NASA's New Mineral Dust Detector Readies for Launch
Friday, 15 July 2022 09:32
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Each year, strong winds carry more than a billion metric tons - or the weight of 10,000 aircraft carriers - of mineral dust from Earth's deserts and other dry regions through the atmosphere. While scientists know that the dust affects the environment and climate, they don't have enough data to determine, in detail, what those effects are or may be in the future - at least not yet.
Set to l BlackSky Wins $4.4 Million IARPA Contract to Provide Advanced Artificial Intelligence for Space-Based Dynamic Monitoring
Friday, 15 July 2022 09:32 Write a comment
"As part of our work, BlackSky created a high-performance MLOps (machine learning operations) framework that was ultimately selected to perform as the core infrastructure to the entire SMART program," said Patrick O'Neil, BlackSky chief innovation officer.
"The MLOps framework will extend BlackSky's Spectra AI tasking and analytics capabilities and accelerate the development of SMART tec
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Friday, 15 July 2022 08:19 Write a comment
SpaceNews is conducting a reader survey to learn more about our audience and your expectations.
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SpaceX launches cargo Dragon mission to ISS
Friday, 15 July 2022 01:26 Write a comment
A SpaceX cargo Dragon spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station after a July 14 launch delayed more than a month by a hydrazine leak on the spacecraft.
House of Representatives passes 2023 defense authorization bill
Thursday, 14 July 2022 23:13 Write a comment
The House on July 14 passed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 329-101.
The post House of Representatives passes 2023 defense authorization bill appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA division proposing program to send scientists to ISS
Thursday, 14 July 2022 20:45 Write a comment
A NASA science division is seeking funding for a program that could fly scientists to the International Space Station on private missions to conduct research that could then be handed off to NASA astronauts.
A common ground system for military satellites is proving to be harder than envisioned
Thursday, 14 July 2022 20:43 Write a comment
Space Force satellite operators want to move away from having different ground systems for each military constellation
The post A common ground system for military satellites is proving to be harder than envisioned appeared first on SpaceNews.
Georgia approves Starlink services in Eastern Europe
Thursday, 14 July 2022 20:38 Write a comment
Georgia became the latest country July 14 to approve SpaceX’s Starlink broadband constellation.
The post Georgia approves Starlink services in Eastern Europe appeared first on SpaceNews.
GeoOptics, PlanetIQ and Spire to supply NOAA with space weather data
Thursday, 14 July 2022 20:00 Write a comment
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded contracts to GeoOptics, PlanetIQ and Spire Global to provide space weather data.
The post GeoOptics, PlanetIQ and Spire to supply NOAA with space weather data appeared first on SpaceNews.
National Reconnaissance Office seeks proposals from commercial providers of RF space imagery
Thursday, 14 July 2022 17:59 Write a comment
The National Reconnaissance Office has released a request for proposals from commercial providers of space-based radio frequency (RF) imagery.
The post National Reconnaissance Office seeks proposals from commercial providers of RF space imagery appeared first on SpaceNews.
Scientist reviews the key technologies for space-based situational awareness
Thursday, 14 July 2022 16:54 Write a comment
Since the launch of the first man-made earth satellite, the number of space objects has been rapidly increasing. According to the authoritative statistics from NASA, over 6,400 orbiting spacecraft still existed until early 2021. Furthermore, the total number of rocket debris above 10 cm has exceeded 16,000. The space environment has become highly congested due to the increasing space debris, seriously threatening the safety of orbiting spacecraft.
Space-based situational awareness, as a comprehensive capability of threat knowledge, analysis, and decision-making, is of significance to ensure space security and maintain normal order. Various space situational awareness systems have been designed and launched. Data acquisition, target recognition, and monitoring constituting key technologies make major contributions, and various advanced algorithms are explored as technical supports.
However, comprehensive reviews of these technologies and specific algorithms rarely emerge. This disadvantages the future development of space situational awareness. In a review paper recently published in Space: Science & Technology, Shuang Li from College of Astronautics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, reviewed and analyzed research advancements in key technologies for space situational awareness, indicated the future directions of the key technologies, and emphasized the research prospects of multiagent and synergetic constellation technologies for future situational awareness, aiming to provide references for space-based situational awareness to realize space sustainability.
ESA's Swarm dodges collision during climb to escape sun's wrath
Thursday, 14 July 2022 16:45 Write a comment
A swarm? Of bugs?
Not quite—Swarm is ESA's mission to unravel the mysteries of Earth's magnetic field. It's made up of three satellites, A, B and C—affectionately known as Alpha, Bravo and Charlie.
What happened?
A small piece of human-made rubbish circling our planet—known as space debris—was detected hurtling towards Alpha at 16:00 CEST, on 30 June. A potential collision was predicted just eight hours later, shortly after midnight. The risk of impact was high enough that Alpha needed to get out of the way—fast.
There's rubbish in space?
A lot of it. Old satellites, rocket parts and small pieces of debris left over from previous collisions and messy breakups. Each little piece can cause serious damage to a satellite, and larger ones can destroy a satellite and create large amount of new debris.
Was this the first time this has happened?
That day? Maybe. Ever? No way. Each one of the ESA's satellites has to perform on average two evasive maneuvers every year—and that's not including all the alerts they get that don't end up needing evasive action.
Webb begins hunt for the first stars and habitable worlds
Thursday, 14 July 2022 16:29 Write a comment
The first stunning images from the James Webb Space Telescope were revealed this week, but its journey of cosmic discovery has only just begun.
Here is a look at two early projects that will take advantage of the orbiting observatory's powerful instruments.
The first stars and galaxies
One of the great promises of the telescope is its ability to study the earliest phase of cosmic history, shortly after the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago.
The more distant objects are from us, the longer it takes for their light to reach us, and so to gaze back into the distant universe is to look back in the deep past.
The first CERN-driven satellite successfully launched
Thursday, 14 July 2022 16:03 Write a comment
CELESTA, the first CERN-driven satellite, successfully entered orbit during the maiden flight of Europe's Vega-C launch vehicle. Launched by the European Space Agency from the French Guiana Space Center (CSG) at 13.13 UTC on 13 July 2022, the satellite deployed smoothly and transmitted its first signals in the afternoon.
Weighing one kilogram and measuring 10 centimeters on each of its sides, CELESTA (CERN latchup and radmon experiment student satellite) is a 1U CubeSat designed to study the effects of cosmic radiation on electronics. The satellite carries a Space RadMon, a miniature version of a well-proven radiation monitoring device deployed in CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
China prepares for July 24 launch of second space station module
Thursday, 14 July 2022 12:15 Write a comment
China is gearing up to send a second module to its under-construction space station with a launch from the coastal Wenchang spaceport later this month.