Huntsville AL (SPX) Feb 01, 2021
Despite COVID-19-related hurdles, NASA's newest X-ray astronomy mission is a step closer to launch. Engineers recently completed integration of the agency's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer, or IXPE, at Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado. Now, Ball will put the fully assembled observatory through a series of tests that simulate the harsh conditions the small spacecraft will encounter on its r

Spokane WA (SPX) Feb 01, 2021
EDMO Distributors, a global leader in the distribution of avionics and installation supplies, has signed a distribution agreement with AvMap Satellite Navigation. The AvMap company has built a solid reputation as a value-oriented navigation system, with the first units fielded in 1994. The EKP V is a stand-alone moving map display that can be carried on or panel mounted. Customers can add

MDA has been awarded a contract by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to provide satellite flight operations and data management services for the Agency's Earth observation and space situational awareness satellite missions.

MDA will provide spacecraft health monitoring and control, operational analysis, basic system maintenance, data order handling, image quality control and data processing and archiving for the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), SCISAT and NEOSSat from the CSA's Multi-Mission Control Centre in Longueuil, Quebec. MDA has partnered with two leading Canadian space firms - Calian Advanced T

Moscow (Sputnik) Feb 01, 2021
NASA has confirmed that the enigmatic object, 2020 SO, is the remains of a Centaur rocket booster from the mid 20th century Space Age, adding that the orbiting space junk can be classified as a mini-moon to our planet. Near-Earth orbiting object 2020 SO, informally dubbed by astronomers "the planet's second moon", is expected to pass at a relatively close distance to our planet on 2 Februa

Broomfield CO (SPX) Feb 01, 2021
Ball Aerospace recently completed the spacecraft and payload assembly integration of NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) space-based astrophysics observatory at its Boulder, Colo. facility. Ball will now begin environmental testing of the integrated observatory, which includes all instruments and the spacecraft bus. Scheduled to launch later this year, once on orbit, IXPE will

Manchester UK (SPX) Jan 31, 2021
New research from The University of Manchester suggests using a strategy linked to cooperative game playing known as 'game theory' in order to maximise the potential of finding intelligent alien life. If advanced alien civilisations exist in our galaxy and are trying to communicate with us, what's the best way to find them? This is the grand challenge for astronomers engaged in the Search

Washington DC (SPX) Feb 01, 2021
Among Jupiter's Galilean moons, icy Europa or volcanic Io often take the spotlight - but their sibling moon Ganymede has plenty of secrets to share. Powerful new millimeter observations have now provided insight into this complex satellite's surface. The frozen, alien landscape of Ganymede contains a little of everything. Shadowy regions of ancient, battered dark terrain are cross-cut by n

Bremen, Germany (SPX) Feb 01, 2021
Europe's new launcher, Ariane 6, is nearing completion. Like its predecessor, Ariane 5, the upper stage of the new European Space Agency (ESA) rocket is being built at ArianeGroup in Bremen. On the night of 28 to 29 January 2021, a fully functional, full-size test model, identical to the model that will be used for Ariane 6 launches, began a very special journey to southern Germany in a transpor

by Jennifer Harbaugh for NASA Blogs
Bay St. Louis MS (SPX) Feb 01, 2021 NASA plans to conduct a second Green Run hot fire test as early as the fourth week in February with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's core stage that will launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon. The Green Run is a comprehensive assessment of the rocket's core stage prior to launching Artemis missions. While the first hot fire test marked a major

Washington DC (UPI) Jan 29, 2021
The first private crew, consisting of four astronauts, plans to fly to the International Space Station in January 2022 on a SpaceX mission arranged by Houston-based firm Axiom Space. Former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, a vice president at Axiom, would be flight commander. Ohio real estate and financial technology entrepreneur Larry Connor, who has flown fighter jets, would be