Boston MA (SPX) Oct 01, 2021
Some time in Earth's early history, the planet took a turn toward habitability when a group of enterprising microbes known as cyanobacteria evolved oxygenic photosynthesis - the ability to turn light and water into energy, releasing oxygen in the process. This evolutionary moment made it possible for oxygen to eventually accumulate in the atmosphere and oceans, setting off a domino effect

Arlington VA (AFNS) Oct 01, 2021
The Space Force, working with the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, has selected 670 active-duty service members and 259 civilians to transfer into the Space Force during fiscal year 2022. These volunteers come from the pool of candidates who applied in March 2021 and members who are currently assigned to Army and Navy units slated to transfer into the new service. These new selects join the in

Aalborg East, Denmark (SPX) Oct 05, 2021
GomSpace signs a contract with SpaceAble to enhance the sustainability of Low Earth Orbit GomSpace enters into an agreement with SpaceAble, to enhance the sustainability of Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The contract is worth 21MSEK (US$2.4M) and the project will begin in 2021 with expected delivery in late 2023. The mission is designed to enhance the sustainability of LEO. By tracking the i

Beijing (XNA) Oct 05, 2021
China is offering a small communication satellite platform to countries seeking an affordable solution for their own space-based internet networks. The DFH-3E satellite platform was designed by the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of the State-owned space conglomerate, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. It is the country's first small satellite platform designed fo

Paris (ESA) Oct 05, 2021
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has captured its first views of its destination planet Mercury as it swooped past in a close gravity assist flyby last night. The closest approach took place at 23:34 UTC on 1 October at an altitude of 199 km from the planet's surface. Images from the spacecraft's monitoring cameras, along with scientific data from a number of instruments, were collected during t

Beijing (Sputnik) Oct 05, 2021
China plans to build a special pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan to launch the next-generation Long March 8 rockets on a weekly basis, the head of the Long March 8 project at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), Xiao Yun, said on 4 October. "Our current preliminary plan is that we will be able to carry out one launch every seven days to meet public n

Zhuhai, ChinaBeijing (XNA) Oct 05, 2021
A space refueling vehicle built by China made its debut at the ongoing 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China 2021). The refueling vehicle has been developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Lifespans of satellites could be extended thanks to the space refueling ve

Sofia, Bulgaria (SPX) Oct 05, 2021
EnduroSat and Exolaunch have signed f launch agreements for sending two EnduroSat NanoSats into orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9. The 6U XL SharedSat nanosatellites, built by EnduroSat for its customers, will be launched via Exolaunch in H1 2022 as part of SpaceX's SmallSat Rideshare Program. The SharedSats are 6U XL NanoSats with several multi-purpose payloads on a single bus. By simplifyin

Seattle WA (SPX) Oct 05, 2021
Idaho National Laboratory has selected USNC-Tech and its partners to develop a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) reactor concept design for space exploration: the Power-Adjusted Demonstration Mars Engine (PADME) NTP engine. This effort, one of three selected by the government team, is a step toward the manufacture and demonstration of safe, affordable, reliable, high-performance NTP engines

Moscow (AFP) Oct 05, 2021
A Russian actress and director blasted off to the International Space Station on Tuesday in a historic bid to best the United States to film the first movie in orbit. The Russian crew is set to beat a Hollywood project that was announced last year by "Mission Impossible" star Tom Cruise together with NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX. Actress Yulia Peresild, 37, and film director Klim Ship