Work progresses toward Ingenuity's First Flight on Mars
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
The Ingenuity team has identified a software solution for the command sequence issue identified on Sol 49 (April 9) during a planned high-speed spin-up test of the helicopter's rotors. Over the weekend, the team considered and tested multiple potential solutions to this issue, concluding that minor modification and reinstallation of Ingenuity's flight control software is the most robust path for Novel theory addresses centuries-old physics problem
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
The "three-body problem," the term coined for predicting the motion of three gravitating bodies in space, is essential for understanding a variety of astrophysical processes as well as a large class of mechanical problems, and has occupied some of the world's best physicists, astronomers and mathematicians for over three centuries. Their attempts have led to the discovery of several important fi How NASA's Roman Space Telescope will uncover lonesome black holes
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will provide an unprecedented window into the infrared universe when it launches in the mid-2020s. One of the mission's planned surveys will use a quirk of gravity to reveal thousands of new planets beyond our solar system.
The same survey will also provide the best opportunity yet to definitively detect solitary small black holes for the first time Google unveils $2bn data hub in Poland
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
US tech giant Google on Wednesday launched a new cloud data hub in Warsaw - its first in Central and Eastern Europe - with an investment of nearly $2.0 billion (1.7 billion euros).
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki hailed the new hub saying it would ensure "better service from private and public entities" and strengthen security because the data would be stored in Poland.
"We hope that Atom interferometry demonstrated in space for the first time
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
Extremely precise measurements are possible using atom interferometers that employ the wave character of atoms for this purpose. They can thus be used, for example, to measure the gravitational field of the Earth or to detect gravitational waves. A team of scientists from Germany has now managed to successfully perform atom interferometry in space for the first time - on board a sounding rocket. Optimised approaches for less noise and lower fuel consumption
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
Approaches to busy airports are often noisier and less fuel-efficient than they could be. This is because aircraft have to be configured in an individual process before touchdown. Pilots reduce speed, set flaps, extend slats and finally deploy the landing gear. However, air traffic control restricts the flight profile, and pilots often have limited information about weather conditions.
Thu Satcom Global and AnsuR Technologies to deliver unique visual communications for EO market
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:28
Leading satellite communications provider Satcom Global is delighted to announce a strategic partnership with software specialist AnsuR Technologies (AnsuR). The collaboration will enable Satcom Global to support its maritime and remote-land based communications customers with access to innovative visual technology, globally.
AnsuR develops software solutions for use in challenging environ Arianespace offers free launch to deserving cubesat
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 12:16
VALLETTA, Malta — European launch provider Arianespace announced April 13 that it would provide a free cubesat launch to one deserving space technology startup, lab or university.
The “Destination: A Better Life on Earth” competition is part of Airanespace’s plan to unveil a range of smallsat rideshare offerings in June at VivaTech 2021, the fifth edition of an annual technology conference held in Paris.
Sierra Nevada Corporation to spin off space division
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 11:31
WASHINGTON — Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) will spin off its space division into a separate company, a move reflecting the “historic growth” it foresees for that business in the next several years.
HawkEye 360 raises $55 million
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 10:18
WASHINGTON — HawkEye 360 has raised $55 million in additional funding that the company says will allow it to complete its constellation of satellites that track ships and vehicles by their radio-frequency emissions.
HawkEye 360 said that NightDragon, a venture capital firm that specializes in security and related industries, led its Series C round, announced April 12.
Drone test of Hera mission's asteroid radar
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 08:31
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Drone test of Hera mission asteroid radar Fly your software in space
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 06:55
What would you do with a powerful space computer that can learn, react, photograph our planet and send and receive information in a variety of forms? The test of all knowledge is experiment, as Richard Feynman once said, and OPS-SAT is the first ESA spacecraft that you can apply to experiment with. Tell us your ideas for new OPS-SAT experiments via the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP).
Lockheed Martin pitching mid-size satellite bus to DoD for remote sensing
Monday, 12 April 2021 23:59
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin announced a new line of satellites designed for space-based surveillance. The mid-size satellite bus is aimed at the military market and would be interoperable with military weapons systems such as fighter jets and air defense systems.
Researchers study collective behavior of nanosatellites
Monday, 12 April 2021 16:20
Scientists from the Skoltech Space Center (SSC) have developed nanosatellite interaction algorithms for scientific measurements using a tetrahedral orbital formation of CubeSats that exchange data and apply interpolation algorithms to create local maps of physical measurements in real time. The study presents an example of geomagnetic field measurement, which shows that these data can be used by other satellites for attitude control and, therefore, provided on a data-as-a-service basis. The research was published in the journal Advances in Space Research.
SSC is the research lead within the Nanosatellites Swarm project ("Roy MKA") performed by a consortium of several Russian universities and included in the ISS experimental program led by RSC Energia. "Roy MKA" aims to deploy autonomous groups of CubeSats and verify their swarm behavior.
For one of the "Roy MKA" experiments, SSC researchers suggested a tetrahedral formation, which provides an ability to measure the geomagnetic field at any point on orbit. The system is fully autonomous, which means that satellites can process and update measurement data on board and predict magnetic field values by interpolation.
"We use the Kriging interpolation which helps to select the magnetic field values in accordance with its characteristics (autocorrelation).
Video: How to clear Earth's orbit of space debris
Monday, 12 April 2021 14:52
On 20 April 2021, ESA will host the 8th European Conference on Space Debris from Darmstadt, in Germany. Scientists, engineers, industry experts and policy makers will spend the virtual four-day conference discussing the latest issues surrounding space debris. They will exchange the latest research, try to come up with solutions for potential problems and define the future direction of any necessary action.
There are currently over 129 million objects larger than a millimeter in orbits around Earth. These range from inactive satellites to flakes of paint. But no matter how small the item of debris, anything traveling up to 56,000 km/h in an orbit is dangerous if it comes into contact with the many satellites that connect us around the world, be it for GPS, mobile phone data or internet connectivity. The solution is to take action before it's too late. This is why ESA has commissioned ClearSpace-1—the world's first mission to remove space debris—for launch in 2025.
This film contains interviews with ESA Head of Space Debris Office Tim Flohrer; ESA Head of Clean Space Office Luisa Innocenti; and Xanthi Oikonomidou, ESA Space Debris Office.