SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deploys 22 second-generation Starlink satellites
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Cape Canaveral (SPX) May 19, 2023
The first of two SpaceX missions planned to launch in less than seven hours took off early on Friday from Cape Canaveral, carrying 22 upgraded, new-generation Starlink broadband satellites.
Weather conditions delayed the original launch time from 12:41 a.m. EDT (0421 UTC) to 2:19 a.m. EDT (0619 UTC). The Starlink mission launched from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral

NASA begins feedback process for Moon to Mars Architecture
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Washington DC (SPX) May 19, 2023
As NASA builds a blueprint for human exploration throughout the solar system for the benefit of humanity, efforts to advance the agency's Moon to Mars architecture concept development approach are underway. NASA will host a virtual webinar at 2 p.m. EDT, Monday, May 22, in which leaders from the agency's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate will discuss how U.S. commercial industr

After 2 delays, SpaceX hopes next launch attempt will send satellites toward orbit
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Washington DC (UPI) May 18, 2023
SpaceX hopes to launch 22 satellites for a Starlink mission early Friday morning after previously suffering two delays.
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the second-generation Starlink V2 Mini Internet satellites are scheduled to launch at 12:41 a.m. EDT from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the company said in a news release.
If all goes well, the first stage booste

Astronomers want your help hunting for asteroids
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Tucson AZ (SPX) May 19, 2023
Anyone can become an asteroid hunter thanks to a new program launched by astronomers at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. As part of the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey, the scientists created an online portal that opens their mission - the discovery and identification of space rocks that regularly visit Earth's neighborhood - to the general public.
While gazing up

Remotely waiting in Gale: Sols 3832-3833
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Pasadena CA (JPL) May 19, 2023
Earth planning date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023. As I'm writing this, it's about 8:30 pm on sol 3831 in Gale crater: ~16 hours after our SAM instrument ran its EGA experiment (which Abigail described so clearly in yesterday's blog!).
While we were able to confirm the success of the Ubajara drill sample drop-off to SAM and the start of the EGA, our first communication with Earth after the EGA

Perseverance captures view of Mars' Belva Crater
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Pasadena CA (JPL) May 19, 2023
The Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover recently collected 152 images while looking deep into Belva Crater, a large impact crater within the far larger Jezero Crater. Stitched into a dramatic mosaic, the results are not only eye-catching, but also provide the rover's science team some deep insights into the interior of Jezero.
"Mars rover missions usually end up expl

NASA releases new solar eclipse educational materials
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 19, 2023
To help learners of all ages understand how to safely observe the Oct. 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse and the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse, NASA has released a new set of resources for educators.
My NASA Data, in collaboration with the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT), has released a new set of resources for educators centered around solar eclipses. My NASA Da

Chinese astronomers transform understanding of Milky Way's spiral structure
Friday, 19 May 2023 06:50
Nanjing, China (SPX) May 19, 2023
Chinese astronomers have recently transformed our understanding of the spiral structure of the Milky Way. They determined that it is more like a common multiple-arm galaxy, rather than a special galaxy with four spiral arms extending from its inner parts to its outer parts.
Largely speaking, there are three types of spiral galaxies in the universe. Grand-design spiral galaxies are characte

Advanced Space completes 6-month CAPSTONE primary mission at the Moon for NASA
Friday, 19 May 2023 04:00
Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 19, 2023
Advanced Space's pioneering commercial satellite has completed its primary 6-month mission operating in the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) that will be utilized by the Gateway lunar space station. CAPSTONE's enhanced mission will continue to focus on demonstrating lunar operations and navigation technology. To mark the end of the Primary Mission, Advanced Space is providing an update on the

Space missions set to improve solar storm forecasts
Friday, 19 May 2023 04:00
Reading UK (SPX) May 19, 2023
Satellites launched into outer space could send back improved warnings of dangerous solar storms thanks to a breakthrough in the way scientists use space weather measurements.
Experts from the University of Reading have found that using satellite data that is less reliable but is returned to Earth rapidly can be used to improve the accuracy of solar wind forecasts - which are harmful strea

GPR announces Series A funding on back of customer traction
Friday, 19 May 2023 04:00
Somerville MA (SPX) May 19, 2023
GPR, the world's only provider of Ground Positioning Radar, have announced it has secured an undisclosed amount of Series A funding led by top technology investor Rhapsody Venture Partners.
GPR's technology enables precise - centimeter level - vehicle localization in all visibility circumstances. Precise localization is an unresolved issue for vehicles in limited visibility environments su

Arlula secures $2.2 million in seed funding to enable global space data access
Friday, 19 May 2023 04:00
Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 19, 2023
Australian space tech startup Arlula reports it has raised AUD$2.2 million (USD$1.5 million) to expand access to Earth Observation (EO) data and imagery, allowing individuals, small businesses and large enterprises alike to harness its full potential.
The funding was led by Main Sequence, Australia's deep tech investment fund founded by CSIRO, with participation from Black Nova Venture Cap

Accenture invests in SpiderOak to elevate satellite communications security in space
Friday, 19 May 2023 04:00
New York NY (SPX) May 19, 2023
Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has made a strategic investment, through Accenture Ventures, in SpiderOak, a leader in zero-trust cybersecurity and resiliency solutions for next generation space systems. Based in Reston, Virginia, SpiderOak's OrbitSecure product suite brings zero trust security to zero gravity environments. OrbitSecure leverages a powerful combination of no-knowledge encryption and distri

Umbra and Ursa Space empower global market with advanced SAR Analytics
Friday, 19 May 2023 04:00
Ithaca NY (SPX) May 19, 2023
Ursa Space Systems, a leader in satellite intelligence, and Umbra, a leader in advanced space radar technology, have jointly announced that they are partnering to bring advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) analytics to a global market through Ursa's suite of subscription and custom intelligence products.
The two companies first teamed up to serve customers in late 2022 when Umbra initia

Inmarsat announces FreeWave as Global IoT partner
Friday, 19 May 2023 04:00
London, UK (SPX) May 19, 2023
Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has announced FreeWave Technologies - a leading Internet of Things (IoT) solutions provider - as a Distribution Partner for its L-band satellite IoT services.
The partnership, signed at this week's IoT Tech Expo in Santa Clara, California, will focus on the integration of Inmarsat's IsatData Pro (IDP) service in FreeWave'
