Northrop Grumman advances sensing technology for space domain awareness
Thursday, 01 June 2023 10:38In a significant leap for space domain awareness, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has announced the successful completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) and a software demonstration for the U.S. Space Force's Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability Program (DARC). This announcement comes just one year after the contract award, demonstrating Northrop Grumman's ability to swiftly meet k
BlackSky and SynMax partner to monitor US Coal Powerplant Inventory
Thursday, 01 June 2023 10:38BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) was competitively selected by energy intelligence company SynMax to monitor more than 100 United States coal powerplants. The partnership will create the world's most timely and accurate energy intelligence assessment and support national energy transition initiatives away from fossil fuels toward alternate, more sustainable energy resources. "BlackSky
Register for ESA's first Earth observation commercialisation event
Thursday, 01 June 2023 10:38Registration is now open for ESA's first-ever Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum. Taking place at ESA Headquarters in Paris from 30 to 31 October 2023, investors, institutions, entrepreneurs and companies of any size from the Earth observation sector will now be able to come together and discuss the commercial potential and challenges of Earth observation, together with the technical, ind
Dream Chaser moves a step closer to first launch
Thursday, 01 June 2023 10:02Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser took a step closer to its long-awaited first flight by powering up its systems in a key test.
Watch live: ‘Ready for the Moon’ conference
Thursday, 01 June 2023 09:11Join us live to follow the ‘Ready for the Moon’ event, a high-level political conference on the challenges and ambitions for Europe's space sector. ESA Web TV will broadcast on its Channel Two the conference, including the media briefing on 2 June starting at 14:00 CEST (13:00 BST).
Accelerating the Green Transition
Thursday, 01 June 2023 07:30Earth observation has been essential in identifying and monitoring climate change. Satellite data form the baseline for effective European mitigation and adaptation strategies to support the Green Transition, the European Union to reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, as well as its Green Deal.
ESA has now concluded its initial phase of a pilot initiative in Austria that demonstrates the untapped potential of space technologies by providing actionable Earth observation information to accelerate the Green Transition for both society and the economy.
Galileo Second Generation enters full development phase
Thursday, 01 June 2023 06:35The main procurements batch of Galileo Second Generation initiated last summer has been finalised, leaving the system ready for its In Orbit Validation development phase. Today, following the opening session of the European Navigation Conference (ENC), ESA Director of Navigation Javier Benedicto invited Thales Alenia Space (Italy), Airbus Defence and Space (Germany) and Thales Six GTS (France) to sign the respective contracts commencing System Engineering Support for the next generation of Europe’s navigation satellite system.
Florida Space Coast selected as home of U.S. Space Force training command
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 20:58U.S. Space Command takes over responsibility for protecting homeland from missile strikes
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 19:48U.S. Space Command has officially been assigned responsibilities for protecting the United States from missile attacks, a job previously held by U.S.
Once hostile, NASA holds first public meeting on UFOs
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 19:28The truth is out there—but we're going to need to look harder.
Scientists at NASA's first ever public meeting on "unidentified anomalous phenomena"—more commonly called UFOs—called Wednesday for a more rigorous scientific approach to clarify the origin of hundreds of mysterious sightings.
The space agency announced last year it was analyzing observations in the sky that can't be identified as aerial or natural phenomena—a subject that has long fascinated the public but was shunned by mainstream science.
One spacecraft could visit all of Saturn's inner large moons
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 19:18If you've ever played Kerbal Space Program, you know how difficult it can be to get your spacecraft into the orbit you want. It's even more difficult in real life. This is why it's pretty impressive to see a proposal to study all of Saturn's large inner moons in one go.
At a broad level, orbits are pretty simple. Planets and moons are basically ellipses. Once set into motion, spacecraft generally follow an elliptical or parabolic path, so it's just a matter of lining up your spacecraft's orbit with your destination and point of origin. You can do the calculations by hand if you know the math.
Cutting-Edge Reconnaissance Satellites: Revolutionizing National Security from Space
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 15:44Ever since humanity gained access to space, observation satellites, also known as “reconnaissance satellites,” have become a highly sought-after strategic capability for many nations.
NASA talks UFOs with public ahead of final report on unidentified flying objects
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 15:28NASA held its first public meeting on UFOs Wednesday a year after launching a study into unexplained sightings.
The space agency televised the hourslong hearing featuring an independent panel of experts. The team includes 16 scientists and other experts selected by NASA including retired astronaut Scott Kelly, the first American to spend nearly a year in space.
Several committee members have been subjected to "online abuse" for serving on the team, which detracts from the scientific process, said NASA's Dan Evans, adding that NASA security is dealing with it.
How much damage will lunar landings do to lunar orbiters?
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 15:01Multiple missions are destined for the moon in this decade. These include robotic and crewed missions conducted by space agencies, commercial space entities, and non-profit organizations. The risks and hazards of going to the moon are well-documented, thanks to Apollo Program and the six crewed missions it sent to the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. But unlike the "footprints and flags" of yesterday, the plan for the coming decade is to create a "sustained program of lunar exploration and development."
This means establishing a greater presence on the moon, building infrastructure (like habitats, power systems, and landing pads), and missions regularly coming and going. Given the low-gravity environment on the moon, spacecraft kick up a lot of lunar regolith (aka.
Metal fuel for carbon-free energy on Earth… and the Moon
Wednesday, 31 May 2023 14:36Everything burns. Given the right environment, all matter can burn by adding oxygen, but finding the right mix and generating enough heat makes some materials combust more easily than others. Researchers interested in knowing more about a type of fire called discrete burning used ESA’s microgravity experiment facilities to investigate.