In the deep waters of Earth’s oceans, scientists have discovered a new species of bacteria flourishing in the plumes from submarine hot springs. Such hot springs likely also exist on oceanic worlds like Jupiter’s moon Europa and the Saturn satellite Enceladus, so these observations sharpen our understanding of the forms alien life might take on…
The U.K. Space Agency has decided to continue funding a project by Rolls-Royce to create a small nuclear-powered reactor that could serve as a long-term energy source for lunar bases. The new boost to Rolls-Royce’s research pot follows a previous $303,495 (£249,000) study funded by the U.K. Space Agency in 2022. With the new funds,…
Former NASA astronaut Janet Kavandi says she was lucky to have support as a woman leader at the agency, and she hopes more people will get that chance soon. Kavandi was a space shuttle astronaut who flew a trio of flights between 1998 and 2001, with milestones including visiting the Russian space station Mir and…
NASA’s effort to return samples from Mars is facing increasing costs that is putting pressure not just on other planetary science missions but also a major heliophysics mission. The post Mars Sample Return cost growth threatens other science missions appeared first on .
Satellogic, the South American company known for high-resolution multispectral imagery, is selling Earth-observation satellites for around $10 million or less. The post Satellogic sells Earth-imagery satellites appeared first on .
Europe’s CHEOPS spacecraft will continue investigating planets outside our solar system until at least 2026. The European Space Agency (ESA) announced on March 9 that CHEOPS will continue its exoplanet-studying mission — which includes selecting “golden target” worlds for deeper investigation by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — for at least another three years,…
Pioneering astronomer Maria Mitchell is the star of a kid’s book using an ancient language she happened to know: Latin. Massachusetts-born Maria Mitchell (1818-1889) is best known for discovering a comet in 1847 and working to inspire women astronomers as a professor of astronomy at Vassar College, which she joined in 1865. Some 205 years…
The moon meets up with Saturn on Sunday (March 19) with the two celestial bodies sharing the same right ascension, an arrangement called a conjunction. The thin sliver of the moon, which will be in its waning crescent phase, will pass south of Saturn by 3°35′ according to In the Sky. (opens in new tab)…
SpaceX launched the last two satellites March 17 that SES needs to claim C-band spectrum clearing proceeds worth nearly $4 billion in total. The post SpaceX launches final two satellites in SES C-band clearing plan appeared first on .
Budget pressures in NASA’s planetary science program could force the agency to choose between continuing a mission to Venus that has already been delayed or requesting proposals for a future mission. The post NASA weighing continuing VERITAS versus future Discovery mission appeared first on .
Intelsat has acquired a “significant amount” of capacity from the recently launched Amazonas Nexus satellite to meet demand for connectivity over the Americas, an executive for the company told SpaceNews. The post Intelsat buys capacity on Hispasat’s Amazonas Nexus satellite appeared first on .
China’s Mars rover may be stuck, but scientists using data from the mission are still hopeful that the vehicle can reactivate and explore once more. Zhurong, which is part of China’s Tianwen 1 Mars mission, landed in Utopia Planitia in May 2021. The rover entered a dormant mode in May 2022, effectively allowing it to…
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission unveiled its proposed framework March 17 for regulating the use of terrestrial wireless spectrum from space for connecting smartphones beyond the reach of cell towers. The post FCC unveils proposed satellite direct-to-device regulatory framework appeared first on .
The first half of SpaceX’s St. Patrick’s Day doubleheader went well. The company aced its 18th orbital mission of 2023 on Friday (March 17), launching 52 of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit and landing a rocket on a ship at sea. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the broadband craft lifted off from California’s Vandenberg…
The James Webb Space Telescope has dazzled us plenty already, but the best is yet to come from the observatory, mission team members say. “We have a lot of fantastic work that’s coming out from the telescope,” Stefanie Milam, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) deputy project scientist for planetary science, told the audience Tuesday…
The Trek world continues its mission to explore strange new worlds. Paramount+’s “Star Trek: New Worlds” Season 1 was a triumphant success for the venerable sci-fi franchise that returned to lighter “planet-of-the-week”-style episodes which defined “Star Trek: The Original Series” and “Star Trek: The Animated Series.” Now “Strange New Worlds” Season 1 is destined for…
A newly discovered distant mini-Neptune planet may possess its own atmosphere, ocean, or a combination of the two, even if they don’t last for long. The extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, designated HD-2047496 b located around 77 light-years from Earth revealed its characteristics to astronomers as it crossed the face of its parent star. The discovery…
Everyone who owns an FDM 3D printer wishes they could print their projects faster without sacrificing quality. Fortunately, there are custom firmware options that can help you improve the print speeds of even the best 3D printers out there. Klipper is one of the most popular options for speed and quality, but it’s not a…
SpaceX’s huge new Starship vehicle could launch on its first-ever orbital test flight a little over a month from now, if all goes according to plan. SpaceX is now tentatively eyeing mid- to late April for that epic mission, which will lift off from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas. “SpaceX will be ready…
Chinese launch company Space Pioneer is all set for its first attempt to reach orbit, according to a photo from the country’s Jiuquan spaceport. Space Pioneer’s Tianlong 2 rocket, which can translate (opens in new tab)to “heavenly dragon,” is nearing its first launch and is set to lift off before the end of March, according…