Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
In a study published in Nature Astronomy, Profs. SHEN Laiquan, BAI Haiyang, et al. from Prof. WANG Weihua's group at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have clarified the respective effects of irradiation and impacts on the formation of metallic iron nanoparticles (npFe0). Based on precise observations of glass beads returned by the Chang'e-5 mission, they showed t

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 03, 2024
Vyoma, a Germany-based company providing Space Domain Awareness capabilities, has been awarded two contracts by the European Defence Fund (EDF) programme of the European Commission. Specifically, the EMISSARY and STAALION projects seek to augment European intelligence sovereignty and enhance threat response capabilities. These contracts represent a significant milestone in Vyoma's mission to emp

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
China's Ministry of State Security issued an online warning on Sunday, urging citizens to be cautious about sharing information that could be exploited by foreign intelligence agencies. The statement highlights the increasing use of space-based technology for espionage, with foreign actors leveraging remote sensing satellites to conduct real-time surveillance of China. The MSS emphasizes

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 02, 2024
Two samples from Mars together deliver the "smoking gun" in a new study showing the origin of Martian organic material. The study presents solid evidence for a prediction made over a decade ago by University of Copenhagen researchers that could be key to understanding how organic molecules, the foundation of life, were first formed here on Earth. In a meteor crater on the red planet, a sol

Week in images: 01-05 July 2024

Discover our week through the lens

ESA’s Earth Return Orbiter, the first spacecraft that will rendezvous and capture an object around another planet, passed a key milestone to bring the first Mars samples back to Earth.

Image: Webb admires bejewelled ring

Image: The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captured a rare, cloud-free image over the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Video: 00:05:13

Ariane 6 is the newest rocket in a series that has, for five decades, been launching Europe towards the stars. Building on all the knowledge, expertise and technology developed over the years, Ariane 6 will be versatile, modular, and European.

Guaranteeing Europe’s access to space for the next years, Ariane 6 in two versions, with either two or four boosters attached depending on the ‘oomph’ the mission requires. Versatile, its upper stage can reignite multiple times during a single flight, placing any spacecraft into any orbit – including constellations – saving a final boost to return and burn

Offering a foretaste of what’s to come once it is fully commissioned, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite has returned the first images from its broadband radiometer instrument. These initial images offer a tantalising glimpse into the intricacies of our planet’s energy balance – a delicate balance that governs our climate.