Solestial receives NASA SBIR Ignite contracts for next generation solar array
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 10:03
Tempe AZ (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Solestial, Inc. has been awarded $849,954 for a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research ("SBIR") contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA"). The winning proposal titled, "Next Generation Silicon Based Solar Arrays for Space Stations and Other Permanent Space Infrastructure," comes on the heels of a $149,987 Phase I contract in January 2023. The contracts are fro

Advancing Technology for Aeronautics
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 10:03
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
The future of flight looks very exciting, and the public is helping NASA see it more clearly. For more than a century, NASA and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, have been the global leader in aeronautics research. NASA's innovative contributions to aviation benefit the U.S. economy, air transportation system, aviation industry, and passengers and businesses who r

James Hansen study warns Earth warming faster than previously thought
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 10:03
Washington DC (UPI) Nov 2, 2023
A new study led by James Hansen, a scientist responsible for raising public consciousness about climate change in the 1980s, suggests global temperatures are increasing faster than expected.
The study suggests global temperatures will reach a crucial 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the year 2050, faster than was previously expected by scientific consensus.
Hansen

European Space Agency turns to private sector to deliver cargo shuttle serving the ISS
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 10:03
Washington DC (UPI) Nov 7, 2023
European Space Agency member countries agreed to back a program for a commercial space cargo shuttle serving the International Space Station by 2028, with an option for a crewed spacecraft that could venture beyond Earth orbit in the future.
The resolution adopted at the agency's interministerial summit in Seville, Spain on Monday will see European companies compete for a contract to de

PASSport project testing
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 10:03
Madrid, Spain (SPX) Nov 07, 2023
Ports are heavily trafficked areas with many entry points operating nonstop, which exposes them to vulnerabilities that may cause failures or disruptions in their daily operations, thus degrading their services and infrastructure.
The goal of the project known as PASSport (operational platform managing a fleet of semi-autonomous drones that use GNSS high accuracy and authentication to impr

Earth through a 2-mm lens
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 09:12
Final three for ESA’s next medium science mission
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 08:00
The space science community has narrowed down the shortlist for ESA’s next ‘medium’ mission to three finalists: M-Matisse, Plasma Observatory and Theseus. Following further study, one will be selected for implementation as the newest addition to ESA’s space science mission fleet.
Starlink mission brings SpaceX's orbital launch count to 80 missions so far in 2023
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Space Coast FL (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Five minutes after midnight, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soared into carrying 23 more Starlink V2 Mini satellites at 12:05 a.m. EST (0505 UTC) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) on SpaceX's 80th launch of the year.
With upgraded phased array antennas, SpaceX's new Starlink V2 Mini satellite platform can communicate four times as much data as pre

Euclid space telescope delivers first scientific images
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Heidelberg, Germany (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Euclid, ESA's newest space telescope with strong German participation, released its first colour photos from space today. Never before has a telescope been able to take such sharp astronomical images over such a large area of the sky while looking so deep into the distant universe. The five images show Euclid's full potential. They illustrate that the telescope is poised to produce the most comp

Pioneering satellite refueling technology could extend missions indefinitely
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
London, UK (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
In an ambitious move to address the escalating issue of space debris, the UK Space Agency has earmarked Pounds 2 million for research into satellite refueling capabilities that could significantly extend mission lifespans and curtail the proliferation of orbital debris.
The funding targets feasibility studies that will explore practical strategies for refueling a UK-led debris removal mis

Collaborating with Public Innovators to Accelerate Space Exploration
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
With the successful launch and landing of Artemis I in 2022, NASA set the stage for a new era of space exploration. Together, NASA and its partners will lead humanity to the Moon and prepare for the next giant leap: human exploration of Mars.
To address the multitude of challenges that come with planning for this new era, NASA is calling on individuals and teams from the public to develop

Inspiring the Next Generation with Student Challenges and Learning Opportunities
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Creativity and curiosity are strongly tied to NASA's missions and vision. Many of the agency's public opportunities foster these traits by engaging students and educators. Participants of all ages and levels, from kindergarten to college, used their imaginations and enthusiasm to solve open innovation challenges related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in fis

Reaching New Frontiers in Science Supported by Public Participation
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
NASA's Science Mission Directorate seeks knowledge and answers to profound questions that impact all people. Through competitions, challenges, crowdsourcing, and citizen science activities, NASA collaborates with the public to make scientific discoveries that help us better understand our planet and the space beyond. Multiple NASA science projects were supported through public participation in F

SwRI-led Lucy observes first-ever contact binary orbiting an asteroid
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Boulder CO (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
After the Southwest Research Institute-led Lucy mission flew past the asteroid Dinkinesh, the team discovered that it is even more "marvelous" as its newly discovered satellite is now shown to be a double-lobed moonlet. As NASA's Lucy spacecraft continued to return data acquired during its first asteroid encounter on Nov. 1, 2023, the team discovered that Dinkinesh's surprise satellite is itself

The Ones Who Make Curiosity Go: Sols 4001-4003
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 08, 2023
Earth planning date: Monday, November 6: It is a time of milestones for Curiosity, with the passage of Sol 4000 over the weekend (celebrated here and here) and the start of her sixth solar conjunction this week. Each time Curiosity (and Mars) slip on the other side of the Sun from Earth, the science and engineering teams miss her and the new discoveries she makes every sol. I dare say we also mi
