Here there be radiation dragons
Monday, 03 February 2025 07:43
‘Here there be dragons’ – medieval mapmakers would daub such warnings on dangerous or unknown recesses of mariners’ charts. Fast forward to the 21st century and the space surrounding our planet holds ‘dragons’ of its own: fierce radiation belts that surround Earth, Jupiter and other planets, and storms of particles originating from the Sun that travel far into space. A dedicated class of engineers work to safeguard space missions from such dangers.
Top 10 persistent methane sources
Monday, 03 February 2025 06:44
A list of the top 10 global regions where natural or anthropogenic sources emit methane on a continuous, ‘persistent’ basis was recently published in a scientific journal.
Apply now for the 2025 ESA Graduate Trainee Programme
Saturday, 01 February 2025 12:00
The 2025 ESA Graduate Trainee positions are now open! If you’re passionate about engineering, science, IT or business, this is your chance to turn your dreams into reality.
Week in images: 27-31 January 2025
Friday, 31 January 2025 13:10
Week in images: 27-31 January 2025
Discover our week through the lens
Transforming ESA’s technical heart
Friday, 31 January 2025 12:15
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Transforming ESA’s technical heart Will the US get to Mars quicker if it drops or delays plans to visit the Moon?
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Nottingham UK (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
The Artemis program has been Nasa's best chance to get "boots on the Moon" again. But with the new US administration taking guidance from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is focused on Mars colonisation, will they end up abandoning or pushing back lunar missions?
For example, there's been speculation that returning US president Donald Trump may cancel the Space Launch System rocket, which
The Artemis program has been Nasa's best chance to get "boots on the Moon" again. But with the new US administration taking guidance from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is focused on Mars colonisation, will they end up abandoning or pushing back lunar missions?
For example, there's been speculation that returning US president Donald Trump may cancel the Space Launch System rocket, which Searching for Water on the Moon: UC San Diego Researchers Uncover Clues to Lunar Water's Origins
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
As humanity envisions establishing a permanent presence on the moon, Mars, and beyond, the challenge of sustaining life comes down to the essentials: oxygen, food, and water. While it is well-known that water exists on the moon, pinpointing its exact locations remains a key question. Is it hidden within craters, trapped in the moon's shadowed regions, or concentrated near the poles? Answering th
As humanity envisions establishing a permanent presence on the moon, Mars, and beyond, the challenge of sustaining life comes down to the essentials: oxygen, food, and water. While it is well-known that water exists on the moon, pinpointing its exact locations remains a key question. Is it hidden within craters, trapped in the moon's shadowed regions, or concentrated near the poles? Answering th China's DeepSeek-R1: A Game-Changing AI Release or Strategic Gesture?
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 28, 2025
In a move that has taken the global artificial intelligence (AI) community by surprise, DeepSeek, a private Chinese artificial intelligence company founded in 2023 by entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng, has open-sourced its cutting-edge reasoning model, DeepSeek-R1, alongside detailed scientific documentation and a consumer-facing iOS application.
The release comes amidst a backdrop of intense geo
In a move that has taken the global artificial intelligence (AI) community by surprise, DeepSeek, a private Chinese artificial intelligence company founded in 2023 by entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng, has open-sourced its cutting-edge reasoning model, DeepSeek-R1, alongside detailed scientific documentation and a consumer-facing iOS application.
The release comes amidst a backdrop of intense geo Spacewalkers Complete Radio Hardware Removal and Microbe Search
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore successfully completed a spacewalk at 1:09 p.m. EST on Jan. 30. This marked the ninth spacewalk for Williams and the fifth for Wilmore, contributing to the 274th extravehicular activity (EVA) dedicated to the assembly, maintenance, and upgrades of the International Space Station (ISS).
Notably, Williams set a new milestone by surpassing forme
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore successfully completed a spacewalk at 1:09 p.m. EST on Jan. 30. This marked the ninth spacewalk for Williams and the fifth for Wilmore, contributing to the 274th extravehicular activity (EVA) dedicated to the assembly, maintenance, and upgrades of the International Space Station (ISS).
Notably, Williams set a new milestone by surpassing forme NASA Tech Instrument Captures Test Images During Blue Ghost Lunar Transit
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1 has reached the 15th day of its planned 45-day journey to the Moon, marking an important milestone in its transit. Among the key scientific payloads onboard is the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) 1.1 instrument, developed at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. This sophisticated imaging system is designed to capture high-re
Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1 has reached the 15th day of its planned 45-day journey to the Moon, marking an important milestone in its transit. Among the key scientific payloads onboard is the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) 1.1 instrument, developed at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. This sophisticated imaging system is designed to capture high-re Astronomers Detect Crucial Factor in Star Formation
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
For the first time, astronomers have identified a long-theorized but previously unobserved component essential to star formation: magnetic fields within merging galaxies. Much like a pressure cooker uses a weighted lid to retain heat and pressure, these magnetic fields may regulate the extreme environments where stars are born.
An international team, including researchers from the Center f
For the first time, astronomers have identified a long-theorized but previously unobserved component essential to star formation: magnetic fields within merging galaxies. Much like a pressure cooker uses a weighted lid to retain heat and pressure, these magnetic fields may regulate the extreme environments where stars are born.
An international team, including researchers from the Center f PLATO mission set for late 2026 launch aboard Ariane 6
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
On January 29, 2025, senior officials from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace formalized the launch contract for ESA's PLATO science mission. The agreement was signed by Carole Mundell, ESA's Director of Science; Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA's Director of Space Transportation; and Steven Rutgers, Chief Commercial Officer of Arianespace. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is playing a key
On January 29, 2025, senior officials from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace formalized the launch contract for ESA's PLATO science mission. The agreement was signed by Carole Mundell, ESA's Director of Science; Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA's Director of Space Transportation; and Steven Rutgers, Chief Commercial Officer of Arianespace. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is playing a key SPACE ISAC expands member benefits with access to new testbeds network
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) has announced a major new benefit for its members: access to the Accelerating Space Capabilities 100 (ASC-100), an international network of Testbeds and Proving Grounds. This initiative aims to accelerate the development and integration of innovative space technologies into both commercial and government systems.
ASC-100 provid
The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) has announced a major new benefit for its members: access to the Accelerating Space Capabilities 100 (ASC-100), an international network of Testbeds and Proving Grounds. This initiative aims to accelerate the development and integration of innovative space technologies into both commercial and government systems.
ASC-100 provid Collaboration at Mainz University enables the simulation of skyrmion dynamics on experimentally relevant time scales
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 31, 2025
Magnetic skyrmions, which range in size from nanometers to micrometers, exhibit particle-like properties and can be efficiently manipulated using electrical currents. This makes them a promising candidate for next-generation data storage and computing technologies.
However, simulating the intricate internal structure of skyrmions remains computationally demanding. A practical alternative i
Magnetic skyrmions, which range in size from nanometers to micrometers, exhibit particle-like properties and can be efficiently manipulated using electrical currents. This makes them a promising candidate for next-generation data storage and computing technologies.
However, simulating the intricate internal structure of skyrmions remains computationally demanding. A practical alternative i SpaceX launches from Florida, retires first-stage booster because of extra power needed
Friday, 31 January 2025 11:14
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 29, 2025
SpaceX on Wednesday night launched a Spanish communications satellite from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and retired the first-stage booster rather than landing on a droneship.
The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:34 p.m. EST from pad 39A. The first-stage cutoff was at 2:40 and the satellite deployed at 31:24 and was to be 2,236 miles above Earth, according to Space.com.
Because th
SpaceX on Wednesday night launched a Spanish communications satellite from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and retired the first-stage booster rather than landing on a droneship.
The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:34 p.m. EST from pad 39A. The first-stage cutoff was at 2:40 and the satellite deployed at 31:24 and was to be 2,236 miles above Earth, according to Space.com.
Because th