Robotics team practises lunar exploration on Mount Etna
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
Robots can enter areas that are dangerous for or inaccessible to humans. They can even explore other planets - or the Moon. This has now been demonstrated on Mount Etna, a volcano in Italy. Various robots completed their tasks independently - they took rock samples, analysed them and forwarded the results to their control centre. Two other scenarios were demonstrated in addition to this mission, Eyeing Kukenan - Sols 3519-3524
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
Curiosity is continuing to proceed through our pre-planned checklist of activities that we've made for drill campaigns. The team is currently waiting for the downlink that contains data from CheMin's first analysis of the Avanavero drilled sample, and we will use these data to help us decide whether to analyze the sample with SAM as well. While we wait today, we planned a whopping six sols worth Tonga volcano eruption trigged atmospheric gravity waves that reached the edge of space
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano in January 2022 was one of the most explosive volcanic events of the modern era, a new study has confirmed.
Led by researchers from the University of Bath and published in Nature, the study combines extensive satellite data with ground-level observations to show that the eruption was unique in observed science in both its magn AI experts called on to join the hunt for exoplanets
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts have been challenged to help a new space mission to investigate Earth's place in the universe.
The Ariel Data Challenge 2022, which launches on 30 June, is inviting AI and machine learning experts from industry and academia to help astronomers understand planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets.
Dr Ingo Waldmann, Associate Professor i Another Webb Telescope instrument gets the "go for science"
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
The second of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope's four primary scientific instruments, known as the Mid-Infrared instrument (MIRI), has concluded its postlaunch preparations and is now ready for science.
The last MIRI mode to be checked off was its coronagraphic imaging capability, which uses two different styles of masks to intentionally block starlight from hitting its sensors when attem Gemini North spies ultra-faint fossil galaxy discovered on outskirts of Andromeda
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
An unusual ultra-faint dwarf galaxy has been discovered on the outer fringes of the Andromeda Galaxy thanks to the sharp eyes of an amateur astronomer examining archival data processed by NSF's NOIRLab's Community Science and Data Center. Follow-up by professional astronomers using the International Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF's NOIRLab, revealed that the dwarf galaxy - Pegasus V - cont Hubble delves into cosmic treasure trove
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the sparkling globular cluster NGC 6569 in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble explored the heart of this cluster with both its Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, revealing a glittering hoard of stars in this astronomical treasure trove.
Globular clusters are stable, tightly bound clusters containing tens of t Novel NASA instrument sets sights on Earth-bound solar radiation
Saturday, 02 July 2022 11:09
A very small instrument has a big job ahead of it: measuring all Earth-directed energy coming from the Sun and helping scientists understand how that energy influences our planet's severe weather, climate change and other global forces.
About the size of a shoebox or gaming console, the Compact Total Irradiance Monitor (CTIM) is the smallest satellite ever dispatched to observe the sum of Virgin Orbit rocket launches 7 US defense satellites
Saturday, 02 July 2022 07:54
A Virgin Orbit rocket carrying seven U.S. Defense Department satellites was launched from a special Boeing 747 flying off the Southern California coast and streaked toward space Friday night.
The modified jumbo jet took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the Mojave Desert and released the rocket over the Pacific Ocean, northwest of Los Angeles.
The launch was procured by the U.S. Space Force for a Defense Department test program. The seven payloads will conduct various experiments.
"And there we have it, folks!" the company tweeted shortly before 1 a.m. local time, about an hour after the rocket separated from the 747. "NewtonFour successfully reignited and deployed all customer spacecraft into their target orbit."
It was Virgin Orbit's fourth commercial launch and first night launch. The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday night, but that attempt was scrubbed due to a propellant temperature issue.
Virgin Orbit named the mission "Straight Up" after the hit on Paula Abdul's debut studio album "Forever Your Girl," which was released through Virgin Records in 1988.
Virgin Orbit was founded in 2017 by British billionaire Richard Branson.
Virgin Orbit launches Space Force mission
Saturday, 02 July 2022 07:15
Virgin Orbit successfully placed a set of payloads for the U.S. Space Force into orbit early July 2 in the company’s first nighttime launch.
The post Virgin Orbit launches Space Force mission appeared first on SpaceNews.
ULA’s Atlas 5 launches U.S. Space Force experimental missile-warning satellite
Friday, 01 July 2022 22:41
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket on July 1 launched the USSF-12 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The rocket lifted off at 7:15 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Agile to consolidate operations in new Colorado plant
Friday, 01 July 2022 16:51
Agile Space Industries is preparing to consolidate propulsion design, manufacturing and production in a new 1,860-square-meter facility in Durango, Colorado.
The post Agile to consolidate operations in new Colorado plant appeared first on SpaceNews.
Ibuprofen tablets with flavor added survive better in space
Friday, 01 July 2022 13:16
Ibuprofen tablets modified to survive in space have returned to Earth and shown that those with added flavor survived better with less degradation than those with no added taste.
Researchers from the International Flavor Research Center at the University of Nottingham worked with the University of Adelaide on the research that also showed that an iron oxide coating formed during tablet manufacture could protect Ibuprofen.
"Medicines taken on space missions are exposed to cosmic rays which limit their 'space shelf life' and can even lead to the formation of toxic substances as the drug content declines," said the University of Adelaide's Professor Volker Hessel, Research Director of the Andy Thomas Center for Space Resources and Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials who led the project to send tablets into space.
"We have tested and proven countermeasures to the degrading effects of cosmic rays by sending ibuprofen tablets made in our laboratory to the International Space Station (ISS) for six months and checking them on their return.
"Four of the six ibuprofen tablets from outside the ISS, each made with a distinct formulation and protection concept, significantly decomposed to a high number of ibuprofen fragments.
Week in images: 27 June - 1 July 2022
Friday, 01 July 2022 12:15
Week in images: 27 June - 1 July 2022
Discover our week through the lens
OneWeb to launch second-generation satellites with Relativity Space
Friday, 01 July 2022 10:52
OneWeb will launch some of its next-generation satellites on Relativity Space’s next-generation launch vehicle starting as soon as 2025, the companies announced June 30.
The post OneWeb to launch second-generation satellites with Relativity Space appeared first on SpaceNews.