Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 19, 2022
From afar, the Sun appears blank and featureless in visible light. But through a solar telescope in different wavelength, it is revealed to be much, much more. In extreme ultraviolet light, the Sun resembles a rumpled ball of yarn. It teems with giant radiant arcs known as coronal loops soaring through the Sun's corona, or outer atmosphere. Coronal loops are considered fundamental to the S

Tucson AZ (SPX) Jun 19, 2022
In the mid-1980s, the discovery of complex carbon molecules drifting through the interstellar medium garnered significant attention, with possibly the most famous examples being Buckminsterfullerene, or "buckyballs" - spheres consisting of 60 or 70 carbon atoms. However, scientists have struggled to understand how these molecules can form in space. In a paper accepted for publication in th

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 19, 2022
New images using data from ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA missions showcase the dust that fills the space between stars in four of the galaxies closest to our own Milky Way. More than striking, the snapshots are also a scientific trove, lending insight into how dramatically the density of dust clouds can vary within a galaxy. With a consistency similar to smoke, dust is created by dy

SpaceX completed a surge of three successful launches in a little more than 36 hours early June 19, days after an open letter within the company critical of founder Elon Musk led to the firing of several employees.

Kirtland AFB NM (AFRL) Jun 16, 2022
Dr. Kelly Hammett, who has led the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate for the past six years, departed AFRL June 6 for his new assignment as director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SpRCO), both located on Kirtland AFB. "I will miss bragging on the Directed Energy team, and all that we accomplished in the six years I was in the director's seat," said Hammett.

Vancouver, Canada (SPX) Jun 16, 2022
Metaspectral, a software company delivering the next generation of computer vision, has received funding as part of the smartEarth Canadian Space Agency initiative to build a method to systematically and methodically quantify the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels present at ground-elevation using hyperspectral data. Metaspectral has created a hybrid on-premise and cloud-based software platform t

The U.S. Space Force on June 24 plans to formally establish the National Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 

The post Space Force to establish intelligence unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base appeared first on SpaceNews.

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission is gearing up for its second close flyby of Mercury on 23 June. ESA’s spacecraft operation team is guiding BepiColombo through six gravity assists of the planet before entering orbit around it in 2025.

China’s Mars sample return mission aims to collect samples from the Red Planet and deliver them to Earth in 2031, or two years ahead of a NASA and ESA joint mission.

Crowds at the Berlin International Airshow – which will focus on innovation, new technology and sustainability – are set to be wowed by space.