Space & Time

An approaching storm threatens to delay NASA’s next launch attempt for its new moon rocket, already grounded for weeks by fuel leaks.

U.K.-based Avanti Communications is seeking more partnerships to grow its footprint after securing its first major deal to use another regional satellite operator’s capacity. The post Avanti turns to regional operator partnerships to expand satellite coverage appeared first on SpaceNews.

Details of the orbits of 450 candidate exoplanet targets of the European Space Agency’s Ariel space mission have been presented this week at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022, and submitted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The study, coordinated by the ExoClock project, has been co-authored by 217 professional and amateur astronomers, as well as university and high school students.

Lunar enthusiasts of all ages are challenged to help identify features on the moon that might pose a hazard to rovers or astronauts exploring the surface.

NASA has revised and expanded a set of objectives it will use to guide its architecture for lunar and Mars exploration after receiving volumes of feedback from commercial and international partners. The post NASA updates exploration objectives appeared first on SpaceNews.

Stargazers across the globe will get a great view of Jupiter come Monday night, weather permitting.

NASA announced Thursday that the cryogenic fueling test this week at Kennedy Space Center did well enough to keep moving toward a launch attempt as early as Tuesday.

An unexpected “heat wave” of 700 degrees Celsius, extending 130,000 kilometers (10 Earth diameters) in Jupiter’s atmosphere, has been discovered. James O’Donoghue, of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has presented the results this week at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022 in Granada.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but for astronomers, simply recording images of stars and galaxies isn’t enough. To measure the true size and absolute brightness (luminosity) of heavenly bodies, astronomers need to accurately gauge the distance to these objects. To do so, the researchers rely on “standard candles”—stars whose luminosities are so well known that they act like light bulbs of known wattage. One way to determine a star’s distance from Earth is to compare how bright the star appears in the sky to its luminosity.

After completing the NROL-91 mission, ULA will start vacating SLC-6 and consolidate operations at SLC-3 The post ULA’s Delta 4 prepares for final West Coast launch as Vandenberg seeks new tenants appeared first on SpaceNews.

Following preparatory activities and a stringent process ESA Member States today formally selected Harmony for implementation as the tenth Earth Explorer mission within the FutureEO program. This unique satellite mission concept is, therefore, now set to become a reality to provide a wealth of new information about our oceans, ice, earthquakes and volcanoes—which will make significant contributions to climate research and risk monitoring.

A team of space scientists affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S., working with a colleague from Italy and another from France has used modeling to partially explain the resilience of cyclones circling Jupiter’s poles. In their paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the group describes how they analyzed images captured by the Juno space probe and used what they learned to create shallow water models that might at least partly explain how the cyclones last so long.

Using data from the Gaia space telescope, a team led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden has shown that large parts of the Milky Way’s outer disk vibrate. The ripples are caused by a dwarf galaxy, now seen in the constellation Sagittarius, that shook our galaxy as it passed by hundreds of millions of years ago.

An international team of researchers has found the original nucleus of the Milky Way galaxy. They have written a paper describing their finding and posted it on the arXiv preprint server.

An international team including a researcher from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has determined that one specific particle on the asteroid Ryugu can shed light on the unaltered initial materials from its parent body.

Week in images: 19-23 September 2022 Discover our week through the lens

In December 2020, a small landing capsule brought rock particles from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth — material from the beginnings of our solar system. The Japanese space probe Hayabusa 2 had collected the samples. Geoscientists have now discovered areas with a massive accumulation of rare earths and unexpected structures.

Axiom Space will fly two astronauts from Saudi Arabia, one of them a woman, to space as soon as next year, the company and the Saudi government announced Sept. 22. The post Axiom Space to fly Saudi astronauts appeared first on SpaceNews.

Bet the dinosaurs wish they’d thought of this.

After NASA deliberately smashes a car-sized spacecraft into an asteroid next week, it will be up to the European Space Agency’s Hera mission to investigate the “crime scene” and uncover the secrets of these potentially devastating space rocks.

Lake Trasimeno, the fourth largest lake in Italy, is featured in this week’s Earth from Space image.

A technology demonstration satellite for which SES will lead the development could be a prototype of a constellation by the satellite operator providing quantum-encrypted communications. The post SES considering quantum cryptography satellite system appeared first on SpaceNews.

The European Space Agency has tasked an SES-led consortium to develop a satellite and begin operating it in 2024 to validate quantum key distribution technology. The post SES-led group to deploy quantum security satellite for Europe in 2024 appeared first on SpaceNews.

DoD and the intelligence community are laying out requirements for how they would use commercial space systems during wartime The post As DoD grows more reliant on space industry, it needs to define the relationship appeared first on SpaceNews.

Super-thin planet nurseries have a boosted chance of forming big planets, according to a study announced this week at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022 in Granada, Spain. An international team, led by Dr. Marion Villenave of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), observed a remarkably thin disk of dust and gas around a young star, and found that its structure accelerated the process of grains clumping together to form planets.

According to satellite observations, Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent on Sept. 18, 2022. The ice cover shrank to an area of 4.67 million square kilometers (1.80 million square miles) this year, roughly 1.55 million square kilometers (598,000 square miles) below the 1981-2010 average minimum of 6.22 million square kilometers (2.40 million square miles).

On Thursday, Sept. 29, at 2:36 a.m. PDT (5:36 a.m. EDT), NASA’s Juno spacecraft will come within 222 miles (358 kilometers) of the surface of Jupiter’s ice-covered moon, Europa. The solar-powered spacecraft is expected to obtain some of the highest-resolution images ever taken of portions of Europa’s surface, as well as collect valuable data on the moon’s interior, surface composition, and ionosphere, along with its interaction with Jupiter’s magnetosphere.

The quality of ground-based astronomical observations delicately depends on the clarity of the atmosphere above the location from which they are made. Sites for telescopes are therefore very carefully selected. They are often high above sea level, so that less atmosphere stands between them and their targets. Many telescopes are also built in deserts, as clouds and even water vapor hinder a clear view of the night sky.

Stone samples brought back to Earth from asteroid Ryugu have had their elemental composition analyzed using an artificially generated muon beam from the particle accelerator in J-PARC. Researchers found a number of important elements needed to sustain life, including carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, but also found the oxygen abundance relative to silicon in asteroid Ryugu was different from all meteorites that have been found on Earth, reports a new study in Science.

Mangata Networks, a U.S. satellite startup founded by a former OneWeb executive, has applied for a U.K. license to connect broadband terminals to its planned multi-orbit constellation. The post Mangata seeks permission to connect UK user terminals appeared first on SpaceNews.

In the first-of-its kind, save-the-world experiment, NASA is about to clobber a small, harmless asteroid millions of miles away.

Astronomical observations from ground-based telescopes are sensitive to local atmospheric conditions. Anthropogenic climate change will negatively affect some of these conditions at observation sites around the globe.

At the 2022 International Astronautical Congress in Paris, France, the University of Manchester and Breakthrough Listen (the initiative to find signs of intelligent life in the universe) announced a reanalysis of existing data that extends the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) into a new realm of parameter space and places stringent limits on the existence of extragalactic technosignatures.

Maritime connectivity specialist Marlink will offer Starlink to its customers as SpaceX’s broadband service turns to partners to expand beyond the consumer market. The post Marlink to offer Starlink to maritime and enterprise customers appeared first on SpaceNews.

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have spotted signs of a ‘hot spot’ orbiting Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. The finding helps us better understand the enigmatic and dynamic environment of our supermassive black hole.

Following  preparatory activities and a stringent process ESA Member States today formally selected Harmony for implementation as the tenth Earth Explorer mission within the FutureEO programme. This unique satellite mission concept is, therefore, now set to become a reality to provide a wealth of new information about our oceans, ice, earthquakes and volcanoes – which will make significant contributions to climate research and risk monitoring.

Preparations are looking up for the launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite. On behalf of NOAA, NASA develops and builds the instruments, spacecraft, and ground system, and launches the satellites, which NOAA operates. Technicians recently lifted the satellite to a stand inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. On board are four advanced instruments that will measure weather and climate conditions on Earth. Launch is targeted for Nov. 1 atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex-3.

Saudi Arabia said Thursday it will launch a training program with the goal of sending its own astronauts, including a woman, into space next year.

Image: A vertical beam of sunlight appears to shoot up into the sky outside Concordia research station in Antarctica in this image taken by ESA-sponsored medical doctor Hannes Hagson.Known as a sun pillar, this optical phenomenon occurs when sunlight is reflected from tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Though it appears to reach from the sun itself, the pillar is not physically located above or below the sun. But it’s not just the sun that creates this optical illusion. Moonlight, and even streetlights, can create the same effect in icy conditions, in which case it is known more generally as a light pillar.Light pillars belong to the family of optical phenomena known as halos. The Antarctic sky during spring and summer is ripe for both, especially at higher altitudes. Concordia station is located on the Antarctic plateau known as Dome C, 3233 m above sea level.Hannes is spending a year at the remote base to facilitate biomedical experiments on both his 11 crew mates and himself, all in the name of science and space exploration.Antarctica has all the wonder and appeal of space; it is harsh, vast and mysterious. But it also has something extra going for it: easier access.Over the course of a year, Hannes has been sampling and recording the effects of lack of sunlight (during four-month winter) and less oxygen (due to the altitude) on himself and his crew for researchers developing countermeasures to altered motor skills, memory, sleep patterns and moods.As the Antarctic summer approaches, Hannes and his winter-over crew are nearly at the end of their residency, and will soon prep the base for the arrival of the summer research campaign.Follow life at the base on the Chronicles from Concordia blog.

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have spotted signs of a “hot spot” orbiting Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of our galaxy. The finding helps astronomers better understand the enigmatic and dynamic environment of our supermassive black hole.

Video: 00:02:36 Meet Hera, our very own asteroid detective. Together with two small CubeSats – Milani the rock decoder and Juventas the radar visionary – Hera is off on an adventure to explore Didymos, a double asteroid system that is typical of the thousands that pose an impact risk to planet Earth.Suitable for space enthusiasts young and old, this episode of ‘The incredible adventures of the Hera mission’ is all about craters. What are they? Why are they important? Why is NASA’s DART spacecraft about to collide with an asteroid to create the Solar System’s newest – and perhaps most important – crater? And why do we need Hera to unveil the secrets of this crater?Watch the other episodes of The incredible adventures of the Hera mission

Many parts of Europe saw record-breaking temperatures over the summer, but it wasn’t just the continental mainland that was affected: the Mediterranean Sea also suffered a major marine heatwave. An ESA-funded project, CAREHeat, detected one of the most intense Mediterranean marine heatwaves observed during the satellite era – with sea surface temperatures reaching 5°C higher than average.

One part of an instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope is out of service temporarily, although project officials are confident it will not be a long-term problem. The post NASA studying issue with JWST instrument appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA said Wednesday it had successfully trialed the fueling process for its new rocket, after technical issues a few weeks ago halted two attempts to get the behemoth off the ground and headed towards the Moon.

Cyberattacks and geopolitics threaten today’s increasingly digital world, leading to the disruption of essential supplies such as power and water. ESA, the European Commission and space companies in Europe are teaming up to work towards a highly secure, satellite-enabled connectivity system for the EU – based on the unbreakable laws of physics.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-long cosmic explosions that each produce the energy equivalent to the sun’s annual output. More than 15 years after the deep-space pulses of electromagnetic radio waves were first discovered, their perplexing nature continues to surprise scientists—and newly published research only deepens the mystery surrounding them.

NASA said it completed all the objectives of a Space Launch System tanking test Sept. 21 despite the reoccurrence of liquid hydrogen leaks. The post NASA declares SLS tanking test a success appeared first on SpaceNews.

British small satellite startup Open Cosmos announced plans Sept. 21 for OpenConstellation, shared space infrastructure designed to offer partners access to satellite data. The post Open Cosmos unveils OpenConstellation, shared space infrastructure appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows off its capabilities closer to home with its first image of Neptune. Not only has Webb captured the clearest view of this distant planet’s rings in more than 30 years, but its cameras reveal the ice giant in a whole new light.

The Pentagon plans to end procurements of very large geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) infrared satellites and transition to a proliferated architecture in lower orbits The post DoD to end procurements of geosynchronous missile-warning satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

Under a $700 million contract from the U.S. Space Development Agency, L3Harris will build 14 satellites using a new Maxar bus. The post L3Harris’ missile-tracking satellites will use a newly designed Maxar bus appeared first on SpaceNews.

Amazon and Telesat said Sept. 21 they have finalized spectrum arrangements to keep their planned satellites in non-geostationary orbit from interfering with each other. The post Amazon and Telesat coordinate their planned NGSO constellations appeared first on SpaceNews.

The International Space Station welcomed three new residents Wednesday following a smooth Russian launch.

The European Space Agency announced a team of seven astronauts on Wednesday to train for NASA’s Artemis mission to the moon—but only one will have the chance to become the first European to walk on the lunar surface.

A four-legged robot trained through artificial intelligence has learned the same lesson as the Apollo astronauts—that jumping can be the best way to move around on the surface the moon. An update on LEAP (Legged Exploration of the Aristarchus Plateau), a mission concept study supported by ESA to explore some of the most challenging lunar terrains, has been presented today at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022 in Granada by Patrick Bambach.

Italian researchers have demonstrated experimentally for the first time that microorganisms can photosynthesize using the infrared-dominated light emitted by the most common type of star in the Milky Way. The results from the Star Light Simulator, presented at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022, suggest that life could develop around stars different from our Sun and produce oxygen-rich worlds that are habitable by more complex organisms.

Arkisys plans to launch Applique, a universal interface adapter designed to connect any spacecraft payload, using a variety of common interface standards and protocols. The post Arkisys’ first flight to demonstrate universal interface adapter appeared first on SpaceNews.

In a little over a week, the crowdfunding platform Spaced Ventures has obtained pledges of $11.4 million from 758 individuals eager to invest in SpaceX. The post Spaced Ventures petition for SpaceX shares hits $11.4 million appeared first on SpaceNews.

An international team of researchers with NASA’s InSight mission located four new craters created by impacts on the surface of Mars. Using data from a seismometer and visuals acquired from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the team successfully calculated and confirmed the impact locations. Researchers have now captured the dynamics of an impact on Mars.

The first launches of commercial landers to the moon under CLPS are slated late this year or early next, marking an important milestone for a 2018 NASA program that saw one of its awardees file for bankruptcy this summer. The post Lander companies prepare to shoot for the moon appeared first on SpaceNews.