Paris, France (SPX) May 13, 2025
The James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration between NASA, ESA, and CSA, has provided fresh insights into the intense auroras that dance around Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System. These auroras, hundreds of times brighter than those on Earth, have been studied with Webb's highly sensitive instruments, revealing previously unseen details. Jupiter's auroras form when high-ene

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 13, 2025
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft, currently en route to Jupiter's moon Europa, recently utilized a close flyby of Mars to calibrate its critical infrared imaging system. The maneuver, conducted on March 1, positioned the spacecraft just 550 miles (884 kilometers) above the Martian surface, using the planet's gravity to adjust its trajectory for a more efficient journey to Jupiter. The flyb

Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 13, 2025
The thin, CO2-rich Martian atmosphere presents a novel opportunity for in-situ thermoelectric power generation. With a composition of 95.7% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, and 1.6% argon, it offers significant advantages for dynamic thermoelectric conversion systems. The dense molecular weight and high thermal stability of Martian gases support robust system performance, reducing the risk of gas

Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 13, 2025
Researchers from Curtin University, Nanjing University, and The Australian National University have discovered unusual high-magnesium glass beads collected by China's Chang'e-5 mission, revealing potential clues about the Moon's mantle. These tiny green glass beads, distinct from typical lunar impact formations, may have originated from deeper within the Moon, suggesting an asteroid impact likel

Washington DC (SPX) May 13, 2025
April 2025 was a busy month for space. Washington DC (SPX) May 13, 2025 Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the Moon. At th

Washington DC (UPI) May 12, 2025
NASA will host a live Twitch event Tuesday to help "global creators" of all ages design a plush mascot that will indicate zero gravity, when Artemis II astronauts take flight next year around the moon. NASA's livestream will promote its ongoing Moon Mascot Challenge and allow viewers to collaborate in real-time with an artist as they create a sample zero gravity indicator. Zero g

Washington DC (UPI) May 13, 2025
SpaceX early Tuesday launched another batch of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida's east coast. The Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 1:02 a.m. EDT. The mission was to put 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, where they will join Starlink's growing cluster of thousands of orbitals that provide low-latency, high-speed Internet

Brussels, Belgium (AFP) May 13, 2025
The EU handed over hundreds of millions of euros to companies belonging to the world's richest man, Elon Musk, a key ally of US President Donald Trump and frequent critic of the bloc, a document seen by AFP showed Tuesday. German Green EU lawmaker Daniel Freund sent a letter in March to the European Commission, asking for information about EU funding to Musk-linked businesses. In a respo

On 12 March 2013, Galileo satellite GSAT0104, alongside its fellow In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites, made history by enabling the first position fix by Europe’s independent satellite navigation system Galileo. Now, after 12 years of service mostly in the area of Search and Rescue, GSAT0104 makes history again by becoming the first satellite in the Galileo constellation to be decommissioned.

Mission control at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre has completed the critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) for ESA’s Biomass, after nine days of intense work.