Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 05, 2024
NASA's Parker Solar Probe successfully completed its 21st close approach to the Sun on Sept. 30, matching its previous distance record by coming within 7.26 million kilometers (4.51 million miles) of the solar surface. This close approach, known as perihelion, occurred at 5:15 UTC (12:15 a.m. EDT), with the spacecraft traveling at an impressive speed of 635,300 kilometers per hour (394,700 miles

Image: Hera encapsulated within its launcher fairing

Week in images: 30 September - 04 October 2024

Discover our week through the lens

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 03, 2024
Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU), a vertically integrated satellite manufacturer and operator, has reached an important milestone with the successful completion of environmental testing for its LizzieSat-2 (LS-2) satellite. The company is now moving toward the launch of LS-2 into Low Earth Orbit later this year. "The completion of environmental testing represents a crucial milestone for Sidus Sp

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 04, 2024
The asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs also set the stage for the evolution of fungus-farming ants, according to a new study published in the journal 'Science'. The low-light conditions that followed the impact 66 million years ago favored the spread of fungi, which thrived on the abundant organic material left by dying plants and animals. This created an opportunity for an anc

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 03, 2024
There's more to thunderclouds than rain and lightning. Along with visible light emissions, thunderclouds can produce intense bursts of gamma rays, the most energetic form of light, that last for millionths of a second. The clouds can also glow steadily with gamma rays for seconds to minutes at a time. Researchers using NASA airborne platforms have now found a new kind of gamma-ray emission

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Sep 27, 2024
With the increasing frequency of convective weather events due to global warming, detecting these storms early has become essential. The initial phase of such storms, known as convective initiation (CI), can be tracked using geostationary satellites. However, the current methods face challenges due to their high false alarm rates and missed events. This is mainly because the resolution of existi

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Oct 03, 2024
New research on small iron-rich formations within the Pinnacles in Western Australia, part of the world's largest wind-blown limestone region, has uncovered valuable insights into Earth's ancient climate and shifting landscapes. The study reveals that these formations developed approximately 100,000 years ago during the wettest period experienced in the region over the past half-million years, a

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 03, 2024
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has won a $6 million contract expansion from an international defense customer, increasing the total annual commitment to nearly $18 million. The contract is for BlackSky's subscription-based access to Gen-2 high-frequency satellite imagery services. "BlackSky is setting new standards for space-based intelligence operations as a trusted mission partner

Pasadena CA (JPL) Oct 04, 2024
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration has set a new record for laser communications in space by sending a laser signal from Earth to NASA's Psyche spacecraft, which was approximately 290 million miles (460 million kilometers) away. This is the same distance as the farthest separation between Earth and Mars. The milestone, reached on July 29, 2024, conclud