Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 01, 2021
The sky isn't falling, but scientists have found that parts of the upper atmosphere are gradually contracting in response to rising human-made greenhouse gas emissions. Combined data from three NASA satellites have produced a long-term record that reveals the mesosphere, the layer of the atmosphere 30 to 50 miles above the surface, is cooling and contracting. Scientists have long predicted this

Washington DC (SPX) Jul 01, 2021
Researchers have developed and successfully demonstrated a novel method for studying how cells repair damaged DNA in space. Sarah Stahl-Rommel of Genes in Space and colleagues present the new technique in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on June 30, 2021. Damage to an organism's DNA can occur during normal biological processes or as a result of environmental causes, such as UV light. In hu

London, UK (SPX) Jul 01, 2021
OneWeb, the global Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, has secured further fund-raising on the anniversary of the successful bid by UK Government and Bharti Global (Bharti) to purchase OneWeb from US Chapter 11 to bring its total funding to $2.4 billion. OneWeb has completed its transformation with the exercise of a Call Option by Bharti to invest an additional $500m into the

London, UK (SPX) Jul 01, 2021
The call for Grants for Exploratory Ideas, part of the National Space Technology Programme aims to fund short, three-month long projects that support innovative space technology activities, encourage collaboration between industry and academia, and encourage new entrants to the space sector. Projects could include knowledge transfer, skills development, market studies, and proof of concept

Washington DC (SPX) Jul 01, 2021
Designed to improve navigation for robotic explorers and the operation of GPS satellites, the technology demonstration reports a significant milestone. Spacecraft that venture beyond our Moon rely on communication with ground stations on Earth to figure out where they are and where they're going. NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock is working toward giving those far-flung explorers more autonom

Washington DC (UPI) Jun 30, 2021
SpaceX successfully launched 88 small satellites from Florida on Wednesday after postponing the mission Tuesday because of an airplane in the launch area. The Falcon 9 rocket on the Transporter-2 rideshare mission lifted off at 3:31 p.m. EDT from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX confirmed all satellites were deployed properly almost 90 minutes after liftoff.

Washington DC (UPI) Jun 30, 2021
Launch company Virgin Orbit sent seven satellites into space on Wednesday from a rocket carried by a jet plane over the Pacific Ocean. The Cosmic Girl jet, a modified 747, took off at 9:53 a.m. EDT from Mojave Air and Space Port about 90 miles north of Los Angeles. Just under an hour later, the LauncherOne rocket dropped from the wing of the jet. Seconds after release, the rocket

The international James Webb Space Telescope has passed the final mission analysis review for its launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Start-up companies and SMEs make a significant contribution to building a globally competitive European space sector. To support these entities in their internationalisation efforts, ESA has organised a Global Space Markets Challenge and further extended the deadline for applications to 30 July.

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jul 01, 2021
Set for launch next year, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will help scientists monitor Earth's ocean, as well as the amount of fresh water in its lakes and rivers. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission took a big step toward launch this week when a team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California shipped the scientific heart of the satellite to