NASA confirms Dragonfly mission despite doubled costs
WASHINGTON — NASA has approved for development a mission to Saturn’s moon Titan despite a cost that has doubled since the agency selected the mission nearly five years ago.
Kepler partners up for ESA’s optical data relay constellation
TAMPA, Fla. — Kepler Communications, a Canadian small satellite operator, is teaming up with Europe’s Airbus Defence and Space and its independent laser terminal subsidiary Tesat-Spacecom to develop an optical relay network in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Muon Space banks on Space as a Service
SAN FRANCISCO – While constructing its own climate-monitoring constellation, Silicon startup Muon Space is earning more than $60 million designing, building and operating remote-sensing satellites for customers.
NASA picks 3 companies to design lunar rover for Artemis astronauts to drive on the moon
The agency has selected three private teams — led by the companies Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab, respectively — to develop their versions of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), the rover that Artemis astronauts will drive around the moon’s southern polar region beginning in 2030.
Japanese astronauts will join NASA moon landings in return for lunar rover
The first non-American to walk on the moon will be a Japanese astronaut, based on a new agreement between the United States and Japan.
Future quantum computers will be no match for ‘space encryption’ that uses light to beam data around — with the 1st satellite launching in 2025
By converting data into light particles and beaming them around the world using satellites, we could prevent encrypted messages from being intercepted by a superpowerful quantum computer, scientists claim.
We finally know why NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft stopped communicating — scientists are working on a fix
NASA engineers have discovered the cause of a communications breakdown between Earth and the interstellar explorer Voyager 1. It would appear that a small portion of corrupted memory exists in one of the spacecraft’s computers.
Gravitational waves reveal 1st-of-its-kind merger between neutron star and mystery object
Astronomers announced on April 5 that they may have detected a collision between a neutron star and a lightweight mystery object — an object larger than the largest known neutron star, but smaller than the smallest known black hole. The finding sheds light on objects that exist in this murky realm, which was long thought to be empty but, in recent times, has revealed otherwise.
Achoo! Baby star ‘sneezes’ tell astronomers a lot about their development
Every new parent knows the cold anxiety that grips them when their baby sneezes for the first time. That’s when a litany of possible issues and ailments probably begin to irrationally race through your mind. Researchers now know baby stars also “sneeze,” but these infinitely more powerful post-natal sneezes launch gas, dust, and magnetic energy. In other words, they’re more useful to the cosmos than stressful.
China launches first of a new series of Yaogan reconnaissance satellites
HELSINKI — China launched its first Yaogan-42 satellite late Tuesday, adding to the country’s growing military satellite reconnaissance capabilities.
End of an era: Delta 4 Heavy soars one last time
COLORADO SPRINGS — In a historic sendoff, United Launch Alliance on April 9 launched a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite on the final flight of the Delta 4 Heavy rocket.
Banding together for direct-to-smartphone satellite services
TAMPA, Fla. — Viasat is considering investing in spacecraft with other Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) operators as the promise of direct-to-smartphone technology drives unprecedented cooperation among historically isolated networks.
Space investors question the merits of vertical integration
TAMPA, Fla. — The benefits of buying space companies to pursue vertical integration are becoming less apparent in the current economic climate.
What It’s Like to Become a NASA Astronaut: 10 Surprising Facts
Being an astronaut is a tremendous commitment. Astronaut candidates — who tend to be selected in their 30s and 40s — usually leave prestigious careers for a chance at being an astronaut, starting again at the bottom of the rung. Training means long days at work and lots of travel. There’s also no guarantee they’ll make it into space.