Washington DC (SPX) Feb 01, 2024
NASA is wrapping up the initial phase of its Fission Surface Power Project, which focused on developing concept designs for a small, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactor that could be used during a future demonstration on the Moon and to inform future designs for Mars. NASA awarded three $5 million contracts in 2022, tasking each commercial partner with developing an initial desi

Tokyo (AFP) Feb 1, 2024
After a brief awakening, Japan's Moon lander is out of action again but will resume its mission if it survives the two-week lunar night, the space agency said Thursday. The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down last month at a wonky angle that left its solar panels facing the wrong way. As the sun's angle shifted, it came back to life for two days this week and

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 01, 2024
In a significant move for the future of private space exploration, Starlab Space, a joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus, has inked a deal with SpaceX, a leader in space transport services, to launch its commercial space laboratory into low-Earth orbit. This partnership marks a pivotal step in Starlab's ambitions to become a successor to the International Space Station (ISS). The

London, UK (SPX) Feb 01, 2024
Pulsar Fusion has marked a significant achievement in the realm of space technology by successfully demonstrating a cutting-edge space engine, distinguished as the largest ever fired in Britain. This new engine, designed to propel a more advanced generation of satellites, represents a leap in the capabilities of in-space propulsion systems. In a recent test conducted at the University of S

Oxford UK (SPX) Feb 01, 2024
It is difficult to emphasise the significance of the milestone surpassed by Nasa's Mars helicopter, Ingenuity. The little (1.8kg) helicopter touched down with the Perseverance rover in 2021. On 25 January, Nasa announced that the flying vehicle had to perform an emergency landing which damaged one of its rotors and ended its mission. This reminds us that space exploration is still di

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 01, 2024
In a significant advancement for small satellite capabilities, the NorSat-TD microsatellite, developed by the Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) for the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA), has successfully established an optical satellite-to-ground communications link. This achievement marks a pioneering moment for a Dutch-built laser communication device and positions the NorSat-TD among the early micros

Video: 00:00:36

Join ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt inside the seven-windowed cupola, the International Space Station's "window to the world" and and pan around to enjoy the view.

The ESA - European Space Agency-built Cupola is the favourite place of many astronauts on the International Space Station. It serves not only as a unique photo spot, but also for observing robotic activities, arriving spacecraft and spacewalks.

Marcus was launched to the International Space Station on the Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 3 on 18 January 2024. His two-week mission on board is known as Muninn.

Follow Marcus’s journey on the 

Image: Human vs. hover-machine

Dedicated to delivering a wealth of new information on exactly how clouds and aerosols affect Earth’s climate, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite has had the chance to show off prior to engineers embarking upon the careful task of packing it up for its journey to the launch site in the US.

Black holes are like temperamental toddlers. They spill food all the time, but ESA’s XMM-Newton has caught a black hole in the act of ‘flipping over the table’ during an otherwise civilised meal.

This act prevents the galaxy surrounding the black hole from forming new stars, giving us insight into how black holes and galaxies co-evolve.