Astronauts test virus-fighting surface coating
Monday, 15 February 2021 12:41
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are conducting experiments with an antimicrobial surface coating designed to fight the spread of bacteria and viruses.
The coating was developed by The University of Queensland and Boeing as a joint research project to inhibit viral agents, such as the Earth-bound coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Michael Monteiro from UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) said it was exciting to see the research go into space after years of development.
The technology has already been tested aboard Boeing's ecoDemonstrator as part of the company's Confident Travel Initiative.
Boeing's Mike Delaney said while testing continued on orbit and on Earth, the team had been encouraged by the preliminary results of the antimicrobial chemical compound.
"There is potential for broad-based applicability for a surface coating like this when used in conjunction with other measures to prevent disease transmission," Mr Delaney said.
The ISS experiment tests two identical sets of objects from aircraft—including a seatbelt buckle, fabric from airplane seats and seat belts, parts of an armrest and a tray table—with only one set receiving the antimicrobial surface coating.
Jezero crater through the eyes of Mars Express
Monday, 15 February 2021 12:00
On 18 February 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover is expected to arrive at Jezero impact crater, the site of a former lake on Mars. The High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express has provided important context for the landing site and its surrounds.
Join the new era of exploration as an ESA astronaut
Monday, 15 February 2021 11:30
For the first time in over a decade, the European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking new astronauts to join humankind’s greatest adventure for the benefit of Earth.
Contest for Crew Dragon seat well short of fundraising goal
Monday, 15 February 2021 11:01
WASHINGTON — A competition to raffle off a seat on an upcoming Crew Dragon mission has raised only a small fraction of its goal so far, but the contest organizers say that they will continue the fundraising effort even after the contest ends.
Join the team
Monday, 15 February 2021 10:48
Image:
For the first time in over a decade, the European Space Agency is seeking new astronauts. The last selection took place in 2008-09, and resulted in these familiar faces being welcomed into the ESA Astronaut Corps: (from left) Luca Parmitano, Thomas Pesquet, Alexander Gerst, Andreas Mogesen, Tim Peake, Samantha Cristoforetti.
This class was selected following a year-long Europe-wide recruitment process that attracted 8413 valid applications. Following thorough psychological, medical and professional screening ESA’s astronaut class of 2009 became the first new recruits to join the European Astronaut Corps since 1992.
Not pictured here is ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, who was
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites, loses booster in sea
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched another Falcon 9 rocket carrying dozens of Starlink satellites into space on Monday after delaying liftoff for nearly 24 hours due to weather.
The rocket launched at 10:59 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base Station Launch Complex 40 in Florida, carrying 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.
On returning to Earth, the rocket's first-sta ISS Progress 77 Sets Off From Baikonur Cosmodrome
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
Progress 77 is expected to remain docked to the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) until July 2021. Last year, Russia sent two Progress MS resupply spacecraft to the ISS, in April and in July.
The ISS Progress 77 cargo ship is setting off to the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, carried by Russia's Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket. The spacecraft is taking off fro The comet that killed the dinosaurs
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
It was tens of miles wide and forever changed history when it crashed into Earth about 66 million years ago.
The Chicxulub impactor, as it's known, left behind a crater off the coast of Mexico that spans 93 miles and goes 12 miles deep. Its devastating impact brought the reign of the dinosaurs to an abrupt and calamitous end by triggering their sudden mass extinction, along with the end of NASA wants to fly a helicopter on Mars for the first time
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
More than a century after the first powered flight on Earth, NASA intends to prove it's possible to replicate the feat on another world.
Transported aboard the Mars 2020 spacecraft that arrives at the Red Planet on Thursday, the small Ingenuity helicopter will have several challenges to overcome - the biggest being the rarefied Martian atmosphere, which is just one percent the density of Ea Melting dusty ice may have carved Martian gullies
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
By analyzing the occurrences of exposed dusty ice on Mars using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, ASU planetary scientists Aditya Khuller and Philip Christensen have found the lowest latitude detection of dusty water ice on Mars.
The melting of this dusty water ice could have led to the formation of gullies that have eroded into rock and ice at these locations and may provide p Tuning in for a precision landing on Mars on Feb 18
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
On 18 February 2021, NASA will initiate the most precise landing ever attempted on the Red Planet. A spacecraft with the Perseverance rover on board will enter the Martian atmosphere at around 21:38 (CET) at just under 19,500 kilometres per hour. Within seven crucial minutes, the spacecraft will decelerate to zero using its heat shield, parachute and braking thrusters to set the rover - suspende Perseverance rover lands on Mars this week
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
After a seven-month journey, NASA's Perseverance rover prepares to touch down on Mars on Thursday after first negotiating a risky landing procedure that will mark the start of its multi-year search for signs of ancient microbial life.
The Mars 2020 mission, which set off late from Florida in late July, includes the largest ever vehicle to be dispatched to the Red Planet.
Built at NASA's Tianwen 1 enters Mars' polar orbit
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
China's Tianwen 1 robotic probe entered orbit above Mars' polar regions on Monday, moving closer to the red planet, the China National Space Administration said.
The spacecraft activated its 3,000-Newton-thrust orbital-control engine at 5 pm to conduct an orbital plane change maneuver to enter polar orbit with a perigee of about 265 kilometers above the red planet, the administration said Slingshot Aerospace names Melanie Stricklan CEO and Gets Laser-Focused on Space Initiatives
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
Slingshot Aerospace, Inc., a leader in situational awareness technology, has announced that the company's Co-founder Melanie Stricklan has been named Chief Executive Officer effective immediately as the company gets laser-focused on space. Co-founder and former CEO David Godwin will remain active within the company as Chairman of the Board where he will focus on expanding corporate development a ISRO opens its doors to private firms
Monday, 15 February 2021 09:32
India's premier space organisation, which is directly overseen by the PM's office, is one of just six space agencies around the world to boast full launch capabilities, the capacity to carry out extraterrestrial missions, and operate large fleets of artificial satellites.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), credited with finding evidence of water on the Moon and successful Mars