Planet hunting and the origins of life
Tuesday, 28 March 2023 05:43
George Ricker built his first telescope when he was in third grade. Growing up in rural Florida, with its abundance of dark night skies, facilitated his natural propensity for stargazing. But it was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during his undergraduate days at the Institute that his fascination became a calling. "I was a physics major at MIT, but I took enough astronomy courses to decide that th JWST confirms giant planet atmospheres vary widely
Tuesday, 28 March 2023 05:43
An international team of astronomers has found the atmospheric compositions of giant planets out in the galaxy do not fit our own solar system trend.
Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the researchers discovered that the atmosphere of exoplanet HD149026b, a 'hot Jupiter' orbiting a star comparable to our sun, is super-abundant in the heavier elements carbon and oxygen - far ab How football-shaped molecules occur in the universe
Tuesday, 28 March 2023 05:43
For a long time it has been suspected that fullerene and its derivatives could form naturally in the universe. These are large carbon molecules shaped like a football, salad bowl or nanotube. An international team of researchers using the Swiss SLS synchrotron light source at PSI has shown how this reaction works. The results have just been published in the journal Nature Communications.
" Geo eye spy: first Eurostar Neo selfie from Eutelsat's HOTBIRD 13F satellite
Tuesday, 28 March 2023 05:43
The Airbus-built Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F satellite has reached its geostationary orbit, 36,000km away after five months of Electric Orbit Raising (EOR). It has completed comprehensive testing at its orbital position ahead of entering full service. For this purpose, it was equipped with a camera at the tip of one of the robotic arms hosting the electric propulsion thrusters, allowing us to share thi Constellations of opportunities
Tuesday, 28 March 2023 05:43
The growing number of satellite constellations is opening exciting new opportunities for everything from improved connectivity and communications to enhanced observation and security - with Airbus taking a lead enabler role through its small, capable spacecraft that are made on a digitised production line.
In fact, Airbus has redefined how satellites are built - streamlining the traditiona U.S. allies in the Middle East express interest in establishing space forces
Monday, 27 March 2023 20:19
Several military allies of the United States in the Middle East have expressed interest in creating their own space forces, and have sought advice from the U.S.
NASA space operations head Lueders to retire
Monday, 27 March 2023 18:03
Kathy Lueders, the NASA official who oversees the International Space Station and commercial cargo and crew programs, will retire from the agency at the end of April and be succeeded by her deputy.
OneWeb completes constellation deployment for global broadband
Monday, 27 March 2023 17:12
OneWeb is turning its attention to finalizing ground stations after launching a final batch of satellites needed to provide broadband services globally, executive chair Sunil Mittal said March 27.
Webb space telescope measures the temperature of a rocky exoplanet
Monday, 27 March 2023 15:45
An international team of researchers has used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to measure the temperature of the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b. The measurement is based on the planet's thermal emission: heat energy given off in the form of infrared light detected by Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
The result indicates that the planet's dayside has a temperature of about 500 Kelvin (roughly 230°C), and suggests that it has no significant atmosphere. This is the first detection of any form of light emitted by an exoplanet as small and as cool as the rocky planets in our own solar system.
Vatican to send Pope's message of hope into orbit
Monday, 27 March 2023 15:44
A message of faith and hope first delivered by Pope Francis in the middle of the 2020 coronavirus lockdown will be sent into space, the Vatican announced Monday.
The speech of the pontiff praying alone in an empty St Peter's Square have been turned into a "nanobook" measuring less than two millimeters wide, which will be launched into orbit on June 10.
It will travel around the Earth on a purpose-built satellite at an altitude of about 525 kilometers, dispatched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The "Spei Satelles" (Satellites of Hope in Latin) project—whose cost and funding has not been revealed—is being coordinated by the Italian Space Agency in conjunction with various Italian institutions.
Agency president Giorgio Saccoccia said the Vatican had asked for "a solution that would allow the Holy Father's words of hope to cross the earth's borders and reach from space the greatest possible number of women and men on our troubled planet".
On March 27, 2020, the pope urged followers who felt "afraid and lost" in the face of what was then a terrifying new virus to have faith.
Researchers find new water reservoir on moon
Monday, 27 March 2023 14:07
Lunar surface water has attracted much attention due to its potential for in-situ resource utilization by future lunar exploration missions and other space missions
Now, a research group led by Prof. Hu Sen from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has found that impact glass beads in Chang'e-5 (CE5) lunar soils contain some water.
Detailed studies show that these glass beads are likely a new water reservoir on the moon, recording the dynamic ingress and egress of solar wind-derived water and acting as a buffer for the lunar surface water cycle.
This work was published in Nature Geoscience on March 27.
Many lunar missions have confirmed the presence of structural water or water ice on the moon. There is little doubt that most of the moon's surface harbors water, though the amount is much less than on Earth.
Webb measures the temperature of a rocky exoplanet
Monday, 27 March 2023 14:00
An international team of researchers has used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to measure the temperature of the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b. The measurement is based on the planet’s thermal emission: heat energy given off in the form of infrared light detected by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The result indicates that the planet’s dayside has a temperature of about 500 kelvins (roughly 230°C), and suggests that it has no significant atmosphere.
Proba-3 complete: Formation-flying satellites fully integrated
Monday, 27 March 2023 12:31
The two spacecraft forming ESA’s Proba-3 mission for precise formation flying in orbit are now complete. All the instruments and sensors allowing them to manoeuvre to millimetre scale precision relative to one another have been integrated aboard, and the pair are fully wrapped in multi-layer insulation – ready to be tested in simulated space conditions.
Council approves senior management changes
Monday, 27 March 2023 12:00
At its 315th session on 22 and 23 March 2023, the ESA Council approved a series of nominations and extensions of contracts for ESA directors: