ESA plans for low-orbiting navigation satellites
Wednesday, 26 October 2022 10:21
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Satellite navigation is headed closer to users. ESA’s Navigation Directorate is planning an in-orbit demonstration with new navigation satellites that will orbit just a few hundred kilometres up in space, supplementing Europe’s 23 222-km-distant Galileo satellites. Operating added-value signals, these novel so-called ‘LEO-PNT’ satellites will investigate a new multi-layer satnav system-of-systems approach to deliver seamless Positioning, Navigation and Timing services that are much more accurate, robust and available everywhere.
Craters and cracks on Mars
Wednesday, 26 October 2022 08:00 Write a comment
This complex region of craters and fractures in the Terra Sirenum region highlights the varied history of Mars. The image was taken by ESA’s Mars Express on 5 April 2022.
Proba-2 sees two partial eclipses
Wednesday, 26 October 2022 07:00 Write a comment
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ESA’s Proba-2 captured two partial solar eclipses on 25 October 2022.
A solar eclipse is caused by the movement of the Moon around Earth. Despite their much different sizes, due to their separation, the Moon appears to be about the same size as the significantly larger Sun in the sky. Occasionally, the Moon passes in front of the Sun, blocking its light, so that part of the Earth’s surface is in the Moon’s shadow. The line-up is not always perfect, and so not every eclipse is a total solar eclipse.
On 25 October only part of the Sun’s light was
Space Force to seek budget boost beyond 2023, China’s capabilities are ‘close to ours’
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 20:47 Write a comment
Gen. David "DT" Thompson, U.S. vice chief of space operations, said the Space Force is likely to see continued funding increases to counter China’s rapid advances in its space program.
The post Space Force to seek budget boost beyond 2023, China’s capabilities are ‘close to ours’ appeared first on SpaceNews.
Partial solar eclipse takes a bite out of the sun
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 20:13 Write a comment
Newly acquired NanoAvionics plots major smallsat expansion
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 19:33 Write a comment
NanoAvionics expects to be able to churn out several hundred satellites annually in two years following a multimillion-dollar investment plan from its new Norwegian owners.
The post Newly acquired NanoAvionics plots major smallsat expansion appeared first on SpaceNews.
ISS habitat is safe for its residents, according to 5-year microbial study
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 18:14 Write a comment
A 5-year microbial study of the International Space Station (ISS) and its astronauts by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and NASA researchers has found that the ISS habitat is safe for its residents.
The research effort represents the first comprehensive characterization of the space station's environmental profile (or microbiome) and is the first to compare the ISS microbiome to an astronaut's microbiome using metagenomic DNA sequencing techniques.
Researchers create lunar regolith bricks that could be used to construct Artemis base camp
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 17:52 Write a comment
As part of NASA's Artemis program to establish a long-term presence on the moon, it aims to build an Artemis base camp that includes a modern lunar cabin, rover and mobile home. This fixed habitat could potentially be constructed with bricks made of lunar regolith and saltwater, thanks to a recent discovery from a team of UCF researchers.
Associate Professor Ranajay Ghosh of UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and his research group found that 3D-printed bricks of lunar regolith can withstand the extreme environments of space and are a good candidate for cosmic construction projects. Lunar regolith is the loose dust, rocks and materials that cover the moon's surface.
The results of their experiments are detailed in a recent issue of Ceramics International.
To create the bricks, Ghosh's team in the Complex Structures and Mechanics of Solids (COSMOS) Lab used a combination of 3D printing and binder jet technology (BJT), an additive manufacturing method that forces out a liquid binding agent onto a bed of powder.
Starlink’s survivability in war a good sign for DoD’s future constellation
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 17:47 Write a comment
SDA Director Derek Tournear said Starlink's performance so far speaks to the power of a proliferated constellation to deter attacks and provide resilience
The post Starlink’s survivability in war a good sign for DoD’s future constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.
Connecting the Dots | Identifying satellite UFOs
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 17:37 Write a comment
While tracking more and more objects orbiting Earth is crucial to ensure a safe operating environment, so is the ability to identify them correctly. Space-Track, provided by the U.S. Space Force’s 18th Space Squadron, offers one of the most comprehensive databases of orbital observations.
Array Labs raises $5 million for 3D-imagery constellation
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 16:56 Write a comment
Silicon Valley startup Array Labs raised $5 million in a pre-seed funding round backed by Seraphim Space and Agya Ventures, a real estate technology fund.
The post Array Labs raises $5 million for 3D-imagery constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.
Lucy spacecraft captures images of Earth, Moon ahead of gravity assist
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 16:06 Write a comment
NASA's Lucy spacecraft captured an image of the Earth on Oct 15, 2022, and an image of the Earth and the Moon on Oct.
Op-ed | Defending against near-peer adversaries requires a shift in collaboration between forces
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 15:10 Write a comment
With peer and near-peer adversaries accelerating their warfighting capabilities and becoming more aggressive, we need to reevaluate and rethink how to bring the capabilities of the intelligence community and the Pentagon together to keep them at bay.
Partial solar eclipse begins in Iceland headed towards India
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 13:54 Write a comment
A partial solar eclipse began over Iceland on Tuesday as the rare celestial spectacle started to make its way east across a swathe of the Northern Hemisphere.
The partial eclipse began at 0858 GMT and will end off the coast of India at 1302 GMT, crossing parts of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East on its way, according to the IMCCE institute of France's Paris Observatory.
Amateur astronomers must not stare directly at the eclipse, which will not darken the sky, and should instead wear protective glasses to avoid eye damage, experts said.
Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow down onto our planet.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely blocks the Sun's disk, momentarily plunging a portion of the Earth into complete darkness.
Orbit Fab secures new investor to support satellite refueling efforts
Tuesday, 25 October 2022 12:00 Write a comment
Orbit Fab, a startup developing infrastructure for in-space refueling of satellites, announced Oct. 25 it lined up a new investor to support those plans.
The post Orbit Fab secures new investor to support satellite refueling efforts appeared first on SpaceNews.