The final instalment of the sixth assessment report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been released today. The report warns that the planet has already warmed 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, resulting in more frequent and intense extreme weather events that are causing increasingly dangerous impacts on nature and people in every region of the world. 

The report includes a greater contribution of Earth observation data than its previous iterations in providing the physical evidence of Earth’s changing climate system – from sea-level rise, growing greenhouse-gas emissions and melting sea ice.

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More than 5000 exoplanets have been discovered to date, but what do they look like? ESA’s dedicated exoplanet missions Cheops, Plato and Ariel are on a quest to find out. Cheops will focus its search on mini-Neptunes, planets with sizes between Earth and Neptune, on short orbits around their stars. Cheops will find out how large these planets are, and may detect whether the planets have clouds. Plato will look at all kinds of exoplanets and determine their sizes and ages. Plato’s instruments are so sensitive it may discover the first Earth-like planet on an Earth-like orbit.

Image: Space seminar at ESA's technical heart

Beijing (XNA) Mar 14, 2023
China's Shenzhou-15 crew is scheduled to return to Earth in June, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Sunday. The space station combination is operating steadily, and the Shenzhou-15 astronauts are in good condition, said the CMSA. China will launch three space missions for the space station application and development this year, including the cargo craft Tianzhou-6 and the cre

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 13, 2023
Rapid access to information is one of the largest barriers we have to deal with as a group of people in the Internet Age. Earth Map is a free application designed to be easily used and accessible to anyone with an internet connection and the desire to observe any environment at any time, with zero expertise (or travel) required. This new tool features an intuitive point-and-click way of in

McLean VA (SPX) Mar 15, 2023
Intelsat, operator of one of the world's largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks and leading provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), completed testing of the operational and data collection system for the first space-based instrument to monitor major air pollutants across the North American continent every daylight hour at high resolution. The new UV-visible spectrometer, operated

Huntsville AL (SPX) Mar 14, 2023
Adtran, Inc and Satelles, Inc.,jave announced a strategic partnership. The collaboration will enable operators of critical infrastructure to safeguard their timing networks with Satellite Time and Location (STL) technology. By integrating Satelles' STL into its Oscilloquartz network synchronization products, Adtran will provide an alternative to GNSS systems or a way to augment them with enhance

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 16, 2023
U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman testified before a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday, one day after the Space Force released its $30 billion budget. Space Force's budget request for the 2024 fiscal year is 13 percent higher than last year, with $19 billion for funding the development of satellites, ground systems, and enabling technology. Tuesday's hearin

Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Mar 14, 2023
As 3D printed rockets, car parts, and even homes begin to hit the market on Earth, L3Harris Technologies aims to leverage the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory in its search for durable materials to 3D print satellite components. Before 3D printed materials can be used to build more sustainable and efficient parts for spacecraft, they must be tested to ensure they can withsta

Boston MA (SPX) Mar 17, 2023
Integrating sensors into rotational mechanisms could make it possible for engineers to build smart hinges that know when a door has been opened, or gears inside a motor that tell a mechanic how fast they are rotating. MIT engineers have now developed a way to easily integrate sensors into these types of mechanisms, with 3D printing. Even though advances in 3D printing enable rapid fabricat