Paris (AFP) April 16, 2024
Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published on Tuesday. The black hole, named Gaia BH3, was discovered "by chance" from data collected by the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, an astronomer from the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Observatoire de Paris, Pa

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 12, 2024
KP Labs has achieved a critical milestone with the successful acquisition and AI processing of hyperspectral images on its Intuition-1 satellite. This new capability offers unprecedented detail in Earth observation, particularly across the equatorial regions, significantly enhancing the potential for scientific and commercial data analysis. The Intuition-1 satellite, launched via a SpaceX

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 16, 2024
In a significant industry forecast, Novaspace, a union of Euroconsult and SpaceTec Partners, predicts a 160% increase in global defense and dual-use satellite launches over the next decade. The firm also highlighted that government spending on space defense and security has reached a new peak at over $58 billion. This surge is attributed to an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, m

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 12, 2024
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a major contract by the Missile Defense Agency, valued at a ceiling of $4.1 billion, to innovate and lead the expansion of the Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system. The contract spans from May 2024 to April 2029, with an extension option until April 2034. The upgrade, known as C2BMC-Next, involves implementing cutting-edg

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 16, 2024
ARKA Group, L.P. has completed an important expansion of its 550,000 square-foot facility located in Danbury, Connecticut, which also serves as its headquarters. This expansion is focused on enhancing the production capacity for small satellite systems, payloads, and optical coating capabilities. The expansion, encompassing 14,000 additional square feet, includes state-of-the-art cleanroom

Washington (AFP) April 17, 2024
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter has transmitted its final message to Earth and will now serve as an immobile data-gathering unit on the red planet's surface, the space agency said on Tuesday. The tissue box-sized aircraft made history by achieving the first powered flight on another planet after hitching a ride under the belly of the Perseverance rover, which first lifted off the surface o

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 17, 2024
The seemingly empty interstellar space is a bustling hub of atoms, ions, and molecules, comprising the Interstellar Medium (ISM). This vast expanse has been a focal point for scientists, with over 200 unique molecules discovered in its cold, low-pressure confines. The interplay of chemistry, physics, and astronomy is crucial as researchers from these disciplines explore the types of chemical rea

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 17, 2024
In 2023, a supernova burst in the Pinwheel galaxy, creating an ideal scenario for testing theories on cosmic ray acceleration. However, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, which has been operational since 2008, did not detect the anticipated high-energy gamma rays. On May 18, 2023, the supernova named SN 2023ixf occurred about 22 million light-years away in Ursa Major, marking it as one o

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 17, 2024
Researchers are expanding the criteria for life on other planets beyond the familiar green of Earthly vegetation. Scientists at Cornell University have suggested that purple, not green, might be the predominant color of life on other worlds, based on a study of bacteria that absorb infrared light for photosynthesis. These purple bacteria, which exhibit a range of hues including yellow, ora

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 17, 2024
NASA has officially given the greenlight for the Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn's moon Titan, authorizing the project's transition to final design and construction stages. This development follows the successful completion of the mission's Preliminary Design Review and subsequent budget adjustments to align with the current financial landscape. "Dragonfly represents a major science