Multi-orbit SATCOM solution by Hughes selected for AFRL's DEUCSI initiative
Friday, 23 February 2024 19:54Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), an EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) affiliate, has secured a pivotal contract from SES Space and Defense, a subsidiary of SES, to deliver a sophisticated, software-defined satellite communications (SATCOM) solution tailored for the US Air Force's Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program. This initiative, under the guidance
UK has 'confidence' in nuclear system despite misfire
Friday, 23 February 2024 19:54The UK government said Wednesday that it had "absolute confidence" in its Trident nuclear deterrent system despite a reported missile test failure. Defence minister Grant Shapps admitted to parliament that "an anomaly did occur" during an exercise on January 30, following reports that a missile fired from the submarine HMS Vanguard fell into the sea. Shapps said in the written statement
Putin says 'categorically against' putting nuclear weapons in space
Friday, 23 February 2024 19:54Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he was opposed to sending nuclear weapons to space, dismissing US accusations that Moscow was developing a space-based anti-satellite weapon. Washington said last week it was worried Russia was developing the system while saying it posed no immediate threat to people on Earth. "We have always been categorically against putting nuclear w
New techniques uncover ancient biomass secrets in Australian rocks
Friday, 23 February 2024 19:54Researchers from the University of Gottingen have shed new light on the Earth's earliest life forms by analyzing ancient rocks from the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia, one of the few places on Earth where the primordial crust is still accessible. These rocks, approximately 3.5 billion years old, contain carbonaceous particles that offer clues to the microorganisms which inhabited our planet
MIT researchers remotely map crops, field by field
Friday, 23 February 2024 19:54Crop maps help scientists and policymakers track global food supplies and estimate how they might shift with climate change and growing populations. But getting accurate maps of the types of crops that are grown from farm to farm often requires on-the-ground surveys that only a handful of countries have the resources to maintain. Now, MIT engineers have developed a method to quickly and ac
Harnessing light with hemispherical shells
Friday, 23 February 2024 19:54In a groundbreaking study from Abdullah Gul University in Turkiye, researchers have developed a novel hemispherical shell structure for organic photovoltaic cells, significantly enhancing their light absorption and angular coverage. Published in the SPIE Journal of Photonics for Energy, this innovation could mark a pivotal shift in the quest for more efficient and sustainable solar energy soluti
Week in images: 19-23 February 2024
Friday, 23 February 2024 13:09Week in images: 19-23 February 2024
Discover our week through the lens
ESA satellite returns to Earth – ERS-2 reentry
Friday, 23 February 2024 11:46Mission complete. ESA’s second European Remote Sensing (ERS-2) satellite has reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the North Pacific Ocean. The satellite returned at 18:17 CET (17:17 UTC) between Alaska and Hawaii.
ERS-2 was launched almost 30 years ago, on 21 April 1995. Together with ERS-1, it provided invaluable long-term data on Earth’s land surfaces, ocean temperatures, ozone layer and polar ice extent that revolutionised our understanding of the Earth system.
ERS-2’s reentry was ‘natural’. ESA used the last of its fuel, emptied its batteries and lowered the satellite from its altitude of 785 km to 573 km. This reduced the
Earth from Space: A veil of haze and smoke
Friday, 23 February 2024 08:00US heads back to the Moon -- with a commercial spaceship
Thursday, 22 February 2024 19:37One giant leap for the private sector? A Houston-based company is set Thursday to attempt to land America's first spaceship on the Moon in more than 50 years, as part of a new fleet of NASA-funded commercial landers intended to pave the way for astronauts to return to Earth's celestial neighbor later this decade. If all goes well, Intuitive Machines will guide its hexagon-shaped robot Od
NASA Science Aboard Intuitive Machines Continues Journey to Moon
Thursday, 22 February 2024 19:37In a collaboration between NASA and Intuitive Machines, a suite of six science instruments and technology demonstrations has embarked on a pivotal journey to the Moon. This mission, aboard the Intuitive Machines lander named Odysseus, represents a significant milestone in lunar exploration, propelled by the ambitions of NASA's Artemis campaign and its Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative
A brief history of famous Moon landings and failures
Thursday, 22 February 2024 19:37A spaceship built by a company in Texas is poised for lunar touchdown on Thursday, returning America to the Moon after more than five decades in what promises to be a historic first for the private sector. Here's a look back at notable attempts - both successful and unsuccessful - at landing on Earth's cosmic companion. - First survivable landing - The Soviet Union led the United
Rocket Lab Schedules Launch Date for 45th Electron Mission to Deploy Earth-Imaging Satellite for Synspective
Thursday, 22 February 2024 19:37Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has announced the upcoming launch window for its 45th Electron mission, a dedicated effort aimed at deploying an Earth-imaging satellite for Synspective, a leading Japanese satellite constellation operator. The mission, christened "Owl Night Long," is slated for a 14-day launch window commencing on March 10th NZDT (March 9th UTC), setting the stage from Rocket
STORIES of Space teams with Maritime Launch Services for a Nova Scotia launch
Thursday, 22 February 2024 19:37In a groundbreaking collaboration, STORIES of Space, a visionary nonprofit dedicated to intertwining human narratives with the cosmos, has joined forces with Maritime Launch Services, the pioneering entity behind Canada's inaugural commercial spaceport, Spaceport Nova Scotia. This partnership heralds the upcoming STORIES Mission 03, slated for 2024, which aims to propel thousands of human storie
SpaceX launches Indonesian satellite into orbit
Thursday, 22 February 2024 19:37A SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has successfully deployed the Merah Putih 2 satellite into orbit, marking a significant step forward in enhancing broadband Internet access across Indonesia. The event took place at 3:11 p.m. EST on Tuesday, underscoring SpaceX's ongoing contributions to global telecommunications connectivity. This mission signifies the 17th flight for the Falcon 9 two-stage rock