The European Space Agency (ESA) has kicked off the development of a future satellite constellation that will orbit the moon and provide navigation and telecommunication services to lunar explorers. If all goes according to plan, the new system could be in place in the late 2020s, only a few years after the expected landing of NASA’s crewed Artemis 3 mission near the lunar south pole. ESA believes that Earth’s celestial companion is set to become a busy destination in the coming years, with commercial companies and nations from across the…
Read MoreMonth: May 2021
Blue Origin launches dinosaur bones into space for ‘Dream Big’ initiative
Blue Origin has launched pieces of the past for its Club for the Future. Jeff Bezos’ commercial spaceflight company recently sent dinosaur bones into space to support its nonprofit’s Dream Big Alabama initiative and the Huntsville Science Festival. The fossil fragments, each 65 to 70 million years old, lifted off in April on the 15th and last test flight before Blue Origin plans to start flying people aboard its New Shepard suborbital launch vehicle. “The dinosaur bones are from a ‘dromaeosaurid’ in the raptor family — likely a Dromaeosaurus,” Joe…
Read MoreLook up! The Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse is coming May 26
Four eclipses will occur this year, two of the moon and two of the sun. The first of these will take place during the early hours of Wednesday (May 26) when the full moon becomes completely immersed in Earth’s dark umbral shadow, producing the first total lunar eclipse since January 2019. Unfortunately, those who live in the eastern third of the United States will see little or nothing of this event, because when the visual show begins to get underway, the moon will either be approaching its setting or will…
Read MoreThis Week’s Sky at a Glance, May 21 – 29
The Moon waxes from gibbous to supermoon-eclipse full. Low at dusk, Venus and Mercury close in on each other. Nova Cas has dropped back. And at dawn, Jupiter and Saturn climb a bit into slightly better view. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 21 – 29 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreNASA Invites Media to Briefing on Science Launching to Space Station
NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 26, to discuss select science investigations launching on the next SpaceX commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station.
Read MoreInterstellar and Solar System Comets Share a Surprising Ingredient: Nickel
Cold comets — both natives and the interstellar Comet Borisov — have nickel and iron vapor in their atmospheres, and scientists want to know why. The post Interstellar and Solar System Comets Share a Surprising Ingredient: Nickel appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreNASA, ESA, JAXA Host Hackathon to Study COVID-19’s Environmental Effects
The measures countries have taken in response to COVID-19, ranging from large-scale lockdowns to the mass deployment of personal protective equipment, have resulted in environmental effects.
Read MoreEverything You Need to Know for the May 26th Morning Lunar Eclipse
The total lunar eclipse of May 26th — the first in more than two years — favors western North America, but much of the continent will see the partial phases, provided skies are clear. The post Everything You Need to Know for the May 26th Morning Lunar Eclipse appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreSpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Mission to Space Station Launches Water Bears, Squids, Solar Panels
The 22nd SpaceX cargo resupply mission carrying scientific research and technology demonstrations launches to the ISS from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than June 3.
Read MoreAstronaut Mark Vande Hei Gets His Eyes Checked on Station
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei gets detailed views of his retina as part of regularly scheduled eye checks on the station.
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