GEO operators look to local service providers to compete against Starlink

Geostationary satellite operators say local service providers in hard-to-reach connectivity markets are helping them counter competition from SpaceX’s Starlink low Earth orbit network in Latin America. The post GEO operators look to local service providers to compete against Starlink appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpaceX launching 22 Starlink satellites from California tonight

SpaceX plans to launch another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit tonight (March 18). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off tonight from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base during a nearly four-hour window that opens at 10:28 p.m. EDT (0228 GMT on March 19). You can watch…

Marvel Comics' new series celebrates Boba Fett's Mandalorian dad

Notorious Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett’s stock in the “Star Wars” universe has soared ever since his introduction in “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” as the DNA donor to the cloned Grand Army of the Republic and proud papa of his unaltered replica, Boba Fett.  Portrayed by Temuera Morrison (“Once Were Warriors,” “The Book…

Track the April 8 total solar eclipse with SkySafari, now 80% off

SkySafari is celebrating the solar eclipse, and you can grab it on a great deal through April 8. The entry-level version of SkySafari 7, which features on our best stargazing apps guide, locates millions of planets, stars and constellations with a single screen tap. It is on sale right now for just $0.99, just in…

Bad news for life on Mars? Red Planet's wet epoch may have been shorter than we thought

Mars may be dry and barren today, but multiple lines of evidence show that water flowed across the Red Planet billions of years ago.  Now, new research has suggested that this water may have existed at the surface of Mars for less time than previously thought. That’s because gullies observed on Mars by spacecraft like…

New NASA astronauts 'thrilled' to see 1st Boeing Starliner crew launch in May (exclusive)

A new spacecraft will at last launch its first crew in May, and a fresh group of NASA astronauts say they’re excited to support it. NASA’s newest astronaut group graduated from basic training on March 5, just in time for the first Boeing Starliner test launch with astronauts, which is now expected in May. Veteran…

Startical orders test satellites for air traffic surveillance and comms constellation

Spanish defense contractor Indra has teamed up with local air navigation services provider Enaire to order two satellites next year to test their proposed air traffic surveillance and communications constellation. The post Startical orders test satellites for air traffic surveillance and comms constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Scientists may finally know why this infamous supernova wears a 'string of pearls'

Scientists may have discovered how a supernova that sits relatively close to Earth came to be adorned by a remarkable “string of pearls” formation.  Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A) represents the remains of a huge cosmic explosion that ripped apart a massive star and left behind a neutron star ringed by stellar material. It’s located in…

Satellite manufacturers defend diminished GEO market

Manufacturers of traditional geostationary communications satellites insist demand for their products is not going away thanks to technological advances and interest in multi-orbit solutions. The post Satellite manufacturers defend diminished GEO market appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpaceX's Starship will go interstellar someday, Elon Musk says

SpaceX’s Starship megarocket could eventually live up to its bold name. A future iteration of Starship, which conducted its third-ever test flight last week, will go interstellar, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk. “This Starship is designed to traverse our entire solar system and beyond to the cloud of objects surrounding us. A…

Thomas Stafford, NASA astronaut who led Apollo-Soyuz joint mission, dies at 93

Former NASA astronaut Thomas Stafford, who flew to the moon before leading the first international space mission carried out by the United States and Russia, has died at the age of 93. Stafford’s death on Monday (March 18) came after an extended illness, according to Max Ary, director of the Stafford Air and Space Museum…

Orbith orders small Astranis GEO broadband satellite for Argentina

Astranis said March 18 it has sold a small geostationary broadband satellite slated to launch in 2025 to Orbith, a remote connectivity provider based in Argentina. The post Orbith orders small Astranis GEO broadband satellite for Argentina appeared first on SpaceNews.

Mysterious 'unparticles' may be pushing the universe apart, new theoretical study suggests

The ever-accelerating expansion of the universe may be driven by a mysterious form of matter called “unparticles,” which do not obey the Standard Model of particle physics, a new theoretical paper suggests. Scientists widely acknowledge that the universe is expanding, though the cause of that expansion remains elusive. One of the most popular proposed explanations is a…

National Reconnaissance Office embracing mix of big and small satellites

Troy Meink, principal deputy director of the NRO, said the agency is leveraging new commercial capabilities for certain missions where small satellites can meet requirements at lower cost. The post National Reconnaissance Office embracing mix of big and small satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpaceX to launch 30th cargo mission to the ISS for NASA this week

SpaceX is about to hit another round-number milestone. Elon Musk’s company will launch its 30th contracted cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA on Thursday (March 21), if all goes according to plan. A robotic SpaceX Dragon capsule is scheduled to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday at 4:55 p.m.…

Why I'm going to Rochester NY to see my first-ever total solar eclipse

Living in the U.K., I’ve had very little opportunity to see a total solar eclipse. The only one to occur in my lifetime was in 1999 but I lived outside the path of totality, the clouds hampered any partial eclipse viewing efforts and there was very little to see.  But not this time! I’ve decided…

Bundling enterprise service in the fractured Direct-to-Device LEO landscape

Direct-to-device (D2D) LEO service providers should collaborate and offer bundles to best serve the emerging market, rather than competing. The post Bundling enterprise service in the fractured Direct-to-Device LEO landscape appeared first on SpaceNews.

How long would it take to walk around Mars?

Humans have long had a fascination with Mars, and NASA has ambitious plans to send astronauts there within the next few decades. Anyone walking on Mars would likely explore only a small fraction of the planet’s surface.  But without oceans or other bodies of water, could an astronaut walk all the way around the Red…

Aerospace Corp. and Space Foundation announce partnership on workforce initiative

Melanie Stricklan, co-founder and former CEO of Slingshot Aerospace, was appointed executive director of Space Workforce 2030 The post Aerospace Corp. and Space Foundation announce partnership on workforce initiative appeared first on SpaceNews.

India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander barely kicked up any moon dust. Here's why that matters

India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which aced its historic landing near the moon’s south pole last August, barely kicked up any moon dust during descent thanks to a unique configuration of engines, a new study reveals. As a result, its cameras got clear views of the landing region during the critical minutes prior to touchdown, therefore capturing…