Plainsboro NJ (SPX) Apr 27, 2021
The process designed to harvest on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars can sometimes be tricked. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics laboratory have derived and demonstrated a bit of slight-of-hand called "quasi-symmetry" that could accelerate the development of fusion energy as a safe, clean and virtually limitless source of power for

Santa Barbara CA (SPX) Apr 26, 2021
Cows don't seem to have a whole lot going on most of the time. They're raised to spend their days grazing in the field, raised for the purpose of providing milk or meat, or producing more cows. So when students in UC Santa Barbara ecologist Doug McCauley's lab found themselves staring intently at satellite image upon image of bovine herds at Point Reyes National Seashore, it was funny, in a "Far

With challenges imposed by the Covid pandemic, engineers building and testing ESA’s Biomass satellite have had to come up with some clever working methods to keep on track whilst adhering to safety rules. The result is that the satellite structure is not only complete, but has also undergone a series of demanding tests to ensure it will withstand the rigours of liftoff – all bringing the launch of this extraordinary forest carbon mapping mission one step closer.

Space is getting crowded. Old satellites, rocket bodies and fragments of both are leaving little space for new satellites to reside in that is free from debris.

The risk of collision with debris and even functioning satellites is increasing, especially in low-Earth orbit, putting many of Earth’s climate, ocean and land monitoring missions in harm’s way.

ESA is working alongside private business to clean up space by developing new missions and technologies that will remove debris from orbit. No space agency or business could solve the debris problem alone, but if it becomes

It might be counter-intuitive, but designing satellites to better fall apart is one of the key strategies to combat space debris. Developed by ESA’s Clean Space initiative, the approach is called ‘Design for Demise’ and involves making sure that derelict satellites will break up and burn up fully as they reenter the atmosphere.

Image: Hot and cold space radio testing

Washington DC (UPI) Apr 28, 2021
After almost four years of what NASA calls a "pragmatic concept study," scientists are ready to publicly present the agency's plan for a return to the edge of the solar system. In recent years, NASA has launched a number of missions aiming at studying the sun and its many mysterious phenomena. With a new proposed new mission, Scientists hope Interstellar Probe will reveal secrets of

Washington DC (SPX) Apr 28, 2021
A technology-packed tank top offers a simple, effective way to track astronauts' vital signs and physiological changes during spaceflight, according to research being presented at the American Physiological Society annual meeting during the Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, held virtually April 27-30. By monitoring key health markers over long periods of time with one non-intrusive d

Chandler AZ (SPX) Apr 28, 2021
Deep space initiatives including planetary exploration, orbiter missions and space research require innovative spacecraft system technology providing connectivity and processing. To enable system designers better integration and higher performance while reducing development costs and time to market, COTS technologies and scalable solutions are increasingly used in space applications. Microchip T

London, UK (SPX) Apr 28, 2021
SpacePath Communications has been awarded a contract for its high-power Ka-band amplifiers to power a new teleport in the Middle East. As part of the contract, SpacePath will supply amplifiers and sub-systems for a major new teleport in the Middle East. Each amplifier system will provide an L- band input, with coverage across the entire Ka-band (27.5-30.00GHz). Using the latest 650W high-p