Samples from Lunar Far Side thicker and stickier
Monday, 01 July 2024 16:40China's Chang'e 6 robotic probe has successfully retrieved 1,935.3 grams of lunar samples from the moon's far side, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced Friday morning. These samples, now in the hands of scientists, are considered scientifically invaluable. The weight of the samples, eagerly anticipated by the scientific community, was disclosed during a handover ceremo
Nanomedicine Promises Cure for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Monday, 01 July 2024 16:40One of most lethal forms of cancer, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PADC), has been classed on wrong side of chemosensitivity scale- those varieties that are very resistant to chemotherapy. The prognosis for PADC diagnosed at a late stage is poor, with a 5-year survival of less than 10%. However, nanomedicine may actually help constitute a plausible avenue for improving effectiveness of PADC t
A desert moss that has the potential to grow on Mars
Monday, 01 July 2024 12:52The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising candidate for Mars colonization thanks to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms. The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers report in the journal The Innovation that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as −196°C, high levels of gamma radiation, and simulated Martian conditions involving these three stressors combined. In all cases, prior dehydration seemed to help the plants cope.
"Our study shows that the environmental resilience of S. caninervis is superior to that of some of highly stress-tolerant microorganisms and tardigrades," write the researchers, who include ecologists Daoyuan Zhang and Yuanming Zhang and botanist Tingyun Kuang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"S. caninervis is a promising candidate pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments, laying the foundation for building biologically sustainable human habitats beyond Earth.
ESA astronaut class of 2022: Astro Chat with Katherine Bennell-Pegg
Monday, 01 July 2024 12:30Australian Space Agency astronaut candidate Katherine Bennell-Pegg joined ESA’s astronaut candidates from the class of 2022 for basic training through a cooperation agreement with ESA. Tune in as she shares her experiences in astronaut training, her favourite lessons, and what keeps her inspired on her journey to the stars!
This is episode 7 of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022, recorded in March 2024.
Find out more about the ESA astronaut class of 2022.
Turion wins Space Force contract for debris-capture technology
Monday, 01 July 2024 12:03Transferring the International Space Station into the future
Monday, 01 July 2024 12:00H3 launches ALOS-4 advanced Earth observation satellite
Monday, 01 July 2024 07:33Japan launches an advanced Earth observation satellite on its new flagship H3 rocket
Monday, 01 July 2024 07:12Japan deployed an upgraded Earth observation satellite for disaster response and security after it was launched on a new flagship H3 rocket Monday.
The H3 No. 3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a southwestern Japanese island and released its payload about 16 minutes later as planned, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said during a livestream.
Happy launch anniversary, Euclid!
Monday, 01 July 2024 07:00Several team members wish Euclid a happy first launch anniversary in their own language. ESA’s Euclid satellite launched on 1 July 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, and now resides in an orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2. During its mission, Euclid will observe billions of galaxies out to ten billion light-years over one third of the sky to study dark matter and dark energy.
The team members in order of appearance:
Prof. Carole Mundell – ESA Director of Science,
Dr. Valeria Pettorino – Euclid Project Scientist,
Iris Nijman – Euclid communication team,
Dr. René Laureijs – Euclid Project Scientist,
Dr.
NASA and SpaceX studying ways to mitigate Dragon trunk debris
Sunday, 30 June 2024 23:09Chinese rocket static-fire test results in unintended launch and huge explosion
Sunday, 30 June 2024 11:03China hauls back nearly 2 kilograms of lunar samples from far side
Sunday, 30 June 2024 07:16A total of 1,935.3 grams of lunar samples were retrieved by China's Chang'e 6 robotic probe from the moon's far side, the China National Space Administration announced on Friday morning, as the space authority handed over the scientifically invaluable substances to scientists. The weight of the samples, the most asked question by science and space enthusiasts over the past two days, was re
PLD Space offers free access to space on first two MIURA 5 flights
Sunday, 30 June 2024 07:16PLD Space has presented its MIURA 5 SPARK Programme, offering educational centres, universities, institutions, and companies worldwide access to the first two MIURA 5 launches free of charge. The company will cover mission costs to promote scientific and technological innovation aimed at improving life on Earth from space. This initiative is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, In
NASA's Mars Odyssey Captures Huge Volcano, Nears 100,000 Orbits
Sunday, 30 June 2024 07:16NASA's longest-lived Mars robot is about to mark a new milestone on June 30: 100,000 trips around the Red Planet since launching 23 years ago. During that time, the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has been mapping minerals and ice across the Martian surface, identifying landing sites for future missions, and relaying data to Earth from NASA's rovers and landers. Scientists recently used the orbi