Startup takes new approach to space-based solar power
Wednesday, 09 October 2024 12:01Space policy for the new President — whoever it might be
Wednesday, 09 October 2024 12:00Cryptic Mars, a land shaped by ice
Wednesday, 09 October 2024 08:00ESA’s Mars Express has captured an astonishing array of landforms emerging from a thick winter blanket of frost as spring arrives in the south polar region of Mars. Some of these features are surprisingly dark compared with their icy surroundings, earning their nickname of ‘cryptic terrain’.
Sentinel-1C arrives in French Guiana
Wednesday, 09 October 2024 07:40The Sentinel-1C satellite, the third satellite of the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, has arrived at the European spaceport in French Guiana for liftoff on the Vega-C rocket at the end of 2024. The satellite will continue the critical task of delivering key radar imagery of Earth’s surface for a wide range of Copernicus services and scientific applications.
Five reasons to join the European Space Agency!
Wednesday, 09 October 2024 07:31In 2023, ESA published more than 400 vacancies in engineering, science and business and administration and more positions continue to be published as we are always on the lookout for talented new colleagues to join us. So, what does it mean to join ESA? Here are five reasons why you should consider ESA as the next step in your career!
European settings for a Moon camera
Wednesday, 09 October 2024 07:24NASA awards Rocket Lab study contract for Mars Sample Return
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 21:54SPACEBEL plays key role in ESA's Hera mission
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35The European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera mission, named after the Greek goddess of marriage, marks Europe's first step in planetary defense. In collaboration with NASA's DART probe, Hera forms the second phase of a global initiative to test methods of asteroid deflection, aimed at protecting Earth from potential asteroid threats. The mission's target is the Didymos binary asteroid system, which co
Queen's astronomer joins first planetary defense mission
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35A Queen's University astronomer is set to play a key role in the European Space Agency's (ESA) first planetary defense mission, a project two decades in the making. Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, from the university's Astrophysics Research Centre, will join the Hera mission from the European Space Operations Centre in Germany as it prepares to study how asteroids can be deflected to prevent a poten
Europe's Hera asteroid mission supported by Beyond Gravity technology
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35Beyond Gravity, a key supplier to the space industry, has provided essential components for Europe's first planetary defense mission, Hera. The company has delivered solar wings, a central structural tube, and electronic products critical to the mission's success. The Hera mission, part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) planetary defense program, is set to launch between October 7 and 2
New study reduces concerns over asteroid swarm threat
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35Astronomers have some reassuring news regarding potentially hazardous asteroids near Earth: there are fewer than previously thought. Using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) telescope, researchers from the University of Maryland led a study to survey the Taurid swarm, a group of space debris associated with the comet Encke. These meteor showers, visible in October and November, have long
Comet A3: How and when to see Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35Stargazers will have the chance to spot what could be the most impressive comet of the year over the coming weeks. Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has generated so much excitement about how bright and visible it might be that it has even been billed as the "comet of the century" in some quarters. Although that is "not very likely", according to the Royal Astronomical Society's Dr Robert
Amentum wins $256M NASA contract to support space exploration
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35Amentum (NYSE: AMTM) has secured the Fully Integrated Lifecycle Mission Support Services II (FILMSS II) contract, valued at up to $256 million, to advance NASA's space exploration and aeronautics initiatives at the Ames Research Center. Through this agreement, Amentum will implement cutting-edge technologies and project management tools to strengthen NASA's capabilities in both space science and
Boosting SpaceForest's Perun sounding rocket development
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35SpaceForest, a Poland-based company, is advancing its efforts to develop a new European single-stage sounding rocket, designed for commercial microgravity experiments. The rocket, standing at 11.5 meters tall, will offer up to four minutes of microgravity, with a payload capacity of 50 kg and a launch altitude of up to 150 km. The system includes stabilizing features to ensure high-quality micro
Dawn Aerospace demos rapid reusability with back-to-back rocket-powered flights
Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35Dawn Aerospace has successfully demonstrated the same-day reusability of its rocket-powered aircraft, the Mk-II Aurora, completing two flights within an 8-hour window. Both flights, conducted from Glentanner Aerodrome in New Zealand, reached speeds of Mach 0.9, or 950 km/h, and an altitude of 63,000 feet. These missions mark the 8th and 9th rocket-powered flights of the Mk-II Aurora. "Rapi