for more sustained study: today in Belgium ESA Kayhan Space welcomes Mark Mueller to spearhead government growth in space traffic management
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
In response to increasing government demand for advanced space traffic management capabilities, Kayhan Space, a frontrunner in space automation and flight safety software, has appointed Mark Mueller as Vice President of Government Growth. Mueller, a distinguished veteran with over 35 years of experience in the U.S. Intelligence Community, Air Force, and Space Force, will lead Kayhan Space's effo Music of Space: An Ode to the Sonic Frontiers Beyond Earth
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
In the realm of space exploration and science fiction, visuals have always taken the front seat, painting our imaginations with the vast, starry unknown. However, it's the music that breathes life into these cosmic vistas, often becoming the soul of our interstellar narratives. Chris Carberry's book, "Music of Space," delves deep into this auditory journey, charting the evolution of space-themed Perseverance uncovers a watery past on Mars
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover's recent analysis has revealed that its latest rock core sample, collected on March 11, experienced prolonged water exposure in Mars' distant past, possibly as part of an ancient Martian shoreline. This discovery was made possible by the rover's 24th sample, which includes various rock cores, regolith, and a sample of the Martian atmosphere.
Ken Farley, the p Unlocking the secrets of lunar soil for future moon construction
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
The legacy of Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk, immortalized by his boot print, has evolved from a symbol of human achievement to a focal point of scientific inquiry as NASA embarks on its Artemis program, aiming to establish a permanent base on the moon. This endeavor necessitates a deep dive into the composition of lunar soil, a task undertaken by Northwestern University's mineralogist Steven Jacobsen w North Korea says it test-fired new solid-fuel hypersonic missile
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a new medium-to-long range solid-fuel hypersonic missile, state media said Wednesday, hailing the "important military strategic value" of the new weapon.
Video in state media showed the missile being carried into position on its launching vehicle, as Kim and an array of uniformed soldiers stood by watching, before the missile blasts off, traili Solar Orbiter ready for emergency scenarios amidst close encounter with Sol
Thursday, 04 April 2024 19:06
ESA's mission control team is on high alert as the Solar Orbiter embarks on its critical journey near the Sun, entering a phase of intense scientific activity and potential hazards. The spacecraft's proximity to our star during its perihelion introduces a heightened risk of operational complications, prompting extensive preparations to safeguard its mission and scientific yield.
Daniel Lak