Exotrail secures French government support to develop propulsion technologies for small GEO satellites
The French Armament General Directorate, through the Defence Innovation Agency, is supporting Exotrail to develop technologies allowing small satellites to operate in geostationary orbit. Under the RAPID programme, a funding framework operated by the Defence Innovation Agency, Exotrail will mature its technologies and extend their product portfolio to provide thrust vectoring and cold gas propul UP42 to Offer Smart Satellite Data from Australia's LatConnect 60 on the UP42 Geospatial Marketplace
UP42 has announced that image data and information from the planned LatConnect 60 constellation of mid-inclined orbit remote sensing satellites will be available on the UP42 developer platform for Earth observation data and analytics.
In early 2022, LatConnect 60 will launch its first two "smart" small satellites equipped with onboard Artificial Intelligence (AI) for data pre-processing an Graduate student's BADASS code has astronomical benefits
An astro-statistics course University of California, Riverside, graduate student Remington O. Sexton took three years ago taught him techniques that led him to develop free, open-source code benefiting astronomers everywhere.
Called BADASS, which stands for Bayesian AGN Decomposition Analysis for SDSS Spectra, the code in its current form fits astronomical spectra of active galactic nuclei Lockheed Martin to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne for $4.4 billion
WASHINGTON — The largest U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced Dec. 20 it has inked a deal to acquire rocket engine and missile manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne for $4.4 billion.
James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin’s president and CEO, said the acquisition gives the company a larger footprint in space and hypersonic technology.
Instruments installed on Euclid spacecraft
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Instruments installed on Euclid spacecraft Chang’e-5 orbiter embarks on extended mission to Sun-Earth Lagrange point
HELSINKI — China’s Chang’e-5 orbiter is heading for a gravitationally stable point in space on an extended mission after delivering fresh lunar samples to Earth.
How to photograph Monday's Winter Solstice from your phone
Another great photo opportunity occurs Monday after sundown: the Winter Solstice and the sighting of the "Christmas Star."
You can use a smartphone to capture what is promised to be the closest visible conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 800 years. The planets are expected to appear as one large star, lighting up the sky.
"Shooting a night sky is one of the most amazing things you can witness," says travel photographer Austin Mann.
You don't need a fancy DSLR or mirrorless camera to capture the light show. Mann and other photographers say you can get a great shot on a smartphone.
The 2020 and 2019 editions of the iPhone (11 and 12 series) offer "Night Mode," for making dark shots more possible for smartphone photographers, while the Google Pixel introduced "Night Sight," in the Pixel 4 and 5 series.
Samsung doesn't have an official name for night sky photos, but says it too can do awesome night photos on recent Galaxy S edition phones, and shows off examples on its website.
Mann recommends going to your location shortly after sunset, which is generally between 4:20 and 4:45 in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Lockheed Martin confident Aerojet deal will be approved, but it’s not a slam dunk
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet said he expects the U.S. government to approve the company’s proposed $4.4 billion acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne despite concerns that it could reduce competition in the hypersonic missiles market.
NASA receives $23.271 billion in fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill
WASHINGTON — Congress will provide NASA with nearly $23.3 billion in the final fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill, restoring several science programs but falling far short of the funding sought for a lunar lander program.
Viasat announces agreement to acquire RigNet
SAN FRANCISCO — Viasat Inc. announced an agreement Dec. 21 to acquire Houston-based communications firm RigNet Inc. in an all-stock transaction with a value of approximately $222 million based on Viasat’s current share price and RigNet’s debt.
