CubeSat set to demonstrate NASA's fastest laser link from space
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 25, 2022
NASA's Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator 3 (PTD-3) mission, carrying the TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) system, will debut on May 25 as part of SpaceX's Transporter-5 rideshare launch. TBIRD will showcase the high-data-rate capabilities of laser communications from a CubeSat in low-Earth orbit. At 200 gigabits per second (Gbps), TBIRD will downlink data at the highest optical rate ever achi
NASA's Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator 3 (PTD-3) mission, carrying the TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) system, will debut on May 25 as part of SpaceX's Transporter-5 rideshare launch. TBIRD will showcase the high-data-rate capabilities of laser communications from a CubeSat in low-Earth orbit. At 200 gigabits per second (Gbps), TBIRD will downlink data at the highest optical rate ever achi Varda Space Industries orders 4th Photon from Rocket Lab for In-Space Manufacturing
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Long Beach CA (SPX) May 25, 2022
Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB) and Varda Space Industries, the world's first In-space manufacturing and hypersonic Earth re-entry logistics company, report that Varda will procure a fourth Photon spacecraft. The deal follows on a previous bulk-order by Varda in August 2021 for three Photon spacecraft from Rocket Lab.
The Rocket Lab-designed and built Photon spacecraft will provide power, commun
Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB) and Varda Space Industries, the world's first In-space manufacturing and hypersonic Earth re-entry logistics company, report that Varda will procure a fourth Photon spacecraft. The deal follows on a previous bulk-order by Varda in August 2021 for three Photon spacecraft from Rocket Lab.
The Rocket Lab-designed and built Photon spacecraft will provide power, commun Polar Ice and Snow monitoring mission CRISTAL on track
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Friedrichshafen, Germany (SPX) May 25, 2022
The Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimetry mission CRISTAL is clearly on track. Following an intensive review process the European Space Agency ESA has confirmed that the preliminary design of the satellite meets all system requirements.
CRISTAL will carry an advanced multi-frequency altimeter that will measure sea ice thickness and ice sheet elevations - key climate change ind
The Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimetry mission CRISTAL is clearly on track. Following an intensive review process the European Space Agency ESA has confirmed that the preliminary design of the satellite meets all system requirements.
CRISTAL will carry an advanced multi-frequency altimeter that will measure sea ice thickness and ice sheet elevations - key climate change ind Benchmark Space Systems to support Space Forge's Sustainable In-Space Manufacturing Mission
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Burlington VT (SPX) May 25, 2022
With a new major propulsion contract signed to support Space Forge's in-space manufacturing mission, Benchmark Space Systems has announced it has opened a manufacturing and testing facility Northwest of London to build a regional team and its Starling and Halcyon propulsion systems to help empower the flourishing European space sector.
The agreement brings together two of the fastest growi
With a new major propulsion contract signed to support Space Forge's in-space manufacturing mission, Benchmark Space Systems has announced it has opened a manufacturing and testing facility Northwest of London to build a regional team and its Starling and Halcyon propulsion systems to help empower the flourishing European space sector.
The agreement brings together two of the fastest growi Researchers start planting space-bred seeds returned by Shenzhou-13
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Beijing (XNA) May 25, 2022
Chinese researchers have commenced breeding experiments on 12,000 seeds that were bred inside the Shenzhou-13 crewed spaceship in space for six months.
The seeds, including alfalfa, oats and fungi, were selected by multiple research institutions last year. They were brought back to Earth by the Shenzhou-13 on April 16.
Space breeding refers to the process of exposing seeds to cosmic
Chinese researchers have commenced breeding experiments on 12,000 seeds that were bred inside the Shenzhou-13 crewed spaceship in space for six months.
The seeds, including alfalfa, oats and fungi, were selected by multiple research institutions last year. They were brought back to Earth by the Shenzhou-13 on April 16.
Space breeding refers to the process of exposing seeds to cosmic President Biden: NASA to Welcome Japanese Astronaut Aboard Gateway
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) May 23, 2022
President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in Tokyo Monday where they announced progress on collaboration for human and robotic lunar missions. They confirmed their commitment to include a Japanese astronaut aboard the lunar Gateway outpost and their shared ambition to see a future Japanese astronaut land on the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program.
"In recent year
President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in Tokyo Monday where they announced progress on collaboration for human and robotic lunar missions. They confirmed their commitment to include a Japanese astronaut aboard the lunar Gateway outpost and their shared ambition to see a future Japanese astronaut land on the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program.
"In recent year AI reveals unsuspected math underlying search for exoplanets
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Berkeley CA (SPX) May 25, 2022
Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms trained on real astronomical observations now outperform astronomers in sifting through massive amounts of data to find new exploding stars, identify new types of galaxies and detect the mergers of massive stars, accelerating the rate of new discovery in the world's oldest science.
But AI, also called machine learning, can reveal something deeper, Un
Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms trained on real astronomical observations now outperform astronomers in sifting through massive amounts of data to find new exploding stars, identify new types of galaxies and detect the mergers of massive stars, accelerating the rate of new discovery in the world's oldest science.
But AI, also called machine learning, can reveal something deeper, Un Astronomers find hidden trove of massive black holes
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Chapel Hill NC (SPX) May 25, 2022
A team led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found a previously overlooked treasure trove of massive black holes in dwarf galaxies. The newly discovered black holes offer a glimpse into the life story of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy.
As a giant spiral galaxy, the Milky Way is believed to have been built up from me
A team led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found a previously overlooked treasure trove of massive black holes in dwarf galaxies. The newly discovered black holes offer a glimpse into the life story of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy.
As a giant spiral galaxy, the Milky Way is believed to have been built up from me Webb Nearly Set to Explore the Solar System
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Baltimore MD (SPX) May 25, 2022
As NASA's James Webb Space Telescope moves through the final phases of commissioning its science instruments, we have also begun working on technical operations of the observatory. While the telescope moves through space, it will constantly find distant stars and galaxies and point at them with extreme precision to acquire images and spectra. However, we also plan to observe planets and their sa
As NASA's James Webb Space Telescope moves through the final phases of commissioning its science instruments, we have also begun working on technical operations of the observatory. While the telescope moves through space, it will constantly find distant stars and galaxies and point at them with extreme precision to acquire images and spectra. However, we also plan to observe planets and their sa The chaotic early phase of the solar system
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:44
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) May 25, 2022
Before the Earth and other planets formed, the young sun was still surrounded by cosmic gas and dust. Over the millennia, rock fragments of various sizes formed from the dust. Many of these became building blocks for the later planets. Others did not become part of a planet and still orbit the sun today, for example as asteroids in the asteroid belt.
Researchers from ETH Zurich and the N
Before the Earth and other planets formed, the young sun was still surrounded by cosmic gas and dust. Over the millennia, rock fragments of various sizes formed from the dust. Many of these became building blocks for the later planets. Others did not become part of a planet and still orbit the sun today, for example as asteroids in the asteroid belt.
Researchers from ETH Zurich and the N Launcher wins Space Force contract to support engine development
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 10:26
Launcher won a $1.7 million contract from the U.S. Space Force that will assist the company’s development of a high-performance rocket engine for its small launch vehicle.
The post Launcher wins Space Force contract to support engine development appeared first on SpaceNews.
Supporting the Paris Agreement from space
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 09:15
Earth observation is already capable of supporting national climate action, but there are many more opportunities on the horizon, according to discussions today among leading scientists and policymakers at ESA’s Living Planet Symposium being held in Bonn, Germany.
Teach an Earth-observing satellite to know what it sees
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 08:32
For decades now Earth observation satellites have been monitoring our ever-changing home planet; the next step is to enable them to recognise what they see. The latest public challenge for the machine learning community from ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team is to train satellite software to identify features within the images it acquires – with the winning team getting the unique opportunity to load their solution to ESA's OPS-SAT nanosatellite and test it in orbit.
Supply chain challenges also present opportunities for the space industry
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 08:18
Supply chain disruptions continue to pose a challenge for the space industry, but some see those disruptions as an opportunity for new approaches and innovation.
The post Supply chain challenges also present opportunities for the space industry appeared first on SpaceNews.
Watch live: Samantha Cristoforetti in-flight call to World Economic Forum (WEF) 2022 in Davos
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 05:57