Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 10, 2024
On July 7, 2024, NOAA's GOES-U completed its final engine burn, successfully entering geostationary orbit 22,236 miles above the Earth's equator. Following this achievement, the satellite has been renamed GOES-19. GOES satellites are initially designated with a letter before launch, which is then changed to a number once they reach geostationary orbit. GOES-U was launched on June 25, 2024,

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 09, 2024
China has deployed several remote sensing satellites to support rescue and relief efforts after a dike breach on Friday at Dongting Lake in central Hunan Province. The China Centre For Resources Satellite Data and Application (CRESDA) reported that Gaofen-3 02, Gaofen-3 03, Gaofen-1, and Gaofen-4 satellites are providing real-time monitoring of the affected areas. CRESDA confirmed th

Image: Ariane 6 defies gravity in breathtaking first flight

Washington (AFP) July 10, 2024
A pair of US astronauts stuck waiting to leave the International Space Station said Wednesday they were confident that the problem-plagued Boeing Starliner they rode up on would soon bring them home, even as significant uncertainties remain. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted off on June 5 aboard the brand new spaceship that NASA is hoping to certify to ferry crews to-and-from the orbit

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 11, 2024
An interplay of light and shadows cast the docking ports for Gateway, humanity's first space station around the Moon, into sharp relief. Constructed by NASA's commercial partner Northrop Grumman, the HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) is one of four modules designed for international astronaut teams to live, conduct research, and prepare for missions to the lunar South Pole region. Th

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 11, 2024
The Moon's recent discovery of resources like water ice has renewed interest in its potential as a sustainable hub for space exploration. NASA's Artemis mission, aiming for long-term human presence on the lunar surface, highlights the need for infrastructure such as lunar bases. However, the high cost of transporting construction materials from Earth, at about 1.2 million USD per kilogram, makes

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 11, 2024
The question of whether Mars ever supported life has fascinated scientists and the public for decades. Central to this inquiry is understanding the planet's past climate: was it warm and wet, akin to Earth's climate, or was it cold and icy, making it less likely to support life as we know it? A recent study points to the latter, drawing parallels between Martian soils and those found in the suba

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 11, 2024
Up to 60% of near-Earth objects (NEOs) might be dark comets, according to new research from the University of Michigan. These dark comets, which likely contain or once contained ice, may have played a role in delivering water to Earth. The study, led by Aster Taylor, a graduate student in astronomy at the University of Michigan, suggests that asteroids in the asteroid belt-located between

Paris, France (SPX) Jul 11, 2024
An international team of astronomers has analyzed over 500 images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, spanning two decades, to identify seven rapidly moving stars in the core of Omega Centauri, the largest and brightest globular cluster visible in the sky. These stars offer significant evidence suggesting the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). Intermediate-mass black

London, UK (SPX) Jul 11, 2024
The maritime satellite communication market saw substantial growth in 2023, largely due to Starlink's entry into the market with its maritime service, which has quickly gained popularity and increased the number of VSAT-equipped vessels. The latest report from Novaspace, a merger of Euroconsult and SpaceTec Partners, titled Prospects for Maritime Satellite Communications, indicates a signi