Organic material from Mars reveals the likely origin of life's building blocks
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01Two samples from Mars together deliver the "smoking gun" in a new study showing the origin of Martian organic material. The study presents solid evidence for a prediction made over a decade ago by University of Copenhagen researchers that could be key to understanding how organic molecules, the foundation of life, were first formed here on Earth. In a meteor crater on the red planet, a sol
Satellite surveillance: China cautions public about unwittingly leaking secrets
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01China's Ministry of State Security issued an online warning on Sunday, urging citizens to be cautious about sharing information that could be exploited by foreign intelligence agencies. The statement highlights the increasing use of space-based technology for espionage, with foreign actors leveraging remote sensing satellites to conduct real-time surveillance of China. The MSS emphasizes
Vyoma Awarded Two European Defence Fund Contracts to Enhance Space Security
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01Vyoma, a Germany-based company providing Space Domain Awareness capabilities, has been awarded two contracts by the European Defence Fund (EDF) programme of the European Commission. Specifically, the EMISSARY and STAALION projects seek to augment European intelligence sovereignty and enhance threat response capabilities. These contracts represent a significant milestone in Vyoma's mission to emp
Scientists clarify origins of Lunar metallic iron
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01In a study published in Nature Astronomy, Profs. SHEN Laiquan, BAI Haiyang, et al. from Prof. WANG Weihua's group at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have clarified the respective effects of irradiation and impacts on the formation of metallic iron nanoparticles (npFe0). Based on precise observations of glass beads returned by the Chang'e-5 mission, they showed t
Gilat to support critical connectivity requirements for the US DOD
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT) has announced that Gilats wholly owned US-based subsidiary, DataPath Inc, received over $9 million in orders in support of the US Department of Defense and other agencies worldwide participating in Field Service and Technical Service Programs. DataPath is deploying technical services and field services in Europe, the Middle East, and the U
MIT scientists develop way to toughen up 'good' bacteria, extend shelf life
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01Massachusetts Institute for Technology officials said Friday its researchers have developed a way to enable microbes used in medicines and agriculture to survive extreme conditions, including the rigors of processing them into tablets with extended shelf-life. The technique pioneered in the lab of Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, utilizes a range of f
China's Fengyun-3F satellite begins operational services
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01The Fengyun-3F (FY-3F) satellite officially commenced operational services on Monday following ground and application system in-orbit testing reviews and operational trial runs, according to its ground application system operator, China Meteorological Administration (CMA). The FY-3F satellite will take over the in-orbit duties of the FY-3C satellite and provide services in areas such as we
LiveEO raises $25M for AI-powered satellite data for infrastructure and risk management
Saturday, 06 July 2024 00:01LiveEO a global leader using high-resolution satellite data and AI to transform raw satellite data into automated actionable insights to help companies manage their climate risks and resilience has raised 25 million in a Series B funding round led by NordicNinja and DeepTech and Climate Fonds (DTCF). This investment will accelerate the development of LiveEO's cutting-edge solutions, and expand i
Ovzon’s debut broadband satellite ready for commercial service
Friday, 05 July 2024 20:19NASA's Parker Solar Probe completes 20th close approach to the sun
Friday, 05 July 2024 13:37NASA's Parker Solar Probe completed its 20th close approach to the sun on June 30, 2024, matching its own distance record by coming about 4.51 million miles (7.26 million kilometers) from the solar surface.
The close approach (known as perihelion) occurred at 3:47 UTC (11:47 p.m. EDT on June 29), with Parker Solar Probe moving 394,736 miles per hour (635,266 kilometers per hour) around the sun, again matching its own record.
On July 2, the spacecraft checked in with mission operators at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland (where the spacecraft was also designed and built), with a beacon tone indicating it was in good health and all systems were operating normally.
The milestone also marked the midpoint in the mission's 20th solar encounter, which began June 25 and continues through July 5.
Parker will fly around the sun at the same distance and speed one more time this year—on Sept.
Eight CubeSats lift off for NASA on Firefly Aerospace rocket
Friday, 05 July 2024 13:35As part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, Firefly Aerospace launched eight small satellites on July 3 aboard the company's Alpha rocket. Named "Noise of Summer," the rocket successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT.
The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers and cover science that includes climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.
Firefly Aerospace completed its Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract with this launch. The agency's venture-class contracts offer launch opportunities for new providers, helping grow the commercial launch industry and leading to cost-effective competition for future NASA missions.
With its latest moon mission success, China's space program has the US in its sights
Friday, 05 July 2024 13:19June 25 2024 marked a new "first" in the history of spaceflight. China's robotic Chang'e 6 spacecraft delivered samples of rock back to Earth from a huge feature on the moon called the south pole–Aitken basin. After touching down on the moon's "far side," on the southern rim of the Apollo crater, Chang'e 6 came back with around 1.9kg of rock and soil, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The moon's south pole is designated as the location for the future China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). This truly international endeavor has partners including Russia, Venezuela, South Africa and Egypt, and is being coordinated by an ad hoc kind of international space agency.
China has a strategic plan to build a space economy and become the world leader in this field.
Week in images: 01-05 July 2024
Friday, 05 July 2024 12:07Week in images: 01-05 July 2024
Discover our week through the lens