Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 15, 2025
Rice University researchers have introduced a novel desalination technology designed to enhance the efficiency and adaptability of solar-powered water purification. The new system, described in a study published in Nature Water, leverages a resonant energy transfer approach that overcomes the intermittency of sunlight, a common limitation in conventional solar desalination systems. Unlike

Edwards AFB CA (SPX) May 19, 2025
NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft successfully completed a critical series of tests in which the airplane was put through its paces for cruising high above the California desert - all without ever leaving the ground. "The idea behind these tests is to command the airplane's subsystems and flight computer to function as if it is flying," said Yohan Lin, the X-59's lead avionics

An innovative satellite that offers reliable connectivity wherever and whenever it is needed – in crowded places such as summer festivals as well as following passengers in planes, trains and automobiles – has celebrated its second anniversary in space.

London, UK (SPX) May 21, 2025
The UK's Skynet 6A military communications satellite has completed the integration of its communications and service modules, marking a key step toward deployment. Built by Airbus at its Stevenage and Portsmouth sites, the satellite achieved this milestone at the National Satellite Test Facility (NSTF) in Harwell, Oxfordshire, which is managed by RAL Space under the Science and Technology Facili

Paris, France (SPX) May 21, 2025
ESA is expanding its Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis with the addition of a second CubeSat, further enhancing scientific efforts to study the asteroid during its extremely close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029. Apophis, measuring 375 meters across, will pass Earth at a remarkably close distance, offering a rare opportunity for in-depth observation. The Ramses mission, which could be

Rolla MO (SPX) May 21, 2025
If you are sneezing this spring, you are not alone. Every year, plants release billions of pollen grains into the air, specks of male reproductive material that many of us notice only when we get watery eyes and runny noses. However, pollen grains are far more than allergens - they are nature's time capsules, preserving clues about Earth's past environments for millions of years. Pol

Washington DC (UPI) May 20, 2025
Four NASA astronauts who recently returned to Earth from a mission aboard the International Space Station will take part this week in a welcome-home ceremony at NASA's space center in Texas. On Thursday, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and Don Pettit will be in Houston to participate in ceremonies to welcome them back to Earth and will share highlights from thei

London UK (SPX) May 21, 2025
Scientists investigating the origin of life suggest that primitive membranes may have influenced which biomolecules became foundational to life. Their study examines how the earliest cell membranes could have filtered molecules, favoring those used in modern biology. Cells are defined by their membranes, which regulate what substances can enter or leave. This control is especially relevant

Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 21, 2025
Researchers at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have discovered that the spatial concentration of gas within galaxies plays a more critical role in star formation than the overall volume of gas present. The study, led by PhD candidate Seona Lee from The University of Western Australia's ICRAR node, utilized data from around 1,000 galaxies mapped by CSIRO's ASKA

Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 21, 2025
New imaging technology developed by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has enabled the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) in Tenerife to capture unprecedented, high-resolution views of solar activity. The upgrade bridges a long-standing observational gap between wide-field solar monitoring and fine-structure resolution. The enhanced camera system restores the VTT's full observa