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NASA funds demo of 3D-Printed spacecraft parts made, assembled in orbit![]() Huntsville AL (SPX) Jul 13, 2019 NASA has awarded a $73.7 million contract to Made In Space, Inc. of Mountain View, California, to demonstrate the ability of a small spacecraft, called Archinaut One, to manufacture and assemble spacecraft components in low-Earth orbit. The in-space robotic manufacturing and assembly technologies could be important for America's Moon to Mars exploration approach. The contract is the start of the second phase of a partnership established through NASA's Tipping Point solicitation. The public-private ... read more |
NASA SLS rocket testing ensures astronaut safety, mission successHuntsville AL (SPX) Jul 11, 2019 As the world reflects on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo missions, NASA is looking forward to its next giant leaps. One way NASA ensures the safety of astronauts and the success of the Artemis mi ... more
Sustaining Life on Long-Term Crewed Missions Will Require Planetary ResourcesCleveland OH (SPX) Jul 09, 2019 When astronauts live and work on the Moon, they will need access to life-sustaining oxygen, water and other resources. On the Moon, and eventually Mars, they could collect local resources on the sur ... more
InSight Uncovers the 'Mole' on MarsPasadena CA (JPL) Jul 05, 2019 Behold the "mole": The heat-sensing spike that NASA's InSight lander deployed on the Martian surface is now visible. Last week, the spacecraft's robotic arm successfully removed the support structur ... more
Mars 2020 Rover Gets a Super InstrumentPasadena CA (JPL) Jul 03, 2019 Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, have installed the SuperCam Mast Unit onto the Mars 2020 rover. The instrument's camera, laser and spectrometers can identify t ... more |
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Paragon Space Development Corp awarded NASA contract for ISRU technologyTucson AZ (SPX) Jun 28, 2019 Paragon Space Development Corporation (Paragon), and its partner Giner Inc., are proud to announce that they are now under contract for the development and testing of the ISRU-derived water purifica ... more
A Martian methane belch melts awayWashington (AFP) June 25, 2019 The mystery of the Martian methane continues. ... more
A chaos found only on MarsParis (ESA) Jun 28, 2019 The cracked, uneven, jumbled landscape seen in this image from ESA's Mars Express forms an intriguing type of terrain that cannot be found on Earth: chaotic terrain. The feature visible here, Aurora ... more
NASA's TESS Mission Finds Its Smallest Planet YetGreenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 28, 2019 NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered a world between the sizes of Mars and Earth orbiting a bright, cool, nearby star. The planet, called L 98-59b, marks the tiniest di ... more
Santorini volcano, a new terrestrial analogue of MarsMadrid, Spain (SPX) Jun 28, 2019 One of the great attractions of the island of Santorini, in Greece, lies in its spectacular volcanic landscape, which also contains places similar to those of Mars. A team of European and U.S. scien ... more |
![]() Life on Mars Was Possible After Last Great Meteorite Impact
NASA's Curiosity rover finds new methane spike on MarsWashington (AFP) June 24, 2019 NASA's Curiosity Rover has detected the highest ever levels of methane in the course of its mission on Mars, an exciting discovery because the gas could point to the existence of microbial life. ... more |
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Experiments with salt-tolerant bacteria in brine have implications for life on MarsSan Francisco CA (SPX) Jun 24, 2019 Salt-tolerant bacteria grown in brine were able to revive after the brine was put through a cycle of drying and rewetting. The research has implications for the possibility of life on Mars, as well ... more
A Rover for Phobos and DeimosLe Bourget, France (SPX) Jun 21, 2019 Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. These are the target of the Japanese Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which also involves international partners. Scheduled for launch in 2024. i ... more
Curiosity detects unusually high methane levelsPasadena CA (JPL) Jun 24, 2019 This week, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover found a surprising result: the largest amount of methane ever measured during the mission - about 21 parts per billion units by volume (ppbv). One ppbv means t ... more
Mars 2020 Rover Gets Its WheelsPasadena CA (JPL) Jun 21, 2019 In this image, taken on June 13, 2019, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, install the starboard legs and wheels - otherwise known as the mobility suspension - on ... more
NASA Invests $45M in US Small Businesses for Space Tech DevelopmentWashington DC (SPX) Jun 19, 2019 American businesses will help NASA land astronauts on the Moon in five years and establish a sustainable presence there, as part of the agency's larger Moon to Mars exploration approach. NASA has se ... more |
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Five ethical questions for how we choose to use the Moon Melbourne, Australia (The Conversation) Jul 13, 2019
The Moon has always served as an inspiration for humanity, and there are many potential benefits for further exploration of our planet's rocky satellite.
But we need to establish guidelines to prevent unethical behaviour on the Moon, particularly regarding the use of natural resources and off-planet labour.
How humans should interact with space and celestial objects is central to the ... more |
From Moon to Mars, Chinese space engineers rise to new challenges Beijing (XNA) Jul 08, 2019
With eyes bright, Sun Zezhou, chief designer of China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe, speaks fast but clearly.
"Every time I see the moon, I think how Chinese probes have left permanent footprints on it, especially Chang'e-4, the first spacecraft to soft-land on the far side. As a member of the mission, I'm very proud," said Sun.
Chinese engineers began plans for the Chang'e-1 lunar probe i ... more |
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Hayabusa-makes completes second asteroid touchdown to collect samples Washington (UPI) Jul 11, 2019 Japan's asteroid-circling probe successfully executed a second touchdown on Thursday, collecting another sample from the surface of the space rock.
"The state of the spacecraft is normal and the touchdown sequence was performed as scheduled," the mission announced on Twitter. "Project Manager Tsuda has declared that the 2nd touchdown was a success!"
Japan's space agency, JAXA, sh ... more |
Jupiter's auroras powered by alternating current Washington (UPI) Jul 11, 2019
New analysis of Juno mission data suggests Jupiter's auroras are powered by alternating current, not direct current.
Jupiter, a the largest planet in the solar system, boasts an aurora with a radiant power of 100 terawatts, or 100 billion kilowatts. It's the brightest aurora in the solar system.
Like Earth's auroras, Jupiter's light shows are centered around its poles. The aurora ... more |
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SMU's 'Titans in a jar' could answer key questions ahead of NASA's space exploration Dallas TX (SPX) Jul 05, 2019
Researchers from Southern Methodist University (SMU) could help determine if Saturn's icy moon - Titan - has ever been home to life long before NASA completes an exploratory visit to its surface by a drone helicopter.
NASA announced in late June that its "Dragonfly" mission would launch toward Saturn's largest moon in 2026, expecting to arrive in 2034. The goal of the mission is to use a r ... more |
Animal observation system ICARUS is switched on Konstanz, Germany (SPX) Jul 16, 2019
The International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space (ICARUS) is a cooperative project between the Russian space agency Roscosmos and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) under the leadership of Martin Wikelski from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz.
With the space-based observation system, scientists want to find out m ... more |
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Major shuffle at NASA in rush to meet Trump's moon deadline Washington (AFP) July 11, 2019
NASA has replaced the head of its human space exploration directorate in a major shake-up, US media reported Wednesday, as the agency scrambles to meet President Donald Trump's ambitious deadline to return astronauts to the moon by 2024.
The project - named Artemis - would be the first attempt to return humans to the lunar surface since the last Apollo landing in 1972, but some experts dou ... more |
Astronomers expand cosmic "cheat sheet" in hunt for life Ithaca NY (SPX) Jul 11, 2019
Using nature's color palette from early Earth, Cornell University astronomers have created a cosmic "cheat sheet" in order to understand where discovered exoplanets may fall along their own evolutionary spectrum.
Jack O'Malley-James, a research associate at the Carl Sagan Institute, and Lisa Kaltenegger, professor of astronomy and director of the Carl Sagan Institute, co-authored "Expandin ... more |
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Navy's Fire Scout unmanned helicopter achieves initial operational capability Washington (UPI) Jul 9, 2019
The U.S. Navy's MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has reached initial operational capability, paving the way for fleet operations and training.
On June 28, the sea-based, vertical lift drone manufactured by Northrop Grumman was declared to achieve operational capability, the Navy said Monday.
The aircraft is designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness and precisi ... more |
Details of Solar Science Mission Revealed at UK Astronomy Meeting London, UK (SPX) Jul 05, 2019
Named after a Celtic goddess of the Sun, SULIS is a UK-led solar science mission, designed to answer fundamental questions about the physics of solar storms. The mission consists of a cluster of small satellites and will carefully monitor solar storms using state-of-the-art UK technology, as well as demonstrating new technologies in space. Lead Investigator on the project, Dr. Eamon Scullion of ... more |
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NASA SLS rocket testing ensures astronaut safety, mission success Huntsville AL (SPX) Jul 11, 2019
As the world reflects on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo missions, NASA is looking forward to its next giant leaps. One way NASA ensures the safety of astronauts and the success of the Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for future missions to Mars is by testing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket structures.
With the recent delivery of the last structural test article, the liq ... more |
Star formation may be halted by cold ionized hydrogen Dwingeloo, Netherlands (SPX) Jul 13, 2019
For the first time ionised hydrogen has been detected at the lowest frequency ever towards the centre of our galaxy. The findings originate from a cloud that is both very cold (around -230 degrees Celsius) and also ionised, something that has never been detected before. This discovery may help to explain why stars don't form as quickly as they theoretically could.
Dr. Raymond Oonk (ASTRON/ ... more |
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Chameleon Theory Could Change How We Think About Gravity Durham UK (SPX) Jul 09, 2019
Supercomputer simulations of galaxies have shown that Einstein's general theory of relativity might not be the only way to explain how gravity works or how galaxies form.
Physicists at Durham University, UK, simulated the cosmos using an alternative model for gravity - f(R)-gravity, a so called Chameleon Theory. The resulting images produced by the simulation show that galaxies like our Mi ... more |
Could vacuum physics be revealed by laser-driven microbubble? Osaka, Japan (SPX) Jul 11, 2019
A "vacuum" is generally thought to be nothing but empty space. But in fact, a vacuum is filled with "virtual particle-antiparticle pairs" of electrons and positrons that are continuously created and annihilated in unimaginably short time-scales.
The quest for a better understanding of vacuum physics will lead to the elucidation of fundamental questions in modern physics, which is integral ... more |
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With Squad X, dismounted units partner with AI to dominate battlespace Washington DC (SPX) Jul 13, 2019
DARPA's Squad X Experimentation program aims to demonstrate a warfighting force with artificial intelligence as a true partner. In a recent field test, the program worked with U.S. Marines at the Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California, to track progress on two complementary systems that allow infantry squads to collaborate with AI and autonomous systems to make better decisions ... more |
From Moon to Mars, Chinese space engineers rise to new challenges Beijing (XNA) Jul 08, 2019
With eyes bright, Sun Zezhou, chief designer of China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe, speaks fast but clearly.
"Every time I see the moon, I think how Chinese probes have left permanent footprints on it, especially Chang'e-4, the first spacecraft to soft-land on the far side. As a member of the mission, I'm very proud," said Sun.
Chinese engineers began plans for the Chang'e-1 lunar probe i ... more |
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