Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
The 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 June 30 in the journal The Innovation that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as -196C, high levels of gamma radiation,

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 04, 2024
Firefly Aerospace successfully launched its Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSat satellites into space on Tuesday night from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. This mission marks a significant achievement following a previous scrub due to ground systems issues. The CubeSats were launched under NASA's Launch Services Program Venture, providing satellite developers at U.S. universities

A network of ground stations around the world, including two owned by ESA, will track the debut flight of Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket. They will monitor key phases of the flight and gather telemetry and video that will be used to analyse the rocket’s performance and optimise future launches.

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas recently performed four moonwalk simulations to help NASA prepare for its Artemis III mission. Due to launch in September 2026, Artemis III will land two, yet-to-be-selected, astronauts at the Moon's South Pole for the first time. Traveling to space requires immense preparation, not just for the astronauts, but for the hundreds of people who wo

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
ispace, inc. (ispace)(TOKYO: 9348) report that the flight model of its HAKUTO-R Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander has successfully completed thermal vacuum testing and remains on schedule for a Winter 2024 launch. The testing was completed at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center in Tsukuba, Japan, where the agency operates a large testing facility. The flight

St. Louis MO (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
Lunar swirls are light-colored, sinuous features on the Moon's surface, bright enough to be visible from a backyard telescope. Some people think they look like the brushstrokes in an abstract painting. But these are not mere artistic flourishes: NASA images show that the tendrils from some lunar swirls extend for hundreds of miles. Lunar swirls have defied easy explanation, but recent mode

Washington DC (UPI) Jul 3, 2024
NASA on Wednesday named Andre Douglas as a backup crewmember for its Artemis II test flight. Douglas, a recent graduate of NASA astronaut training school, holds four post-graduate degrees. He had worked as a staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he worked on maritime robotics, planetary defense and space exploration missions for NASA. "Andr

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 03, 2024
For the benefit of all, the space agency released a summary Thursday of the fifth biennial Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise. the space agencys Planetary Defense Coordination Office, in partnership with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and with the assistance of the U.S. Department of State Office of Space Affairs, convened the tabletop exercise to inform and assess our a

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
Hainan - China's first commercial spacecraft launch site is ready for operations in South China's Hainan province as of Sunday, having completed a rocket launch simulation rehearsal using its two launch pads. According to the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co Ltd (HICAL), which built and operates the launch site, the exercises performed using the launch pads included wate

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 03, 2024
Four dedicated explorersJason Lee, Stephanie Navarro, Shareef Al Romaithi, and Piyumi Wijesekarajust returned from a 45-day simulated journey to Mars, testing the boundaries of human endurance and teamwork within the space agencys HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Their groundbreaking work on HERAs Campaign 7 Mission 2 contributes to the s