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Beijing, China (SPX) Mar 15, 2021
Magnetic reconnection refers to the reconfiguration of magnetic field geometry. It plays an elemental role in the rapid release of magnetic energy and its conversion to other forms of energy in magnetized plasma systems throughout the universe. Researchers led by Dr. LI Leping from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) analyzed the evolution of m

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 15, 2021
Astronomers have painted their best picture yet of an RV Tauri variable, a rare type of stellar binary where two stars - one approaching the end of its life - orbit within a sprawling disk of dust. Their 130-year dataset spans the widest range of light yet collected for one of these systems, from radio to X-rays. "There are only about 300 known RV Tauri variables in the Milky Way galaxy,"

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 15, 2021
Scientists have long theorized that supermassive black holes can wander through space--but catching them in the act has proven difficult. Now, researchers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian have identified the clearest case to date of a supermassive black hole in motion. Their results are published in the Astrophysical Journal. "We don't expect the majority of s

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 14, 2021
Three residents of the International Space Station will take a spin around their orbital neighborhood in the Soyuz MS-17 on Friday, March 19, relocating the spacecraft to prepare for the arrival of the next set of crew members. Live coverage on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website will begin at 12:15 p.m. EDT. Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA and Command

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 14, 2021
NASA has awarded contracts to Thales Alenia Space France of Cannes, France, and Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. of Rome, Italy, under the On-Ramp feature of the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition IV (Rapid IV) contract. The work will be performed at the contractors' facilities in Cannes and Rome. Rapid IV is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that allows the fed

Moscow (Sputnik) Mar 15, 2021
The Soyuz family of expendable rockets is by far the most frequently used launch vehicle in the world, with over a thousand successful launches under its belt, and a top-notch safety record thanks to its launch abort system. For nearly a decade, Soyuz rockets were also the sole means of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. Russia's Soyuz-2 rocket has been given a new

Moscow (Sputnik) Mar 12, 2021
Boeing and Lockheed Martin's United Launch Alliance (ULA) was also awarded more than $224 million by the Pentagon to launch United States Space Force (USSF) missions USSF-112 and USSF-87 from Centennial, Colorado and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, according to the Department of Defense release this week. Under the US' National Security Phase 2 contract, Elon Musk's Space Expl

London, UK (SPX) Mar 15, 2021
The End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demonstration (ELSA-d) mission has been licenced by the UK Space Agency this week. The ELSA-d launch, scheduled for Saturday, March 20 2021, will mark the world's first commercial mission to demonstrate the core technologies and capabilities necessary for space debris docking and removal. The ELSA-d mission presents a leading test case for licensing f