Unraveling the mystery surrounding the creation of heavy elements in stars
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03How are stars born, and how do they die? How do they produce the energy that keeps them burning for billions of years? How do they create the elements we observe today? Definitive answers to these questions continue to elude scientists in their quest to understand the processes that shape the chemical makeup of the universe. Although the exact details of the reaction processes are unclear,
Apollo Astronaut's Long-Lost Manuscript Explores Nuclear Threats in Space
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03A previously unpublished manuscript by Apollo 14 Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, stored in a bank vault for nearly four decades, has now been made available by Pen-L Publishing. This manuscript draws critical comparisons between the growing militarization of space and present-day realities, raising concerns over the increasing potential for nuclear conflict in space. Mitchell's work explores the
Boeing advances quantum communications with 2026 space test satellite
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03Boeing [NYSE: BA] has revealed plans for the 2026 launch of a satellite, Q4S, designed to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping capabilities in orbit. This pioneering, Boeing-funded mission is a key step toward the creation of a global quantum internet, linking quantum sensors and computers with secure, advanced communication systems. Quantum sensors, far more precise than current tech
Capella Space Wins $15M U.S. Air Force Contract
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03Capella Space Corp., a U.S.-based space technology company specializing in data and satellite solutions, announced it has secured a $15 million award from the U.S. Air Force through the AFWERX Ventures Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. This initiative is designed to drive private sector innovation and support U.S. Air Force mission objectives. The funding will be used to furthe
Momentus joins DARPA's BRIDGES consortium to advance defense innovation
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS), a U.S. space infrastructure company, has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office to join the Bringing Classified Innovation to Defense and Government Systems (BRIDGES) consortium. Through this consortium, Momentus will be sponsored for a facility clearance, allowing it to work directly with Department of Def
China activates first satellite-ground laser communication system
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03The Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully launched its first operational satellite-ground laser communication system. The 500mm aperture laser communication ground system began its regular operation on Sunday from the Pamir Plateau. According to Wang Jianping, director of the Kashgar Ground Station, this system marks a major milestone
MDA expands satellite production with major facility upgrade to meet global demand
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03MDA (TSX: MDA), a leading partner in the fast-growing space industry, announced the construction of a new 185,000 square foot extension to its satellite manufacturing facility in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. This expansion will make it the largest facility in its satellite class, capable of producing up to two MDA AURORATM digital satellites daily. The first project to come out of the
EarthCARE's Atmospheric Lidar Reveals Detailed Profiles of Atmospheric Particles
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:03The ATLID atmospheric lidar, the final instrument aboard the EarthCARE satellite launched in May, has now been successfully activated. EarthCARE, a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aims to provide more precise measurements of clouds, aerosols, and radiation. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (
There are plenty of uses for powerful lasers in space. But where should we put them?
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 19:01United Launch Alliance prepares for crucial certification flight as U.S. Space Force watches closely
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 17:47Reinventing the clock: NASA's new tech for space timekeeping
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 15:28Here on Earth, it might not matter if your wristwatch runs a few seconds slow. But crucial spacecraft functions need accuracy down to one billionth of a second or less. Navigating with GPS, for example, relies on precise timing signals from satellites to pinpoint locations. Three teams at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, are at work to push timekeeping for space exploration to new levels of precision.
- One team develops highly precise quantum clock synchronization techniques to aid essential spacecraft communication and navigation.
- Another Goddard team is working to employ the technique of clock synchronization in space-based platforms to enable telescopes to function as one enormous observatory.
- The third team is developing an atomic clock for spacecraft based on strontium, a metallic chemical element, to enable scientific observations not possible with current technology.
35 years of SpaceNews: A trusted voice in a transforming space industry
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 14:59SpaceNews Celebrates 35th Anniversary as a Global Media Brand
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 13:55India approves moon sample return, Venus orbiter, space station module and reusable launcher
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 13:37There could be a way to fix spacecraft at L2, like Webb and Gaia
Wednesday, 18 September 2024 13:21Billions of dollars of observatory spacecraft orbit around Earth or in the same orbit as our planet. When something wears out or goes wrong, it would be good to be able to fix those missions "in situ." So far, only the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has enjoyed regular visits for servicing.
What if we could work on other telescopes "on orbit?" Such "fixit" missions to other facilities are the subject of a new NASA paper investigating optimal orbits and trajectories for making service calls on telescopes far beyond Earth.