Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
A theoretical astrophysicist at West Virginia University is spearheading efforts in the development of a pioneering space probe to detect and measure gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of space and time. Sean McWilliams, associate professor of physics and astronomy in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, was part of a team that first detected these ripples in 2015, confirm

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
Kate Darling, an expert in robotics and society, will deliver a keynote address on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC). Darling, known as the "Mistress of Machines," researches ethical issues related to intelligent robots at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She leads the Boston Dynamics AI Institute's stu

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
For years, various models have been developed to describe a key class of mixing effects in flows, such as those in chemical reactors. Experimental validation has lagged due to gravity's influence. A European research team, including the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and partners at the University of Szeged and Universite libre de Bruxelles (ULB), has addressed this with experiments

Paris, France (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
ESA's experimental OPS-SAT CubeSat mission ended on the night of May 22-23, 2024 (CEST). Launched on December 18, 2019, OPS-SAT aimed to make spacecraft operations accessible to a wide audience, offering a fast, free, and non-bureaucratic experiment service for European and Canadian industry and academia. The mission involved experimenters from companies, universities, and public ins

Washington (AFP) June 4, 2024
The venerable Hubble Space Telescope, which has revolutionized astronomical discovery since its launch in 1990, will ease into retirement with a scaled-back observing schedule, NASA officials said Tuesday. One of the three gyroscopes that control the direction in which the telescope points has become unstable in recent months, leading to intermittent "safe mode" episodes - most recently on

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
"Follow the water!" The solar system contains water in various forms, from the Sun's water vapor to Pluto's ice. Water is essential not only for life but also for its geological properties and potential uses. For instance, lunar and Martian ice could support human exploration, and comets may have brought water to Earth. The icy comets and rings of Saturn illustrate solar system evolution.

Space Coast FL (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
NASA officials want a new Mars sample return mission plan that is faster, costs less and isn't as complex than one scrapped in April. The space agency doesn't want to wait until 2040 and spend $11 billion to return core samples being collected on Mars, which the recently scrapped plan would have required. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in April canceled the lengthy mission plan, saying he

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
China's Chang'e 6 mission achieved a critical milestone as its sample-loaded ascender launched from the moon's far side on Tuesday morning. "According to the China National Space Administration, the ascender, one of the four major components of the Chang'e 6 robotic probe, started its ascent engine at 7:38 am and flew nearly 6 minutes before reaching a lunar orbit." The mission gathe

Washington DC (UPI) Jun 4, 2024
After several scrubbed liftoffs, Boeing's first Starliner crewed mission will try again Wednesday to launch NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on a critical, week-long test flight to the International Space Station. NASA and Boeing confirmed Monday that the Starliner capsule, United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and ground support equipment are in good shape and ready for

Paris, France (SPX) Jun 05, 2024
ESA has launched a Request for Information (RFI) aimed at European launch service providers in preparation for the European Launcher Challenge. This initiative, unveiled in Seville, Spain, in November 2023, aims to enhance Europe's space access by promoting a variety of launch options and boosting the competitiveness of European launch services. The European Launcher Challenge, to be funde