Final three for ESA’s next medium science mission
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 08:00
The space science community has narrowed down the shortlist for ESA’s next ‘medium’ mission to three finalists: M-Matisse, Plasma Observatory and Theseus. Following further study, one will be selected for implementation as the newest addition to ESA’s space science mission fleet.
Starlink mission brings SpaceX's orbital launch count to 80 missions so far in 2023
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Space Coast FL (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Five minutes after midnight, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soared into carrying 23 more Starlink V2 Mini satellites at 12:05 a.m. EST (0505 UTC) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) on SpaceX's 80th launch of the year.
With upgraded phased array antennas, SpaceX's new Starlink V2 Mini satellite platform can communicate four times as much data as pre

Euclid space telescope delivers first scientific images
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Heidelberg, Germany (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Euclid, ESA's newest space telescope with strong German participation, released its first colour photos from space today. Never before has a telescope been able to take such sharp astronomical images over such a large area of the sky while looking so deep into the distant universe. The five images show Euclid's full potential. They illustrate that the telescope is poised to produce the most comp

Pioneering satellite refueling technology could extend missions indefinitely
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
London, UK (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
In an ambitious move to address the escalating issue of space debris, the UK Space Agency has earmarked Pounds 2 million for research into satellite refueling capabilities that could significantly extend mission lifespans and curtail the proliferation of orbital debris.
The funding targets feasibility studies that will explore practical strategies for refueling a UK-led debris removal mis

Collaborating with Public Innovators to Accelerate Space Exploration
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
With the successful launch and landing of Artemis I in 2022, NASA set the stage for a new era of space exploration. Together, NASA and its partners will lead humanity to the Moon and prepare for the next giant leap: human exploration of Mars.
To address the multitude of challenges that come with planning for this new era, NASA is calling on individuals and teams from the public to develop

Inspiring the Next Generation with Student Challenges and Learning Opportunities
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Creativity and curiosity are strongly tied to NASA's missions and vision. Many of the agency's public opportunities foster these traits by engaging students and educators. Participants of all ages and levels, from kindergarten to college, used their imaginations and enthusiasm to solve open innovation challenges related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in fis

Reaching New Frontiers in Science Supported by Public Participation
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
NASA's Science Mission Directorate seeks knowledge and answers to profound questions that impact all people. Through competitions, challenges, crowdsourcing, and citizen science activities, NASA collaborates with the public to make scientific discoveries that help us better understand our planet and the space beyond. Multiple NASA science projects were supported through public participation in F

SwRI-led Lucy observes first-ever contact binary orbiting an asteroid
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Boulder CO (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
After the Southwest Research Institute-led Lucy mission flew past the asteroid Dinkinesh, the team discovered that it is even more "marvelous" as its newly discovered satellite is now shown to be a double-lobed moonlet. As NASA's Lucy spacecraft continued to return data acquired during its first asteroid encounter on Nov. 1, 2023, the team discovered that Dinkinesh's surprise satellite is itself

The Ones Who Make Curiosity Go: Sols 4001-4003
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 08, 2023
Earth planning date: Monday, November 6: It is a time of milestones for Curiosity, with the passage of Sol 4000 over the weekend (celebrated here and here) and the start of her sixth solar conjunction this week. Each time Curiosity (and Mars) slip on the other side of the Sun from Earth, the science and engineering teams miss her and the new discoveries she makes every sol. I dare say we also mi

Deploying and demonstrating navigation aids on the lunar surface
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
NASA is developing lunar navigation beacons to be deployed on spacecraft or the lunar surface to aid in localization and help future space vehicles determine position, velocity, and time to high accuracy.
"Are we there yet?" is a constant question on any journey. As humanity expands its presence on, near, and around the Moon, new systems are needed to provide navigation signals similar those pr

Propelling NASA closer to the Moon and Mars with Open Innovation
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
NASA is leading humanity's return to the Moon through Artemis. Artemis will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and explore more of the lunar surface than ever before, using innovating technologies for scientific discovery and establishing a long-term presence. The technologies developed and knowledge gained through Artemis will contribute to our next ambitious target: sen

An ammonia trail to exoplanets
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
They reveal the origin of wine, the age of bones and fossils, and they serve as diagnostic tools in medicine. Isotopes and isotopologues - molecules that differ only in the composition of their isotopes - also play an increasingly important role in astronomy. For example, the ratio of carbon-12 (12C) to carbon-13 (13C) isotopes in the atmosphere of an exoplanet allows scientists to infer the dis

Calling all Eclipse Enthusiasts: Become a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador!
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
Are you an astronomy enthusiast or undergraduate student with a passion for sharing space science? We are excited to share with you a wonderful opportunity to become an official NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador and help your community experience the awe and wonder of science.
In this exciting NASA partnership funded through NASA's Science Activation program, undergraduate students and exper

New nanosatellite to test novel AI technologies on board
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Wurzburg, Germany (SPX) Nov 08, 2023
After more than two years of development, the nanosatellite SONATE-2 is about to be launched. The lift-off into orbit by a rocket is expected in March 2024. The satellite was designed and built by a team led by aerospace engineer Professor Hakan Kayal from Julius-Maximilians-Universitat (JMU) Wurzburg in Bavaria, Germany.
JMU has been developing small satellite missions for around 20 years

Ireland's first satellite on its way to launch
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 06:14
Paris (ESA) Nov 08, 2023
After years of development with the support of the ESA Education programme, the Educational Irish Research Satellite 1 (EIRSAT-1) is set to launch in November, marking Ireland's first steps into space.
EIRSAT-1 was built by students from University College Dublin under the framework of ESA Academy's Fly Your Satellite! programme (FYS) - a fully hands-on initiative supporting university stu
