Simple shift could make low Earth orbit satellites high capacity
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Princeton NJ (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
Low-orbit satellites could soon offer millions of people worldwide access to high-speed communications, but the satellites' potential has been stymied by a technological limitation - their antenna arrays can only manage one user at a time.
The one-to-one ratio means that companies must launch either constellations of many satellites, or large individual satellites with many arrays, to prov

SpaceX launches European Galileo satellites to medium Earth orbit
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Washington DC (UPI) Sep 17, 2024
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the European Commission's Galileo L13 mission Tuesday, successfully delivering its navigation satellite constellation to a medium Earth orbit, despite questionable weather earlier in the day.
The mission to deliver two Galileo satellites launched on time at 6:50 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Flori

Trinity Capital commits $30M in funding to Slingshot Aerospace
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
Trinity Capital Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIN), a leader in providing financial solutions to companies focused on growth, has committed $30 million in growth capital to Slingshot Aerospace. Slingshot Aerospace is a key player in AI-driven satellite tracking, space traffic management, and space simulation technologies.
Slingshot, headquartered in El Segundo, CA, specializes in building mission-critica

Vegetable seeds from space thrive in Shanxi county, boosting yields
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
Some vegetable seeds that were sent into space have now been successfully cultivated in Yanggao county, Shanxi province, a key region for vegetable production in China. The seeds, which included tomatoes, okra, eggplant, giant pumpkins, and red peppers, were grown in the greenhouses at the Hualian Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center.
According to Wang Shouming, a technician at the

ESA concludes observations of asteroid 2024 RW1
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Paris, France (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
On 4 September 2024 at 16:39 UTC (18:39 CEST), the small asteroid 2024 RW1 entered Earth's atmosphere near the Philippines, creating a bright fireball witnessed by people across the region. The event, though spectacular, was not unexpected, thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of global astronomers, including teams from ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC), who tracked the

Unraveling the mystery surrounding the creation of heavy elements in stars
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Lemont, IL (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
How are stars born, and how do they die? How do they produce the energy that keeps them burning for billions of years? How do they create the elements we observe today? Definitive answers to these questions continue to elude scientists in their quest to understand the processes that shape the chemical makeup of the universe.
Although the exact details of the reaction processes are unclear,

Apollo Astronaut's Long-Lost Manuscript Explores Nuclear Threats in Space
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 17, 2024
A previously unpublished manuscript by Apollo 14 Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, stored in a bank vault for nearly four decades, has now been made available by Pen-L Publishing. This manuscript draws critical comparisons between the growing militarization of space and present-day realities, raising concerns over the increasing potential for nuclear conflict in space.
Mitchell's work explores the

Boeing advances quantum communications with 2026 space test satellite
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 15, 2024
Boeing [NYSE: BA] has revealed plans for the 2026 launch of a satellite, Q4S, designed to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping capabilities in orbit. This pioneering, Boeing-funded mission is a key step toward the creation of a global quantum internet, linking quantum sensors and computers with secure, advanced communication systems.
Quantum sensors, far more precise than current tech

Capella Space Wins $15M U.S. Air Force Contract
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 17, 2024
Capella Space Corp., a U.S.-based space technology company specializing in data and satellite solutions, announced it has secured a $15 million award from the U.S. Air Force through the AFWERX Ventures Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. This initiative is designed to drive private sector innovation and support U.S. Air Force mission objectives.
The funding will be used to furthe

Momentus joins DARPA's BRIDGES consortium to advance defense innovation
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS), a U.S. space infrastructure company, has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office to join the Bringing Classified Innovation to Defense and Government Systems (BRIDGES) consortium. Through this consortium, Momentus will be sponsored for a facility clearance, allowing it to work directly with Department of Def

China activates first satellite-ground laser communication system
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
The Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully launched its first operational satellite-ground laser communication system. The 500mm aperture laser communication ground system began its regular operation on Sunday from the Pamir Plateau.
According to Wang Jianping, director of the Kashgar Ground Station, this system marks a major milestone

MDA expands satellite production with major facility upgrade to meet global demand
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 16, 2024
MDA (TSX: MDA), a leading partner in the fast-growing space industry, announced the construction of a new 185,000 square foot extension to its satellite manufacturing facility in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. This expansion will make it the largest facility in its satellite class, capable of producing up to two MDA AURORATM digital satellites daily.
The first project to come out of the

EarthCARE's Atmospheric Lidar Reveals Detailed Profiles of Atmospheric Particles
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 17, 2024
The ATLID atmospheric lidar, the final instrument aboard the EarthCARE satellite launched in May, has now been successfully activated. EarthCARE, a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aims to provide more precise measurements of clouds, aerosols, and radiation.
Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (

There are plenty of uses for powerful lasers in space. But where should we put them?
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:01