China’s record-breaking Gravity-1 rocket launches 9 satellites from a ship at sea (video)

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The world’s most powerful solid-fuel rocket just aced its third-ever mission. Gravity-1, a distinctively squat and stubby rocket, launched Tuesday night (July 21) from the deck of a ship stationed off the coast of Shanghai. Liftoff occurred at 10:54 p.m. EDT (0254 GMT and 10:54 a.m. Beijing time on July 22), according to the state-run Chinese outlet Xinhua, which further reported that all nine satellites reached “their designated orbits.” Details about those satellites were not provided. Orienspace’s Gravity-1 rocket launches nine satellites to orbit from a ship at sea on…

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5 disturbing things we saw after digging into the recent ‘Dune: Part 3’ trailer

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The latest “Dune: Part 3” trailer arrived back on July 8, and it was a sumptuous banquet of startling set pieces, intergalactic political unrest, close-quarter combat, and a whole lot of sand and ash. A fine follow-up tothe initial March teaser, to be sure. After letting it marinate in our minds for a while, let’s break down five items of particular interest in this newest preview of the Denis Villeneuve-directed conclusion to his trilogy of far-future sci-fi epics adapted from author Frank Herbert’s novels, “Dune” and “Dune: Messiah.” Set 17…

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After nearly 30 years, NASA realized this near-Earth asteroid is actually a comet. The discovery may help us defend the planet some day

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A near-Earth object that astronomers believed was an asteroid for nearly three decades has been unmasked as a faint, active comet, revealing a case of cosmic mistaken identity that could help improve planetary defense. The object, known since its discovery in 1998 as 1998 SH2, appeared to be an ordinary asteroid. It follows a 4.5-year orbit around the sun and showed no obvious signs of cometary activity, such as the glowing coma or tail produced when sunlight vaporizes surface ice. However, during a close pass about 2 million miles (3…

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NASA to Showcase Agency’s Newest Wind Tunnel in Virginia

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The Flight Dynamics Research Facility, located at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is the agency’s first major wind tunnel built in more than 40 years. NASA/Mark Knopp Media are invited to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on Friday, July 31, to attend a media tour and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, the agency’s first new wind tunnel in more than 40 years. The event will include a brief media availability with: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman Dr. Trina Dyal, center director, NASA Langley Administrator…

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Robotic Servicing Mission Launches with NASA Support

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Following its liftoff from Cape Canaveral on July 21 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) hosting the NASA-supported Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload is now en route to geosynchronous Earth orbit, where it will use its advanced robotics to service spacecraft. RSGS leverages in-space robotics expertise from NASA, aligned with the agency’s broader goals to advance U.S. capabilities for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing that can be applied to space commerce and exploration. Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle hosting the NASA-supported Robotic Servicing…

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NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Chris Williams, Crewmates Return

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The Roscosmos Soyuz MS 28 spacecraft is pictured in November 2025 shortly after docking to the International Space Station’s Rassvet module. Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev are wrapping up their 241‑day mission aboard the International Space Station. The crew and its Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft will undock from the orbiting laboratory’s Rassvet module at 3:02 a.m. EDT Sunday, July 26, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 6:26 a.m. (3:26 p.m. local time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of Dzhezkazgan. NASA’s live…

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Comet 10P/Tempel Brightens, Sets Sail South

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This periodic visitor is now bright enough to see in binoculars from a dark sky. We also report on a bright supernova in Ursa Major. The post Comet 10P/Tempel Brightens, Sets Sail South appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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NISAR’s L-Band Radar Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica

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2 Min Read NISAR’s L-Band Radar Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica PIA26617 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal NISAR’s L-Band Radar Reveals… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About   Downloads NISAR’s L-Band Radar Reveals ‘Hummingbird’ in Antarctica PNG (43.77 MB) PIA26617 Figure A JPEG (29.10 MB) Description Data from the Earth-orbiting U.S.-India NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite’s L-band radar was used to produce an image of Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja — a mountaintop in East Antarctica — poking out amid a stream of ice flowing northeast to the…

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