NASA and international partners to study Mars Ice Mapper mission
Friday, 05 February 2021 23:31
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WASHINGTON — NASA and three international partners have signed an agreement to cooperate on a proposed mission to search for ice deposits under the surface of Mars, a precursor for human missions there.
In a Feb.
China's space probe sends back its first image of Mars
Friday, 05 February 2021 18:20 Write a comment
China's Tianwen-1 probe has sent back its first image of Mars, the national space agency said, as the mission prepares to touch down on the Red Planet later this year.
The spacecraft, launched in July around the same time as a rival US mission, is expected to enter Mars orbit around February 10.
The black-and-white photo released late Friday by the China National Space Administration showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface.
The photo was taken about 2.2 million kilometres (1.4 million miles) from Mars, according to CNSA, which said the spacecraft was now 1.1 million kilometres from the planet.
Harvard astronomer argues that alien vessel paid us a visit
Friday, 05 February 2021 18:19 Write a comment
Discovering there's intelligent life beyond our planet could be the most transformative event in human history— but what if scientists decided to collectively ignore evidence suggesting it already happened?
That's the premise of a new book by a top astronomer, who argues that the simplest and best explanation for the highly unusual characteristics of an interstellar object that sped through our solar system in 2017 is that it was alien technology.
Sound kooky? Avi Loeb says the evidence holds otherwise, and is convinced his peers in the scientific community are so consumed by groupthink they're unwilling to wield Occam's razor.
Loeb's stellar credentials—he was the longest-serving chair of astronomy at Harvard, has published hundreds of pioneering papers, and has collaborated with greats like the late Stephen Hawking—make him difficult to dismiss outright.
White House to realign responsibilities for space policy oversight
Friday, 05 February 2021 00:01 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is giving the White House National Security Council oversight responsibilities for space policy, giving credence to speculation that the National Space Council will be discontinued.
The White House in a Feb.
Out of this world: Shepard put golf on moon 50 years ago
Thursday, 04 February 2021 20:10 Write a comment
![Out of this world: Shepard put golf on moon 50 years ago](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2021/1-outofthiswor.jpg "In this Feb. 6, 1971, file photo, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. conducts an experiment near a lunar crater using an instrument from a two-wheeled cart carrying various test tools. Apollo 14 commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. and his crew brought back 42 kilograms of moon rocks. Left behind were two golf balls that Shepard, who later described the moon's surface as "one big sand trap," hit with a makeshift 6-iron to become a footnote in history. (NASA via AP, File)")
ESA and JAXA meet online to agree future cooperation
Thursday, 04 February 2021 18:56 Write a comment
ESA Director General Jan Wörner and President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Dr Hiroshi Yamakawa took part in an online bilateral meeting on 4 February, confirming the status of cooperative activities between the two agencies.
NOAA taps L3Harris for space weather command and control
Thursday, 04 February 2021 18:22 Write a comment
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $43.8 million space weather contract to L3 Harris Technologies.
Under the five-year, cost-plus contract, Melbourne, Florida-based L3Harris will develop, deploy and operate a command and control system for NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 observatory, scheduled to launch in 2025 on NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe.
Op-ed | The FAA and SpaceX
Thursday, 04 February 2021 18:15 Write a comment
Fifty years ago, Boeing was the gold standard for aviation and aerospace engineering excellence. And the FAA led the world in setting aircraft and airspace safety standards. No longer.
Today, the fate of the SpaceX Starship offers an example of how government oversight agencies can stifle innovation when they are unable to distinguish between innovation and execution and throw roadblocks in front of the single company that has transformed access to space.
Hope prepares to enter orbit around Mars
Thursday, 04 February 2021 17:44 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — As the United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft arrives at Mars, those involved with the mission have a mix of confidence and concern about the chances of successfully entering orbit.
The Emirates Mars Mission, or Hope, spacecraft will arrive at Mars Feb.
Viasat’s strategy evolves with changing market conditions
Thursday, 04 February 2021 15:45 Write a comment
SAN FRANCISCO – Viasat’s business strategy will evolve as low Earth orbit satellite constellations and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunities Fund provide consumers with additional options for broadband service.
Every challenge astronauts will face on a flight to Mars
Thursday, 04 February 2021 14:28 Write a comment
In 1972, the space race officially ended as NASA sent one last crew of astronauts to the surface of the moon (Apollo 17). This was the brass ring that both the US and the Soviets were reaching for, the "moonshot" that would determine who had supremacy in space. In the current age of renewed space exploration, the next great leap will clearly involve sending astronauts to Mars.
This will present many challenges that will need to be addressed in advance, many of which have to do with simply getting the astronauts there in one piece! These challenges were the subject of a presentation made by two Indian researchers at the SciTech Forum 2020, an annual event hosted by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), RUDN University, and the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
Week in images: 01 - 05 February 2021
Thursday, 04 February 2021 14:28 Write a comment
Week in images: 01 - 05 February 2021
Discover our week through the lens
SpaceX to launch NASA astrophysics mission
Thursday, 04 February 2021 12:14 Write a comment
WASHINGTON — SpaceX won a NASA contract Feb. 4 to launch a small astrophysics spacecraft, continuing the company’s string of similar agency contracts over the last two years.
NASA awarded a contract to SpaceX for the launch of the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) spacecraft on a Falcon 9 in June 2024.
Earth from Space: Japan in bloom
Thursday, 04 February 2021 09:00 Write a comment
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the algal blooms swirling around the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Japan.
How Mars became the prize for the new space race
Thursday, 04 February 2021 05:03 Write a comment
Looking at its achievements over the past decade, nobody would doubt China is aiming to win the new space race. Not only has it been the only country to land on the Moon in about 40 years, and the first to soft land on its far side, it has also planted a flag on lunar soil and brought samples back to Earth.
The race between several nations and private companies, however, is far from over.