Newly discovered asteroid just second of its kind
You may have heard of the Trojans, two vast swarms of asteroids that lead and trail Jupiter on its orbit around the Sun.
But the king of the planets doesn’t hold a monopoly on Trojan asteroids. The physics that gives rise to the formation of these distinctive collections of ancient rocks is the same for all planets – including Earth.
While the existence of Earth Trojans had been theorised for many years, the first direct observation of one was confirmed just over a decade ago. Since then, no second Earth Trojan
Apply now for the 2022 YGT opportunities!
The 2022 ESA YGT opportunities are now open for applications. Positions are available in engineering, science, IT and business services. Find out more and apply now.
Looking four-ward to launch
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ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is all smiles alongside her Crew-4 mates during a training session at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, USA.
Samantha is the next ESA astronaut to fly to space and is expected to be launched to the International Space Station in spring 2022. This is the second mission for Samantha who spent approximately 200 days in space in 2015 for her Futura mission.
Samantha is launching with familiar faces. Fellow mission specialist Jessica Watkins was part of NASA’s NEEMO 23 crew, in which Samantha served as commander. The team spent 10 days living and working
Telesat Lightspeed aiming to break ground early next year
Landing stations that can connect to Telesat’s planned low Earth orbit broadband network will start being built in spring 2023, according to an executive for the Canadian satellite operator.
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In simulated mission, astronauts obtained direct haptic feedback from robots they control on the ground
Astronauts in orbit could soon be using robots to explore lunar or planetary surfaces without having to expose themselves to the dangers of the extraterrestrial environment. A paper by Kjetil Wormnes and his colleagues based at the European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, The Netherlands, published in the De Gruyter journal Open Astronomy, presents a simulated geological exploration mission in which, for the first time,astronauts in the International Space Station obtained direct haptic feedback from robots that they control on the ground, "feeling" objects that they manipulate.
Human interplanetary exploration is inspirational but it is still, largely, the stuff of science fiction; it is almost 50 years since somebody last set foot on the moon, and crewed expeditions beyond our satellite are still decades away.
During the last half-century, however, many missions have taken robots to planetary surfaces, and they can operate in conditions that are far too hostile for human astronauts, but they need direct human control if they are to undertake complex missions.
Astra finalizes plans for first Florida launch
Astra Space will launch four NASA-sponsored cubesats on its Rocket 3.3 vehicle as soon as Feb. 5 on a mission that will be the first to use a streamlined set of commercial launch regulations.
U.S. Air Force to fund demonstrations of space internet services that integrate multiple constellations
The U.S. Air Force will fund demonstrations of space internet services where military aircraft, ships or ground vehicles can access broadband services from commercial constellations in different orbits.
The post U.S.
Solar panel startup mPower Technology secures funds for mass production
Startup mPower Technology said Feb. 1 it has raised $10 million to accelerate production of silicon-based solar panels that gained flight heritage last summer.
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U.K. announces $2 billion in new funding for military space programs
The United Kingdom's new space strategy released Feb. 1 emphasizes the role of the private space industry in developing capabilities for the military and fueling economic growth
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Helicopters Flying at Mars May Glow at Dusk
The whirling blades on drones flying above Mars may cause tiny electric currents to flow in the Martian atmosphere, according to a NASA study. These currents, if large enough, might cause the air surrounding the craft to glow. This process occurs naturally at much larger scales on Earth as a corona or electrical glow sometimes seen on aircraft and ships in electrical storms known as Saint Elmo's 
