ESA’s NAVISP programme – helping to invent the future of European navigation – is probing the science of the very small. The aim is to employ hyper-sensitive quantum technology-based sensors as supplementary navigation solutions, including tracking local variations in gravity that could be matched onto regional and global gravity maps.

Leeds UK (SPX) Mar 11, 2022
Scientists reveal a new part of the recipe for complex life on planets, and it involves the onset of a microbial fertilizer factory on the Earth's seafloor roughly 2.6 billion years ago. The first major rise in oxygen levels on the Earth took place roughly 2.4 to 2.2 billion years ago during the early stage of the Great Oxidation Event. Scientists are still unsure why and how the Gre

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 11, 2022
Over the past two decades, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, largely due to a decline in sea ice that persists over several years, called multiyear ice, according to a new study. The study also found sea ice is likely thinner than previous estimates. Seasonal sea ice, which melts completely each summer rather than accumulating over years, is replacing thicke

Edwards AFB CA (SPX) Mar 13, 2022
In a changing climate, wildfires are becoming more widespread and devastating, threatening more people and land than ever before. In response, NASA is stepping up to the plate to determine what we can do to help fight wildfires - and we have some ideas. NASA has long been involved in wildfire management through the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) using space-based technologies and other

Beijing (XNA) Mar 14, 2022
China will carry on its moon research in the future with Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 missions by 2030, chief designer of the country's lunar exploration program Wu Weiren said. The Chang'e-6 is scheduled to bring back to Earth lunar samples with a mass of up to 2 kilograms; the Chang'e-7 will be tasked with landing on the lunar south pole and detecting local natural resources; and t

Lisbon, Portugal (SPX) Mar 13, 2022
The tectonic plates that form the Earth's surface are like puzzle pieces that are in constant, very slow motion - on average, they move only up to around 10 centimeters a year. But these puzzle pieces don't quite fit together: there are zones on one plate that end up plunging under another - the so-called subduction zones, central to the dynamics of the planet. This movement is slow, but it can

New Delhi (IANS) Mar 14, 2022
Industry experts say US and European economic sanctions against Russia for military action against Ukraine could create economic opportunities for the Indian space sector, rather than burden it with economic costs. He also felt that to seize the opportunity, India should accelerate its satellite launching capabilities, and announce Productivity Concessions (PLI) schemes for the aerospace s

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 11, 2021
The famous Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, once home to the world's most powerful radio telescope, has reopened to visitors more than a year after the giant facility collapsed. The visitor center and observation deck are now open to visitors who make reservations in advance. From the outdoor deck, visitors can see the valley and remaining reflective dish - 1,000 feet in diameter. /

Beijing (XNA) Mar 13, 2022
After the Tianwen-1 mission, China will have a number of Tianwen series of planetary endeavors to explore the universe, according to a Chinese scientist. Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, said the country's deep space exploration will continue and its Mars mission will be followed by the Tianwen-2, Tianwen-3, and Tianwen-4. Launched on July 23, 2020,