Shenzhou XVII astronauts set for their first spacewalk
Thursday, 21 December 2023 10:37The crew of the Shenzhou XVII mission is gearing up for their inaugural spacewalk, a significant step in China's continuing endeavors in space exploration. The China Manned Space Agency, in a recent announcement, confirmed that the trio aboard the mission - Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo, Lieutenant Colonel Tang Shengjie, and Lieutenant Colonel Jiang Xinlin - are in optimal condition and ready for t
Urgency of climate intervention highlighted by rising temperatures and reduced air pollution
Thursday, 21 December 2023 10:37In the ever-evolving discourse on climate change, a significant debate is emerging, one that may soon capture mainstream attention. The crux of this debate is whether direct intervention in Earth's atmosphere is necessary to reduce incoming heat radiation, essentially terraforming our own planet. The classical stance in the scientific community has been cautious, arguing that intervention
Bioprinting in 3D: 2023 Science Wrap
Thursday, 21 December 2023 10:37Imagine someone needs a heart transplant and scientists take cells from that person to create an entire new heart for them. Research on the International Space Station is helping to bring that dream closer to reality. The process of 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) enables the design and production of one-of-a-kind items made of plastic, metal, and other materials, includ
Signing ceremony kicks off start of Hyguane green hydrogen project
Thursday, 21 December 2023 09:03The start of a more sustainable production facility to create hydrogen fuel for Ariane 6 – Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket – is underway.
Project HYGUANE – a portmanteau of the French words for hydrogen, French Guiana and the local Iguanas – is a €40.5M investment in a solar farm, distribution systems and is being designed to be allowed to easily expand in the future.
After three years of studies, the project started on 21 December 2023 with the signing of the consortium agreement between the parties involved: four companies – Air Liquide, SARA, MT-Aerospace and BEBLUE; three universities – Université de Guyane, Université de Liège, Université Libre
Innovative X-ray lobster-eye mission set to launch
Thursday, 21 December 2023 09:00The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) spacecraft Einstein Probe is ready to launch in January 2024. Equipped with a new generation of X-ray instruments with high sensitivity and a very wide view, this mission will survey the sky and hunt for powerful blasts of X-ray light coming from mysterious celestial objects such as neutron stars and black holes.
Einstein Probe is a collaboration led by CAS with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Germany.
Hyguane signing ceremony at the Jupiter Control Room in French Guiana
Thursday, 21 December 2023 08:56The start of a more sustainable production facility to create hydrogen fuel for Ariane 6 – Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket – is underway.
Project HYGUANE – a portmanteau of the French words for hydrogen, French Guiana and the local Iguanas – is a €40.5M investment in a solar farm, distribution systems and is being designed to be allowed to easily expand in the future.
After three years of studies, the project started on 21 December 2023 with the signing of the consortium agreement between the parties involved: four companies – Air Liquide, SARA, MT-Aerospace and BEBLUE; three universities – Université de Guyane, Université de Liège, Université Libre
Hyguane: green hydrogen for Ariane 6, Europe's Spaceport and more
Thursday, 21 December 2023 08:35The start of a more sustainable production facility to create hydrogen fuel for Ariane 6 – Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket – is underway.
Project HYGUANE – a portmanteau of the French words for hydrogen, French Guiana and the local Iguanas – is a €40.5M investment in a solar farm and distribution systems, being designed to be allowed to easily expand in the future.
Happy holidays from ESA’s Hera asteroid detective!
Thursday, 21 December 2023 08:00Wishing you all the best for Christmas 2023 and a happy new year! This is a very special holiday season for ESA’s Hera asteroid detective and her two CubeSats – Milani the rock decoder and Juventas the radar visionary – because this is the last one they will enjoy on planet Earth. This time next year the trio of friends will be off on their adventure to explore Didymos, a double asteroid system that is typical of the thousands that pose an impact risk to planet Earth.
Find out more about Hera and her CubeSats by watching our
Helicity Space Raises $5M Seed Round for Fusion Propulsion Technology
Thursday, 21 December 2023 06:55Helicity Space, a name that's beginning to resonate in the commercial space industry, recently heralded a significant advance in its quest to redefine space propulsion. The company has successfully secured a $5 million seed funding round, a move that not only underscores the industry's confidence in fusion technology but also marks a pivotal moment in space travel innovation. This round of
Telescope Dismantled and Heading to New Mission in Chile
Thursday, 21 December 2023 06:55At nearly 14,000 feet, Maunakea is the tallest mountain in Hawai'i, and the second tallest on any island on Earth. Clouds often settle below the mountain's barren, dark-brown summit, making the site one of the best for astronomy in the world. At the summit, one can find several of the world's finest telescopes, including the W. M. Keck Observatory, a partnership between Caltech and the Uni