Ariane 6 arrives at Europe’s Spaceport via Canopée
Wednesday, 21 February 2024 19:12Commercial spaceship set for lunar touchdown, in test for US industry
Wednesday, 21 February 2024 19:05A company from Texas is poised to attempt a feat that until now has only been accomplished by a handful of national space agencies, but could soon become commonplace for the private sector: landing on the Moon. If all goes to plan, Houston-based Intuitive Machines will guide its spaceship named Odysseus to a gentle touchdown near the lunar south pole on Thursday at 2249 GMT, then run experim
What to know about the NASA-funded commercial Moon fleet
Wednesday, 21 February 2024 19:05The year 2024 promises to be a busy one for American Moon landings, all under a new partnership between NASA and the space industry. A first attempt under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative ended in disappointing failure last month, but a second, led by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, will attempt on Thursday to return the United States to Moon for the first time in fi
NanoMagSat and Tango Scout missions get go-ahead
Wednesday, 21 February 2024 06:00Further embracing the New Space era, ESA is to develop two new Scout satellites: NanoMagSat and Tango. NanoMagSat will measure Earth’s magnetic field to help assess space weather hazards and continue on from ESA’s current Swarm mission. Tango will measure greenhouse-gas emissions from human activity and complements the upcoming Copernicus Carbon Dioxide Monitoring mission and the Sentinel-5 mission, as well as the current Sentinel-5P mission.
U.S. Space Force Emphasizes Collaboration in Addressing Rising Space Domain Challenges
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47In a recent gathering at the Air and Space Forces Association's Warfare Symposium, leaders from the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) cast a spotlight on the pivotal role of partnerships in countering the burgeoning threats in space, particularly from global competitors like China and Russia. Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, commander of U.S. Space Forces - Space, and Lt. Gen.
Japanese space debris inspection probe launched
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47A Japanese firm said Monday it had successfully launched a spacecraft tasked with inspecting potentially dangerous man-made junk floating around the Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates that around one million pieces of debris from satellites and rockets larger than a centimetre - big enough to "disable a spacecraft" - are in orbit. The Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-J
Millennium Space Systems Partners with Voyager for Next-Gen uSTAR-250 Star Trackers
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47In a significant development for satellite technology, Voyager Space (Voyager), a pioneering force in global space exploration, has been selected by Millennium Space Systems (Millennium), a Boeing Company, to produce a series of advanced star trackers. This collaboration underscores a crucial step forward in enhancing the capabilities of Millennium's small satellite constellations, with phased d
From Black Holes to Nestars: New Theoretical Model Explores Nested Gravitational Stars
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47In a groundbreaking study that revisits the foundational principles of general relativity and the nature of cosmic objects, theoretical physicists from Goethe University Frankfurt have proposed a revolutionary concept known as "nestars." This new theory, which builds upon the foundation laid by the concept of gravitational condensate stars, or gravastars, suggests the existence of a gravastar wi
Equatorial Launch Australia Partners with Equatorial Space Systems for Rocket Launches in 2024
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47In a significant development for the global aerospace industry, Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA), a leading spaceport operator and infrastructure provider, has announced a strategic partnership with Singapore-based Equatorial Space Systems (ESS). This collaboration is set to bring a series of suborbital launches to the Arnhem Space Centre in late 2024, marking a pivotal moment for both entities
Beyond what's possible: New JWST observations unearth mysterious ancient galaxies
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47Our understanding of how galaxies form and the nature of dark matter could be completely upended, after new observations of a stellar population bigger than the Milky Way from more than 11 billion years ago that should not exist. A paper published today in Nature details findings using new data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The results finds that a massive galaxy in the early
New Deep Learning Approach to Boost Aerosol Measurement Accuracy in Space
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47In a significant advancement for atmospheric science, researchers have introduced a novel algorithm designed to enhance the accuracy of aerosol monitoring using China's FY-4A satellite. This development, detailed in a recent publication in the journal Engineering, represents a collaborative effort among the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National S
NASA joins National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:47In a significant move to bolster the United States' wildfire management efforts, NASA has officially become an associate member of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). This collaboration opens new avenues for the space agency to work alongside federal agencies and other partners, leveraging its vast technological and innovative resources to enhance understanding and management of wil
Rocket on the move – Ariane 6 upper stage transport timelapse
Monday, 19 February 2024 18:00A timelapse of the upper stage for the first Ariane 6 rocket as it left the ArianeGroup assembly hall in Bremen, Germany on 31 January 2024.
The upper stages for Ariane 6 are assembled in Bremen where the fuel tanks, Vinci engine and unique Auxiliary Power Unit are assembled to provide fuel, pressure, electricity and propulsion to put satellites into their required orbit.
The upper and main stage form the central core of Ariane 6 and are transported to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by ship. The two stages are connected horizontally at before being transport the final few
Rocket on the move – Ariane 6 main stage transport timelapse
Monday, 19 February 2024 18:00A timelapse of the main stage for the first Ariane 6 rocket as it left the ArianeGroup assembly hall in Les Mureaux, France, on 6 February 2024.
The main stage was constructed in Les Mureaux, France, at ArianeGroup’s assembly hall. After liftoff the main stage for Ariane 6 will fire its Vulcain 2.1 engine and provide steering for eight minutes on the rocket’s ascent into space.
The upper and main stage form the central core of Ariane 6 and are transported to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by ship. The two stages are connected horizontally at before being transport