Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 08, 2024
Ball Aerospace has announced the successful delivery of the Weather System Follow-on - Microwave (WSF-M) satellite to Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking a significant milestone in the U.S. Space Force's efforts to enhance operational environmental monitoring capabilities. This satellite, delivered to Santa Barbara County, California, represents the first of two sophisticated systems that Ball

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 08, 2024
Northrop Grumman, a stalwart in aerospace and defense technology, is taking a significant step forward with its latest innovation in cryocooler technology. Cryocoolers, essentially specialized refrigeration units designed for space applications, are critical for maintaining the extremely low temperatures required for the optimal performance of sensors on satellites and space telescopes. This tec

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 08, 2024
Ball Aerospace has marked a significant milestone in environmental monitoring by delivering the MethaneSAT satellite to Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, setting the stage for its launch next month. This pivotal mission, developed in collaboration with MethaneSAT, LLC-a subsidiary of the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)-aims to provide unparalleled insigh

Washington DC (UPI) Feb 8, 2024
NASA launched its new Earth-observing satellite into space early Thursday following several days of weather-related delays. The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem orbital will provide NASA scientists with data that they will use to better understand the Earth's oceans and atmosphere, and was launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 1:33 a.m. EST from Space Launch

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 08, 2024
L3Harris Technologies has recently concluded a pivotal demonstration of its Digital Beamforming Phased Array Antenna System (DPAAS) prototype, marking a significant advancement in satellite communications (SATCOM) technology. This prototype, stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, has demonstrated a remarkable capability to handle an average of more than 300 satellite contacts per day, including t

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 08, 2024
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has announced a launch window for a landmark mission in collaboration with Astroscale Japan Inc. The mission, dubbed 'On Closer Inspection,' is set to commence during a 14-day window opening on February 19th NZDT, marking a significant step in the quest for orbital sustainability. The mission's focal point, the deployment of the Active Debris Removal by

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Highlights of the Muninn mission with ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt, from the countdown to launch to his work on the International Space Station.

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As part of his Huginn mission, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen tested the Circadian Light experiment in his crew quarters where he sleeps. The light panel was installed above him and is designed to mimic the Sun’s light to give him a better day/night cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm.

Made by SAGA Space Architects in Denmark, the light changes colour over the day, turning on in the early morning to wake up Andreas to then turn a whiter colour during the day. Like the sunset, the panel changes into a more reddish colour before turning off for

ESA’s very latest laboratory extension is portable in nature: hosted within a standard shipping container, this ESA Transportable Optical Ground Station, ETOGS, can be transported all across Europe as needed, to perform laser-based optical communications with satellites – including NASA’s Psyche mission, millions of kilometres away in space.