Rolls-Royce has received an additional £4.8 million (US$6.2 million) from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to develop critical technology for a nuclear micro-reactor, potentially powering lunar bases and spacecraft propulsion in the future. In the 1969 science fiction film Doppelganger (also known as Journey to the Far Side of the Sun), the hero docks with […]
Rolls-Royce Gets $6M for Nuclear Space Reactor Development Read More »
Medications used by astronauts on the International Space Station may not be sufficient for a three-year trip to Mars. A new Duke Health study reveals that over half of the medicines, including pain relievers, antibiotics, allergy medicines, and sleep aids, would expire before the astronauts’ return to Earth. Astronauts might have to rely on ineffective
Expired Medications Could Complicate Long Space Missions Read More »
NASA has shared details about its plan to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) after it is decommissioned in 2030. During a press conference, NASA explained that the US Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), which is being built by SpaceX, will be used for this task. The ISS, one of the most ambitious and costly space engineering
NASA and SpaceX’s Plans to Deorbit and Dismantle the ISS Read More »
China is aiming to enter the field of planetary defense. A recent paper by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) reveals plans for a test mission in 2030 to deflect a small asteroid from its current trajectory. If there is to be a space race, developing methods to protect Earth from rogue asteroids is one
China Aims to Deflect a Near-Earth Asteroid by 2030 Read More »
Drawing inspiration from the desert-dwelling Fremen in the science fiction series Dune, who recycle their body’s moisture with special suits called stillsuits, researchers have developed a prototype spacesuit that converts astronaut urine into drinkable water, as reported in Frontiers in Space Technology on July 12. “I’ve been a fan of the Dune series for as
A Dune-Inspired Astronaut Suit Converts Urine into Drinkable Water Read More »
For the past 50 years, the existence of tunnels beneath the lunar surface has been a subject of theoretical debate. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter radar data analysis has now unveiled what lies beneath Mare Tranquillitatis. Led by the University of Trento, Italy, an international team of scientists has published a groundbreaking study revealing the discovery
NASA’s Orbiter Finds New Tunnels on the Moon Read More »
Just over ten years ago, a robotic rover on Mars provided a long-awaited answer to a critical question: it confirmed the presence of organic material buried in the sediment of the planet’s ancient lakebeds. Since then, we have continued to discover organic molecules on Mars, distributed in a manner indicating widespread carbon chemistry on our
Chemical Discovery on Mars Suggests Origins of Life on Earth Read More »
Europe will re-enter the heavy lift rocket market on July 9, 2024, with the maiden flight of the Ariane 6, which will carry nearly a dozen satellites and experiments. The launch window at Kourou, French Guiana, begins at 2:00 pm EDT. Here’s how you can watch. ESA has eagerly anticipated the launch of Ariane 6
How to Watch the Inaugural Flight of the Ariane 6 Heavy Lift Rocket Read More »
NASA announced on Tuesday that it has chosen SpaceX to construct a spacecraft that will return the International Space Station to Earth’s atmosphere and guide it to its final resting place in the Pacific Ocean upon its retirement in 2030. Elon Musk’s company has secured a contract potentially worth $843 million to develop and provide
NASA Chooses SpaceX to Decommission the International Space Station Read More »
For the last four years, astronomers have observed the supermassive black hole at the center of SDSS1335+0728 undergo a transformation from a dim and inactive state to a bright and active one. This real-time observation marks the first such transition ever documented. Researchers reported these findings in the June 18 issue of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Astronomers Witness the First Activation of a Supermassive Black Hole Read More »