European Space Agency appoints Austrian scientist new chief
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 14:52The European Space Agency said Thursday that Josef Aschbacher, an Austrian scientist who leads its Earth observation program, has been appointed as the organization's next head.
The agency's 22 member states elected Aschbacher to be ESA's director general succeeding Jan Woerner, whose term ends on June 30.
House passes two space bills
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 14:45WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed legislation Dec. 16 to protect Apollo-era artifacts on the moon and to rename another NASA facility after the first man to walk on the moon.
The House passed on a voice vote S.
Mountains of snow
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 13:20India launches CMS-01 communications satellite
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 11:38HELSINKI — India successfully sent the CMS-01 extended C-band communications satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit Thursday with the country’s second launch of 2020.
Moon rocks in hand, China prepares for future moon missions
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 11:10Dreaming of a red Christmas: Festive features spotted near Mars’ south pole
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 10:00As the holiday season swiftly approaches, even our planetary neighbours are getting into the spirit – as shown by this perfect pair of festive silhouettes spotted by ESA’s Mars Express.
Chinese capsule returns to Earth carrying moon rocks
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 09:06Scientists use NASA data to predict appearance of December 14, 2020 eclipse
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 09:06On Dec. 14, 2020, the Moon's shadow raced across Chile and Argentina, casting a thin ribbon of land into brief, mid-day darkness.
Those in the path of this total solar eclipse glimpsed the solar system in motion.
ESA Council appoints Josef Aschbacher as next ESA Director General
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 08:56Today, the ESA Council appointed Dr Josef Aschbacher as the next Director General of ESA, for a period of four years. He will succeed Prof. Jan Wörner, whose term of office ends on 30 June 2021.
Cholera outbreaks predicted using climate data and AI
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 08:40Climate data taken from Earth orbiting satellites, combined with machine learning techniques, are helping to better predict outbreaks of cholera and potentially save lives.
Chinese craft returns to Earth with Moon rocks
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 08:29An unmanned Chinese spacecraft carrying rocks and soil from the Moon returned safely to Earth early Thursday, completing another chapter in China's effort to become a space superpower. The mission was the first in four decades to collect lunar samples, emulating the feats of the United States and the Soviet Union from the 1960s and 1970s - and going a few steps further. Scientists hope
AFRL demonstrates critical new warhead technologies for high speed weapons
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 08:29The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) successfully demonstrated new warhead technologies for high speed weapons at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Nov. 18, 2020. AFRL and two small business partners, Energetic Materials and Products Inc. and Hydrosoft International, developed the warhead technologies. Holloman's 846th Test Squadron conducted the test on their High Speed Test Track.
US Space Force May need a Battlestar
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 08:29Should the US Space Force be planning a human military presence in space? So far there has been no urgent or justifiable argument for an in-orbit armed "fort." However, a new version of the game of "Hide and Seek" has been evolving in outer space. Earlier this year, Gen. John Raymond, the U.S. Space Force Chief, mentioned that Russian "inspector" satellites are
IMDO and MDA complete intercept test of the David's Sling Weapon System
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 08:29The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR and D) of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD), together with the Missile Defense Agency, successfully completed a series of flight tests of the David's Sling Weapon System (DSWS) in an advanced system configuration against current and emerging threats. During the campaign, designate
The farthest galaxy in the universe
Wednesday, 16 December 2020 08:29A team of astronomers used the Keck I telescope to measure the distance to an ancient galaxy. They deduced the target galaxy GN-z11 is not only the oldest galaxy but also the most distant. It's so distant it defines the very boundary of the observable universe itself. The team hopes this study can shed light on a period of cosmological history when the universe was only a few hundred million yea