GOES-U satellite reaches geostationary orbit, now designated GOES-19
On July 7, 2024, NOAA's GOES-U executed its final engine burn, placing the satellite in geostationary orbit 22,236 miles above Earth's equator. Upon reaching this milestone, GOES-U was renamed GOES-19. GOES satellites are designated with a letter pri.....»»
"Lost" spy satellite orbited Earth undetected for 25 years—until now, scientists say
An experimental spy satellite that was deemed "lost" after eluding detection for decades has finally been found. "The S73-7 satellite has been rediscovered after being untracked for 25 years," astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell said in an April 29 post.....»»
Astronomers explore globular cluster NGC 2419
Using the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) and ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers have explored a galactic globular cluster known as NGC 2419. Results of the study, published April 29 on the preprint server arXiv, shed more light on the propertie.....»»
SpaceX got the fanfare, but Boeing’s first crew flight is still historic
Ars spoke with the three Americans alive who have test-flown a new spacecraft in orbit. Enlarge / Astronauts Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore (right) inside a Starliner simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. (.....»»
Making sure ESA"s cloud and aerosol satellite is aerosol-free
A few weeks ago, a team of engineers carefully extracted ESA's EarthCARE satellite from its protective transport container, initiating a meticulous process of inspection, testing and preparation for its liftoff later this month from the Vandenberg la.....»»
Japanese satellite chases down space junk
A satellite from Japanese company Astroscale has taken an up-close image of a piece of space debris it has been chasing down......»»
Rocket Report: Astroscale chases down dead rocket; Ariane 6 on the pad
Rocket Factory Augsburg, a German launch startup, nears a test-firing of its booster. Enlarge / This image captured by Astroscale's ADRAS-J satellite shows the discarded upper stage from a Japanese H-IIA rocket. (credit: Astrosca.....»»
Japanese aerospace company captures an actual picture of space debris
Space debris is a growing problem, so companies are working on ways to mitigate it. A new satellite called ADRAS-J was built and launched to demonstrate how a spacecraft could rendezvous with a piece of space junk, paving the path for future removal......»»
Two small NASA satellites will measure soil moisture, volcanic gases
Two NASA pathfinding missions were recently deployed into low-Earth orbit, where they are demonstrating novel technologies for observing atmospheric gases, measuring freshwater, and even detecting signs of potential volcanic eruptions......»»
Sideloading, third-party browser engines, and more are coming to the iPad in the EU this year
Earlier this week, the European Commission announced that iPadOS is now designated as a gatekeeper platform in the European Union, just like the iPhone and the App Store. In a new developer announcement today, Apple acknowledged this change and co.....»»
X-ray satellite XMM-Newton sees "space clover" in a new light
Astronomers have discovered enormous circular radio features of unknown origin around some galaxies. Now, new observations of one dubbed the Cloverleaf suggest it was created by clashing groups of galaxies......»»
Satellite images of plants" fluorescence can predict crop yields
Cornell researchers and collaborators have developed a new framework that allows scientists to predict crop yield without the need for enormous amounts of high-quality data—which is often scarce in developing countries, especially those facing heig.....»»
NASA/JAXA"s XRISM mission captures unmatched data with just 36 pixels
At a time when phone cameras are capable of taking snapshots with millions of pixels, an instrument on the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) satellite captures revolutionary science with just 36 of them......»»
Europe’s ambitious satellite Internet project appears to be running into trouble
The devil, as always, is in the details. Enlarge / EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton wants Europe to have its own secure satellite communications network. (credit: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images) It has be.....»»
Two giants in the satellite telecom industry join forces to counter Starlink
SES is buying Intelsat, the world's first commercial satellite operator, for $3.1 billion. Enlarge / The Intelsat 901 satellite is seen by a Northrop Grumman servicing vehicle in 2020. (credit: Northrop Grumman) Facing c.....»»
New space company seeks to solve orbital mobility with high delta-v spacecraft
"If we’re going to have a true space economy, that means logistics and supply services." Enlarge / What a Supernova spacecraft might look like in orbit. (credit: Portal Space Systems) Over the course of the last seven.....»»
Researchers explore an old galactic open cluster
Using data from ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers from Turkey and India have investigated NGC 188—an old open cluster in the Milky Way. Results of the study, published April 19 on the pre-print server arXiv, deliver important insights into the para.....»»
NASA lays out how SpaceX will refuel Starships in low-Earth orbit
"The fundamental flow mechanism is the pressure delta across the umbilical." Enlarge / Artist's illustration of two Starships docked belly-to-belly in orbit. (credit: SpaceX) Some time next year, NASA believes SpaceX wi.....»»
Elon Musk loses at Supreme Court in case over “funding secured” tweets
Musk can't kill SEC settlement that requires pre-approval of tweets about Tesla. Enlarge / Elon Musk speaks at the Satellite Conference and Exhibition on March 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. (credit: Getty Images | Win McNamee ).....»»
Tidal disruption event ASASSN-19bt experiences unusual radio evolution, observations show
An international team of astronomers has conducted detailed radio and X-ray observations of a tidal disruption event (TDE) designated ASASSN-19bt. Results of the observational campaign, presented April 18 on the pre-print server arXiv, shed more ligh.....»»
The planetary orbit in Netflix"s "3 Body Problem" is random and chaotic, but could it exist?
I first encountered the three-body problem 60 years ago, in a short story called "Placet is a Crazy Place" by American science fiction writer Frederic Brown......»»