Beijing (XNA) Dec 27, 2023
China launched two satellites into orbit on Tuesday morning for its Beidou Navigation Satellite System, according to the China Satellite Navigation Office. The satellites were carried by a Long March 3B rocket that lifted off at 11:26 am from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province and were deployed into a medium-Earth orbit. They are the 13th group of third-generation Beid

Washington DC (SPX) Dec 27, 2023
Research on the International Space Station is helping scientists to understand how fire spreads and behaves in different environments and learn how to prevent and extinguish fires in space. Combustion investigations contribute to the safety of crew members, equipment, and spacecraft by guiding selection of spacecraft cabin materials, improving understanding of

Paris (ESA) Dec 27, 2023
Wrapping presents is all part of the Christmas experience - here's a notable example from ESA's technical centre ESTEC. This is the ESA Young Professionals Satellite, YPSat, seen fully wrapped in multi-layer insulation blankets, exactly as it will be when it launches aboard the inaugural Ariane 6 mission next year. YPSat is a project run in its entirety by ESA Young Professionals to give t

Wenchang (XNA) Dec 27, 2023
The Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket, tasked with sending China's space station cargo craft Tianzhou-7 into orbit, was transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan on Thursday. The rocket will undergo assembly and testing together with Tianzhou-7, which arrived earlier, the China Manned Space Agency said on Thursday. At present, all testing syst

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 27, 2023
In a recent advancement in China's burgeoning space program, a Long March 11 carrier rocket was successfully launched from the South China Sea on Tuesday morning. This launch, which took place off the coast of Yangjiang in Guangdong province, marked a significant milestone as it sent three experimental satellites into space, as reported by the state-owned conglomerate China Aerospace Science and

Perth, Australia (SPX) 2622, 2023
Analysis of organic compounds - called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - extracted from the Ryugu asteroid and Murchison meteorite has found that certain PAHs likely formed in the cold areas of space between stars rather than in hot regions near stars as was previously thought. The findings open new possibilities for studying life beyond Earth and the chemistry of objects in space.

Washington DC (SPX) Dec 26, 2023
This photo of Saturn was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on October 22, 2023, when the ringed planet was approximately 850 million miles from Earth. Hubble's ultra-sharp vision reveals a phenomenon called ring spokes. Saturn's spokes are transient features that rotate along with the rings. Their ghostly appearance only persists for two or three rotations around Saturn. During active

Canberra, Australia (SPX) Dec 26, 2023
A new snapshot of an ancient, far-off galaxy could help scientists understand how it formed and the origins of our own Milky Way. At more than 12 billion years old, BRI 1335-0417 is the oldest and furthest known spiral galaxy in our universe. Lead author Dr Takafumi Tsukui said a state-of-the-art telescope called ALMA allowed them to look at this ancient galaxy in much greater detail

Johannesburg, South Africa (SPX) Dec 21, 2023
The Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) has recently marked a significant milestone by becoming a member of the GEO Group of Earth Observations Associate. GEO, esteemed as the world's largest earth observation (EO) partnership, brings together an impressive assembly of 115 governmental members globally, alongside over 150 participating international organizations. This in

Hampton VA (SPX) Dec 22, 2023
Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia recently flew multiple drones beyond visual line of sight with no visual observer. The drones successfully flew around obstacles and each other during takeoff, along a planned route, and upon landing, all autonomously without a pilot controlling the flight. This test marks an important step towards advancing self-flying capabilit