An amateur astronomer has discovered a new moon of Jupiter. While it hasn’t received official designation yet, it would bring the tally of Jovian satellites to 80. The post Amateur Astronomer Discovers New Moon of Jupiter appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreMonth: July 2021
China’s Chang’e 6 mission will collect lunar samples from the far side of the moon by 2024
China is preparing a follow-up to its audacious Chang’e 5 lunar sample return mission by sending a similar spacecraft to collect material from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin on the far side of the moon. China launched Chang’e 5 in November last year and 23 days later recovered a return capsule containing samples of what could be the youngest lunar rocks so far collected. That mission’s backup, Chang’e 6, is now being prepared for an even more challenging sampling attempt on the far side of the moon in 2024. Hu…
Read MoreNew measurement may resolve cosmological crisis
A fundamental disagreement in the measurement of the universe’s expansion rate could be explained away, new data suggests. In a new paper, a major player in this dilemma takes a look at the available information and concludes that the best observations might be pointing to a triumph for our standard picture of how the universe has grown over time. Scientists know that the universe is expanding but have disagreed for a decade about just how fast this process is happening. Data that uses the cosmic microwave background (CMB), a leftover…
Read MoreNASA Invites Media to Northrop Grumman’s August Launch from Virginia
Media accreditation is open for the launch from Virginia of Northrop Grumman’s 16th commercial resupply services mission to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station aboard its Cygnus spacecraft.
Read MoreStargazing Forecast: Will You Have Clear Skies Tonight?
These websites and apps can help you forecast the astronomical observing conditions for your next night out. The post Stargazing Forecast: Will You Have Clear Skies Tonight? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreThis Week in NASA History: Final Launch of Shuttle Program – July 8, 2011
This week in 2011, space shuttle Atlantis, mission STS-135, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station.
Read MoreSmall-launch startup Astra aiming for 300 missions per year by 2025
Astra plans to get to Earth orbit for the first time this summer — and to return many times in the ensuing weeks, months and years. The Bay Area small-launch startup reached space for the first time last December, on a test flight with its 38-foot-tall (12 meters) Rocket 3.2 vehicle from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Alaska’s Kodiak Island. Rocket 3.2 didn’t quite reach orbit, running out of fuel just seconds before achieving the required velocity. But Astra made some tweaks to its next booster, Rocket 3.3, and plans…
Read MoreSpace tourism, 20 years in the making, is finally ready for launch
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. For most people, getting to the stars is nothing more than a dream. On April 28, 2001, Dennis Tito achieved that lifelong goal — but he wasn’t a typical astronaut. Tito, a wealthy businessman, paid US$20 million for a seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to be the first tourist to visit the International Space Station. Only seven people have followed suit in the 20 years since, but that number is poised to double in the next…
Read MoreNASA’s James Webb Space Telescope passes key review ahead of fall launch
NASA’s next big space telescope just took a big step forward toward its planned launch this fall. The $9.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope mission has passed a key launch review, keeping it on track to lift off atop an Ariane 5 rocket before the end of the year, European Space Agency (ESA) officials announced last week. “This major milestone, carried out with Arianespace, the Webb launch service provider, confirms that Ariane 5, the Webb spacecraft and the flight plan are set for launch,” ESA officials wrote in a July…
Read MoreNASA’s Curiosity Takes Step Toward Solving Mars Methane Mystery
New measurements from NASA’s Curiosity rover show that methane concentrations near the Martian surface vary on a daily cycle. The finding could help reconcile conflicting data. The post NASA’s Curiosity Takes Step Toward Solving Mars Methane Mystery appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
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