London, UK (SPX) Jul 08, 2024
A major scientific enigma may be closer to resolution as researchers harness cutting-edge quantum technology. Approximately 80% of the universe's matter is dark, eluding direct observation but detectable through its gravitational effects. Despite ongoing efforts, these dark matter particles remain unseen. Scientists from Lancaster University, the University of Oxford, and Royal Hollo

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 07, 2024
A research team led by Dr. HUANG Yang from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) has developed a novel "motion picture" method for measuring the precession rate of the Milky Way's disk warp. Utilizing this innovative approach, the team observed the precession direction and rate of the Milky Way's warp using a sample of Cepheid variable stars of various

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 08, 2024
NASA's Parker Solar Probe successfully made its 20th close approach to the Sun on June 30, 2024. The probe came within 4.51 million miles (7.26 million kilometers) of the Sun's surface, equaling its previous distance record. "The close approach (known as perihelion) occurred at 3:47 UTC (11:47 p.m. EDT on June 29), with Parker Solar Probe moving 394,736 miles per hour (635,266 kilometers p

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 08, 2024
The Deep Space Network's Goldstone planetary radar recently tracked two significant asteroid flybys, observing asteroids 2024 MK and 2011 UL21 as they passed by Earth. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California monitored these asteroids during their close approaches. One asteroid was found to have a small moon, while the other was discovered just 13 days be

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 08, 2024
The current understanding of the Moon's interior reveals a central metallic core, a mantle rich in minerals like olivine and pyroxene, and an outer crust layer. This model has been developed through analyses of lunar samples and seismic data from past Moon missions. Despite extensive studies, the debate about the presence of garnet in the deeper lunar mantle remains unresolved. A critical questi

Paris, France (SPX) Jul 08, 2024
ESA's Earth Return Orbiter (ERO), the pioneering spacecraft designed to capture and return samples from Mars, has achieved a significant milestone, completing its critical design review (CDR). This essential phase confirms the performance, quality, and reliability of the spacecraft's systems, enabling the next steps in its development. A CDR is a crucial stage in any spaceflight project, e

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 08, 2024
Scholars have revisited the anchor points and historical construction of lunar crater chronology. Initially, the stratification of the Moon's near side relied on remote sensing data from ground-based telescopes and lunar orbiters before lunar samples were returned. As illustrated in Fig. 1, six manned missions and four robotic missions have brought back various samples, including basalts and vol

Washington (AFP) July 6, 2024
The NASA astronaut knocks loudly three times on a what appears to be a nondescript door, and calls cheerfully: "You ready to come out?" The reply is inaudible, but beneath his mask he appears to be grinning as he yanks the door open - and four scientists who have spent a year away from all other human contact, simulating a mission to Mars, spill out to cheers and applause. Anca Selariu,

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 08, 2024
"NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the COSI (Compton Spectrometer and Imager) mission." The firm-fixed-price contract is valued at approximately $69 million and includes launch services and associated mission costs. The COSI mission is scheduled to launch in August 2027 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 roc