Paris (ESA) Dec 22, 2023
NASA's Psyche mission launched on 13 October 2023 on a journey to explore what could be the exposed metallic core of an ancient planet. Riding along on board the Psyche spacecraft is an additional technology demonstration. NASA's Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC) demonstration will test the use of lasers to transmit and receive more data with distant spacecraft than is possible with

Tokyo (AFP) Dec 25, 2023
Japan's SLIM space probe entered the Moon's orbit on Monday in a major step towards the country's first successful lunar landing, expected next month. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is nicknamed the "Moon Sniper" because it is designed to land within 100 metres (328 feet) of a specific target on the lunar surface. If successful, the touchdown would make Japan only the fif

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Washington DC (UPI) Dec 24, 2021
Elon Musk's SpaceX launched two rockets on Saturday and Sunday, one carrying Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit and another with two radar reconnaissance satellites for the German military. SpaceX on Sunday launched the Sarah-2 mission carrying the German satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 8:11 a.m. EST. The flight had been delayed from Saturday to allow

Washington DC (UPI) Dec 22, 2023
SpaceX returned more than 30 research payloads, many of which were vital life science investigations, from the ISS National Laboratory to Earth Friday. The Elon Musk-owned astronautics company completed its 29th NASA-contracted commercial resupply services mission, which sent test samples to the ISS National Laboratory and enabled researchers to leverage unique research and technology n

Moscow (AFP) Dec 22, 2023
Police on Friday detained the deputy director of Russia's space agency Roscosmos over the suspected embezzlement of 4.3 million euros from the crisis-hit sector. Oleg Frolov and two other suspects are accused of a "large-scale fraud", said a statement from the Russian investigative committee, which handles major criminal investigations. "Frolov, using his official position, took part in

Image: Astronaut candidates taking a plunge in NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) for spacewalk training familiarisation.

Washington DC (SPX) Dec 21, 2023
Researchers in Chile have designed an indoor air purification prototype which uses microorganisms to capture and degrade pollutants, with efficiencies above 90%. In the study, published in SCI's Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, the scientists demonstrated that the system could operate for 8 months without any loss in efficiency. As the demand for better insulation an

Livermore CA (SPX) Dec 21, 2023
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed a modeling tool for assessing the potential use of a nuclear device to defend the planet against catastrophic asteroid impacts. The research, published in the Planetary Science Journal, introduces a novel approach to simulating the energy deposition from a nuclear device on an asteroid's surface. This new tool impr

Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Dec 22, 2023
Another jam-packed year is in store for NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the momentum of a busy 2023 is carried forward into the new year. On the horizon are missions to the Moon, more crew and cargo flights to the International Space Station, and several upgrade projects across the spaceport. NASA's first CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative mission with Astrobotic