Voyager Space to Develop New Airlock Concept for Mars Transit
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36Voyager Space (Voyager) announced it has received a Collaborative Announcement Notice (CAN) from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to develop an airlock for the Mars Transit Vehicle, also known as Deep Space Transport. This cooperative agreement aims to enhance technology development at MSFC while advancing Voyager's technology and infrastructure. This 12-month study, starting thi
UH Manoa researchers uncover origins of life's building blocks in space
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36Researchers at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa have made a key discovery about the formation of essential molecules in space, which could provide insights into how life began on Earth. A team from the Department of Chemistry has identified how nitrogen-carrying aromatic molecules can form in space. These molecules are crucial in many chemical and biological processes and are found in co
Astronomers spot a giant planet that is as light as cotton candy
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36Astronomers at MIT, the University of Liege in Belgium, and elsewhere have discovered a huge, fluffy oddball of a planet orbiting a distant star in our Milky Way galaxy. The discovery, reported in the journal Nature Astronomy, is a promising key to the mystery of how such giant, super-light planets form. The new planet, named WASP-193b, appears to dwarf Jupiter in size, yet it is a fractio
SwRI examines substorm in Earth's magnetotail with MMS data
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is analyzing an unusual event in Earth's magnetotail, the part of the magnetosphere trailing away from the Sun. Using data from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, SwRI scientists are studying substorms, disturbances in the magnetotail that release energy and can cause aurorae. Since their launch in 2015, the MMS spacecraft have been examinin
MIT researchers discover the universe's oldest stars in our own galactic backyard
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36MIT researchers, including several undergraduate students, have discovered three of the oldest stars in the universe, and they happen to live in our own galactic neighborhood. The team spotted the stars in the Milky Way's "halo" - the cloud of stars that envelopes the entire main galactic disk. Based on the team's analysis, the three stars formed between 12 and 13 billion years ago, the ti
Discovery of organic molecules on Saturn's moon
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36In 2018, very large organic molecules were discovered in ice particles on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Whether they indicate the existence of life or were created in some other way is still unclear. A recent study could help answer this question. Conditions that support or maintain life in extraterrestrial oceans might leave molecular traces in grains of ice. The research was conducted at the FU Ber
Future spacecraft control centre unveiled by ESA
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36"ESA's new operations centre will be efficient, sustainable, adaptable and accessible," says Rolf Densing, ESA's Director of Operations and head of the ESOC site. "The new building will ensure Europe's continued ability to implement its most ambitious space missions and will serve as an inspirational window into the world of spacecraft operations for experts, the public and decision-makers."
Sidus Space activates LizzieSat-1 payload after commissioning
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 15:36Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) has begun activating the payload on LizzieSat-1 (LS-1) following the completion of its commissioning phase. LS-1 was launched and deployed via SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg SLC-4 on March 4, 2024. The Sidus team completed the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) on March 14 after establishing communications with the spacecraft and receiving NORAD ID 59132 f
Beyond ISS: America must lead in LEO, cislunar and beyond
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 13:30Glitch on BepiColombo: work ongoing to restore spacecraft to full thrust
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 13:00New Director of CSC and Head of ECSAT
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 11:39Laurent Jaffart took up duty as Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications (D/CSC) and Head of ECSAT in Harwell, UK, on 15 May 2024.
Terran Orbital takes charge after switching propulsion suppliers on satellite program
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 10:33The eye of the crater
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 10:12SOHO’s view of the 11 May 2024 solar storm
Wednesday, 15 May 2024 09:00Over the weekend of 10–12 May 2024, Earth was struck by the largest solar storm in more than a decade. While many of us enjoyed colourful auroras lighting up Earth’s protective atmosphere, spacecraft had to endure being buffeted by incredibly strong solar winds and electromagnetic radiation.
Positioned between the Sun and Earth, the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) caught the entire solar outburst on camera. The Sun can be seen spewing out clouds of particles, with an extremely large burst sent to Earth on 11 May. The bright spots on the left and right are Jupiter