Space rock holds clues as to how Earth got its water
Saturday, 17 June 2023 10:23Sodium chloride, better known as table salt, isn't exactly the type of mineral that captures the imagination of scientists. However, a smattering of tiny salt crystals discovered in a sample from an asteroid has researchers at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory excited, because these crystals can only have formed in the presence of liquid water. Even more intriguing,
Final Ariane 5 Flight Will Carry German Communications Satellite Into Space
Saturday, 17 June 2023 10:23On 16 June 2023, the time will have come. The final European Ariane 5 launcher is scheduled to lift off at 23:26 CEST (18:26 local time) from the European Spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana, carrying the German communications satellite 'Heinrich Hertz' and the French military satellite 'Syracuse 4B' into orbit. The 117th Ariane 5 flight, VA261, will release the Heinrich Hertz satellite into a
Photosynthesis, key to life on Earth, starts with a single photon
Saturday, 17 June 2023 10:23Using a complex cast of metal-studded pigments, proteins, enzymes, and co-enzymes, photosynthetic organisms can convert the energy in light into the chemical energy for life. And now, thanks to a study published June 14 in Nature, we know that this organic chemical reaction is sensitive to the smallest quantity of light possible - a single photon. The discovery solidifies our current under
Plate tectonics not required for the emergence of life
Saturday, 17 June 2023 10:23Scientists have taken a journey back in time to unlock the mysteries of Earth's early history, using tiny mineral crystals called zircons to study plate tectonics billions of years ago. The research sheds light on the conditions that existed in early Earth, revealing a complex interplay between Earth's crust, core, and the emergence of life. Plate tectonics allows heat from Earth's interio
UK Space Agency prioritizes sustainability
Friday, 16 June 2023 21:38The UK Space Agency is taking steps to encourage and prioritize space sustainability, both domestically and internationally.
Despite growing interest in commercial satellite data, industry faces uncertainty
Friday, 16 June 2023 19:38Remote-sensing space companies worry that U.S.
Firefly to buy remaining Virgin Orbit assets
Friday, 16 June 2023 15:39Firefly Aerospace has agreed to buy Virgin Orbit’s remaining assets — inventory at two company production facilities — as part of Virgin Orbit’s bankruptcy proceedings.
Intelligence analysts confront the reality of deepfakes
Friday, 16 June 2023 13:00As artificial intelligence takes center stage in the technology landscape, U.S. national security agencies see huge opportunities but also frightening risks.
Week in images: 12-16 June 2023
Friday, 16 June 2023 12:10Week in images: 12-16 June 2023
Discover our week through the lens
NASA agreements to support work on commercial spacecraft and space stations
Friday, 16 June 2023 10:34NASA partnerships announced June 15 would support development of new commercial capabilities that include a Blue Origin crewed spacecraft and a Starship-derived space station from SpaceX.
CesiumAstro to develop satcom terminal for U.S. Air Force drone
Friday, 16 June 2023 10:22Intriguing correlation between earthquakes and cosmic radiation
Friday, 16 June 2023 08:01There is a clear statistical correlation between global seismic activity and changes in the intensity of cosmic radiation recorded at the surface of our planet, potentially helping to predict earthquakes. Surprisingly, it exhibits a periodicity that escapes unambiguous physical interpretation. Strong earthquakes usually result in many human casualties and huge material losses. The scale of
Scientists report 'benchmarks' for extreme space weather
Friday, 16 June 2023 08:01High-energy 'relativistic' electrons - so-called "killer" electrons - are a major source of radiation damage to satellites and so understanding their patterns of activity is crucial. Bursts of charged particles and magnetic fields from the Sun can tear open the Earth's magnetic field, giving rise to geomagnetic storms. During these events the number of killer electrons in the outer radiation bel
NASA Offers Fly-Fix-Fly Testing for SmallSat Planetary Observation
Friday, 16 June 2023 08:01After a 12-day stratospheric flight, winners of NASA's first TechLeap Prize are now analyzing data from technologies that may improve autonomous observation capabilities for small spacecraft flying over Earth, the Moon, or other worlds. Their payloads were selected through the TechLeap Autonomous Observation Challenge No. 1, which asked teams to develop technologies to autonomously detect, locat