Project Helianthus—a solar-sail-driven geomagnetic storm tracker
Solar storms captured the imagination of much of the American public earlier this year when auroras were visible well south of their typical northern areas. As the sun ramps into another solar cycle, those storms will become more and more common, and the dangers they present to Earth's infrastructure will continue to increase.
Currently, most of our early warning systems only give us a few minutes warning about a potentially destructive impending geomagnetic storm event. So a team of researchers from Sapienza University in Rome and the Italian Space Agency proposed a plan to sail a series of detectors to a point out in space where they could give us an early warning. And they want those detectors to stay on station without rockets.
The mission, known as Helianthus, the official name for a sunflower, was initially described at the 6th International Symposium on Space Sailing in June 2023.
Globalstar gets conditional approval to replenish constellation
Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission ready for launch
SpaceX a week away from first private spacewalk
Four members of a SpaceX mission that will carry out the first ever private spacewalk arrived in Florida on Monday ahead of their takeoff next week.
The five-day expedition, named Polaris Dawn, will be led by US billionaire Jared Isaacman, who already chartered the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight in 2021, called Inspiration4.
"It's been two and a half years since we announced the Polaris program. It's been a really exciting journey of development and training," Isaacman told a press conference Monday.
He did not reveal how much he has spent on the program, which includes a total of three missions and which he jointly funds with SpaceX.
For the trip, the company has developed its first generation of space suits, which are white and futuristic.
August's supermoon is the first of four lunar spectacles
Monday's supermoon is the first of four this year.
During a supermoon, the full moon inches a little closer than usual to Earth. A supermoon isn't bigger, but it can appear that way in the night sky, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible.
September's supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October's will be the year's closest approach, and November's will round out the year.
More a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth. This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon's constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit.
Juice snaps Moon en route to Earth
Image:
Juice snaps Moon en route to Earth Rocket engine explodes during test at UK spaceport
A rocket engine exploded during a test launch at Britain's new spaceport in northern Scotland, officials said Tuesday, in a setback for the UK's fledgling space sector.
No one was injured in Monday evening's incident at SaxaVord Spaceport on the remote island of Unst, said the operator, German rocket manufacturer Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA).
The company hopes to launch the UK's first v Polaris Dawn Mission Set for August 26 to Advance Commercial Space Exploration
The Polaris Program, focused on testing and developing new spaceflight technology, is preparing to launch its first mission, Polaris Dawn, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, August 26, 2024. This mission marks a significant step forward in commercial space exploration. Key objectives include testing a next-generation spacesuit during the first commercial spacewalk, attempting to achieve 
