Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
This spring, NASA published a comprehensive document identifying nearly 200 technology areas requiring further development to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. The aerospace community was invited to rate the importance of these areas to help integrate the community's technical challenges and guide NASA's space technology development and investments. Today, NASA's S

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
Morpheus Space, a leading provider of space mobility solutions, has inaugurated its first mass production facility for space systems in Dresden, Germany. The new "Reloaded" factory will begin by producing 100 units annually of the GO-2, Morpheus Space's second-generation electric propulsion system, designed to meet the increasing demand for satellite mobility solutions. The GO-2 is a modul

Houston TX (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
When designing a new spacecraft or exploration vehicle, there is intense focus on its technical performance. Do its systems perform as expected? What kind of power does it need? Will it safely reach its destination? Equally important, however, is whether that vehicle also works for the humans inside. Can astronauts easily reach critical controls? Do the seats conform to a crew member regar

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat CRC) has announced the commencement of four new space research projects jointly funded with New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), starting in August 2024. These initiatives mark the first phase of the Australia-New Zealand Collaborative Space Program and include projects on methane emissions monitoring, real-time gree

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
Three teams from The University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) Space Hardware Club (SHC) have achieved top national rankings in the 2024 International CanSat competition. The UAH student teams Shockwave, Snapdragon, and Moonracer secured first, third, and fourth places nationally and second, seventh, and tenth places internationally. "The accomplishment is even more impressive considerin

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
To support responsible space exploration, NASA's Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) is sponsoring research from five university teams. These teams will examine critical economic, social, and policy issues related to Earth's orbit and cislunar space. This initiative aligns with NASA's Space Sustainability Strategy, aimed at promoting safe and sustainable space activities for

Washington DC (UPI) Jul 23, 2024
A solar storm could bring the northern lights to the northern United States this week, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said. The NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G2 geomagnetic storm watch for early Wednesday. It said the northern lights or aurora borealis, as the phenomenon is known in the Northern Hemisphere, could become visible above "some north

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 24, 2024
The pursuit of discovering life beyond our solar system has heightened interest in Earth-like planets within the habitable zone of their stars. However, the habitability of these exoplanets is affected by more than just their distance from the star. A new study by Rice University's David Alexander and Anthony Atkinson broadens the definition of a habitable zone to include the star's magnet

Shanghai (AFP) July 23, 2024
A Chinese lunar probe found traces of water in samples of the Moon's soil, scientists have said, as the country pushes its ambitious space programme into high gear. The Chang'e-5 rover completed its mission in 2020, returning to Earth with rock and soil samples from the Moon. The lunar samples "revealed the presence of trace water", the group of scientists from Chinese universities wrote

Launched less than two months ago, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite has already returned images from two of its four instruments. Now, it has also delivered the first images from its multispectral imager, showcasing various types of clouds and cloud temperatures worldwide. This instrument is set to add valuable context to the data from EarthCARE’s other instruments.