NASA transmits hip-hop song to deep space for first time
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 15:37
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The stars above and on Earth aligned as an inspirational message and lyrics from the song "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" by hip-hop artist Missy Elliott were beamed to Venus via NASA's DSN (Deep Space Network). The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California sent the transmission at 10:05 a.m.
Study finds increased fire risk on future space missions
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 13:19 Write a comment
A research team from the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen has investigated the risk of fire on spacecraft in a recent study. The results show that fires on planned exploration missions, such as a flight to Mars, could spread significantly faster than, for example, on the International Space Station (ISS). This is due to the planned adjustment to a lower ambient pressure on spacecraft.
"A fire on board a spacecraft is one of the most dangerous scenarios in space missions," explains Dr. Florian Meyer, head of the Combustion Technology research group at ZARM.
KBR to acquire defense and space contractor LinQuest for $737 million
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 13:03
Refuellable satellites offer critical edge amidst intensifying threats in space
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 12:00
Introducing Ramses, ESA’s mission to asteroid Apophis
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 09:00 Write a comment
30 years ago, on 16 July 1994, astronomers watched in awe as the first of many pieces of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet slammed into Jupiter with incredible force. The event sparked intense interest in the field of planetary defence as people asked: “Could we do anything to prevent this happening to Earth?”
Up close and personal: Ariane 6 liftoff from the launchpad
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 09:00 Write a comment
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While no person could get this close during Ariane 6’s inaugural flight on 9 July 2024, several small cameras bravely witnessed its take-off from the launchpad.
After years of preparations, the Vulcain main stage engine ignites, arms providing cryogenic fuels to the rocket until the very last moment retract and boosters fire – Ariane 6 is space-bound. As it lifts off, vast amounts of water are pumped at high speed to dampen vibrations at the launch site, which then come rushing towards one of these small cameras in a dramatic swirl, hiding the departing rocket from view.
Ariane 6 launched
Food aroma study may help explain why meals taste bad in space
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 08:00 Write a comment
Scientists from RMIT University have led a world-first study on common food aromas that may help explain why astronauts report that meals taste bland in space and struggle to eat their normal nutritional intake.
This research, which is published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology, has broader implications for improving the diets of isolated people, including nursing home residents, by personalizing aromas to enhance the flavor of their food.
Previous research has shown that aroma plays a big role in the flavor of food.
The team in this study tested how people perceived vanilla and almond extracts, and how lemon essential oil changed from normal environments on Earth to the confined setting of the International Space Station (ISS), which was simulated for participants with virtual reality goggles.
XMM-Newton shows million-degree gas in Abell 2390
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 07:00 Write a comment
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XMM-Newton and Euclid image of galaxy cluster Abell 2390 China reschedules planetary defense mission for 2027 launch
Tuesday, 16 July 2024 06:42
The CubeCat-4, a new nanosatellite, is already orbiting the Earth
Monday, 15 July 2024 18:47 Write a comment
The CubeCat-4 nanosatellite, developed by the UPC's NanoSat Lab, is one of seven payloads that have traveled on the Ariane 6 maiden flight, which took off on the night of 9 to 10 July from French Guiana.
CubeCat-4 is the only Catalan instrument and one of two from Spain on board this ESA mission. Developed by students, the nanosatellite focuses on observing the Earth, studying weather and climatic phenomena from space, and locating and tracking vessels to prevent accidents. Some students were present at the launch site.
CubeCat-4 is the fifth nanosatellite created by the NanoSat Lab of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya—BarcelonaTech (UPC). This laboratory is linked to the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB), where an Advanced Engineering Project course is taught.
CubeCat-4 is a one-unit CubeSat-type nanosatellite and It was selected to be launched aboard the rocket along with a satellite from Galicia and other payloads from Germany, Slovakia, France and Portugal.
A hopping robot could explore Europa using locally harvested water
Monday, 15 July 2024 18:35 Write a comment
Various forms of hopping robots have crept into development for use in different space exploration missions. We've reported on their use on asteroids and even our own moon. But a study funded by NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) in 2018 planned a mission to a type of world where hopping may not be as noticeable an advantage—Europa.
The mission, developed by engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Purdue University, and Honeybee Robotics, is known as the Steam Propelled Autonomous Retrieval Robot for Ocean Worlds, or SPARROW. It's about the size and shape of a soccer ball, with the logic, power, and control systems inside a spherical outer hollow shell.
SPARROW wouldn't be able to operate on its own, however. It would require a lander to deposit it onto the surface and serve as a refueling and sample collection storage base.
Weather satellite passes bake and shake tests with flying colors
Monday, 15 July 2024 15:24 Write a comment
As climate change drives more frequent and severe weather events, the need for accurate and timely forecasting has never been more critical. And now, the next Meteosat Third Generation weather satellite has passed its environmental test campaign with flying colors, taking it a significant step closer to launch.
This new generation of satellites is set to transform weather forecasting, particularly in Europe.
Following the spectacular launch of the first MTG-Imager satellite in 2022, which marked the debut of this advanced family of six satellites, all eyes are now on the first MTG-Sounder (MTG-S1) satellite.