The official portrait of Oleg Kononenko.Image Credit: NASA / Andrey Shelepin On June 5, Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko became the first person to spend 1,000 days in space. He surpassed the previous record held by fellow Russian Gennady Padalka, who spent 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds in space. Both achieved their...
Starliner lifting offBoeing Boeing finally had success today with its Starliner spacecraft, which soared into orbit after numerous attempts. At 10:52 am EDT, astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket. Following 14 years of cost overruns, delays, persistent technical issues, an embarrassing initial uncrewed flight,...
The Sif Mons area with the active volcanic region highlighted in red Recent lava flows observed on Venus indicate that the planet may be significantly more geologically active than previously believed, potentially rivaling Earth's activity. These geological processes, initially identified by the Magellan spacecraft in the 1990s, are likely still ongoing and will be crucial observation...
(JIJI PRESS/AFP/Japan OUT) Japanese researchers have built the world's first wooden satellite, which is scheduled to be launched on a SpaceX rocket in September. Developed by scientists at Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry, this experimental satellite is a tiny cuboid, with each side measuring just 10 centimeters (four inches). The creators anticipate that the wooden material...
Credit: Pixabay On May 20th, 2024, a 380 square kilometer (~147 mi²) iceberg separated from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. This event, known as A-83, marks the third major iceberg calving in this area in the last four years. In 2021, the first significant event occurred when A-74 separated from the ice sheet, followed by...
The LORIS robot, pictured here scaling a concrete wallCarnegie Mellon University Researchers have developed a four-legged robot inspired by biology, capable of climbing in a distinctive manner. It adheres to rough vertical surfaces using a novel mechanism that is both highly efficient and relatively straightforward. Unlike experimental robots relying on suction-based gripping systems for smooth...
The Q1 microcomputer had a built-in keyboard and plasma screenHeritage Auctions The Q1 desktop microcomputer, recognized as the world's first microcomputer, was unexpectedly discovered by cleaners at Kingston University in London while sorting through storage boxes. Now, it's set to be auctioned at Heritage Auctions, along with a subsequent model and a printer. Occasionally, moments of...
Located 1,232 light-years away, WASP-193b is an exoplanet nearly 50 percent larger than Jupiter. Surprisingly, its density is comparable to that of cotton candy, being just over 1 percent of Earth's density. Described as an "absolute dandelion puff-ball of a world," it's one of the most peculiar discoveries in the galaxy.
A robotics firm, famed for presenting its adept robotic hand with Jeff Bezos at Amazon re: MARS, has introduced a robust new model designed for machine learning research, developed in collaboration with Google's DeepMind. Located in London, Shadow Robot brings over twenty years of expertise in robot design and has catered to prestigious research and...
Starliner awaiting launchBoeing Boeing canceled its attempt to send two astronauts into orbit. Technical issues with the oxygen release valve of the Centaur second stage of the Atlas V rocket led to the halt of the Starliner spacecraft's launch at 8:33 pm EDT. The launch of Starliner, initially scheduled for 10:34:14 pm EDT, was aborted after...
