Paris, France (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
ESA's Hera mission is set for an October launch, aimed at surveying the Didymos binary asteroid system and studying the results of the first asteroid deflection test. The spacecraft is undergoing final system tests in the Netherlands before being transported to its launch site in the USA. Meanwhile, Hera's Mission Control Team in Germany has started their launch preparations. The Her

Washington DC (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission marked humanity's first attempt to alter the course of an asteroid, a technique that could one day avert a catastrophic impact and save countless lives. But to fully understand the outcome of the experiment and to determine the impact of the human-caused impact, astronomers need a detailed characterization of their target. A recent study aims t

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
NASA's 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Forum gathered 12 university teams from across the United States in Huntsville, Alabama, near the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center, to present their innovative solutions for managing lunar dust. The 12 finalists, selected in March 2024, showcased their final projects to a panel of NASA and industry experts from the Human Landing Systems Program at t

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
NASA has unveiled two significant white papers as part of its Moon to Mars architecture initiatives. These documents, focusing on lunar mobility drivers and lunar surface cargo, outline NASA's recent strategies for lunar exploration. While NASA consistently publishes annual updates on its Moon to Mars architecture, the agency also provides mid-cycle reports to share vital insights with sta

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
An international team of researchers, co-led by ETH Zurich and Imperial College London, has derived the first estimate of global meteorite impacts on Mars using seismic data. Their findings indicate between 280 to 360 meteorites strike the planet each year, forming impact craters greater than 8 meters (about 26 feet) across. Geraldine Zenhaeusern, who co-led the study, commented, "This rate was

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
NASA's Mars InSight Lander may have completed its mission, but data from the robotic explorer continues to reveal new seismic discoveries. Recent findings suggest that Mars experiences meteoroid impacts more frequently than previously believed. A study led by a researcher from Brown University indicates that Mars is bombarded by space rocks at rates two to ten times higher than earlier est

London, UK (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
Seismic signals indicate that Mars is hit by approximately 300 basketball-sized meteorites annually, offering a new method for dating planetary surfaces. New research led by scientists at Imperial College London and ETH Zurich, as part of NASA's InSight mission, reveals the frequency of 'marsquakes' caused by meteorite impacts on Mars. The study found that Mars experiences between 280 and

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
A total of 1,935.3 grams of lunar samples were retrieved by China's Chang'e 6 robotic probe from the moon's far side, the China National Space Administration announced on Friday morning, as the space authority handed over the scientifically invaluable substances to scientists. The weight of the samples, the most asked question by science and space enthusiasts over the past two days, was re

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
As NASA prepares for extended missions to the Moon and Mars, a newly selected concept aims to "grow" habitats using fungi for future explorers. Researchers at NASA Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley have received funding under NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program to advance their habitat research. The Phase III NIAC award provides $2 million over two years to

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 01, 2024
Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and U.S. space transportation company Firefly Aerospace have entered into a collaborative agreement to launch satellites using Firefly's Alpha rocket from Esrange Space Center in Sweden, starting in 2026. This partnership aims to establish a new orbital launch service in Europe, utilizing a flight-proven launch vehicle to support commercial, civil, and defense sec