Image: This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image highlights part of the São Francisco River in eastern Brazil.

Week in images: 27-31 January 2025

Discover our week through the lens

As we prepare to go deeper into space, the demand for autonomous systems capable of operating independently from ground control and crew interactions is increasing. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping up to be an essential tool for reaching this goal. With support from ESA's Discovery programme, a team of researchers from Airbus explored how AI can collect and analyse data onboard the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS) in order to improve its prognosis and fault detection capabilities.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 29, 2025
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has signed a seven-year contract exceeding $100 million with a long-standing strategic partner in the international defense sector. The agreement ensures annual capacity minimums for high-resolution, real-time monitoring services using BlackSky's current Gen-2 and upcoming Gen-3 space-based technologies, extending through 2032. "Dawn-to-dusk, high-cade

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 27, 2025
Entangled photons, a cornerstone of quantum computing and communications, face a significant challenge: they vanish after a single use. To address this, researchers at Northwestern University have proposed a strategy to stabilize quantum networks, ensuring functionality even in dynamic and unpredictable environments. By methodically rebuilding lost connections, the network eventually reaches a s

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 29, 2025
Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU), a dynamic leader in space mission technology, has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to integrate direct-to-device modules into its LizzieSat satellite constellation. This regulatory milestone enhances the operational scope of LizzieSat, paving the way for advanced global connectivity and data services.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
Sierra Space, a leading innovator in commercial space exploration and defense technology, has announced a significant achievement in its partnership with NASA. The company successfully completed and passed its Joint Test 10B milestone for the Dream Chaser spaceplane. This test is a crucial step in Dream Chaser's mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). The test

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
Vast and SpaceX have issued a joint request for research proposals from the global space science community to drive progress in long-term human space habitation and exploration. The two companies, building upon their partnership, aim to support high-impact scientific research that benefits both life on Earth and humanity's expansion into space. Proposals will be reviewed based on scientific and

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jan 30, 2025
Studies of rock and dust from asteroid Bennu delivered to Earth by NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security - Regolith Explorer) spacecraft have revealed molecules that, on our planet, are key to life, as well as a history of saltwater that could have served as the "broth" for these compounds to interact and combine. The findings do not show

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 29, 2025
Technicians supporting NASA's PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission have successfully deployed and tested the spacecraft's solar arrays at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This key pre-launch milestone ensures the readiness of the arrays, which are essential for powering the spacecraft's systems and scientifi