Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of April 10
Read MoreMonth: April 2023
Hubble Spots a Galaxy with Tendrils
This image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows JO204, a ‘jellyfish galaxy’ so named for the bright tendrils of gas that appear in this image as drifting lazily below JO204’s bright central bulk. The galaxy lies almost 600 million light-years away in the constellation Sextans.
Read MoreNew Carl Sagan documentary in the works from National Geographic and Seth MacFarlane
Carl Sagan, the acclaimed astronomer, astrophysicist and author who introduced a whole generation to the wonders of the heavens with his bestselling “Cosmos” science book and TV series and made saying the phrase “billions and billions” so much fun, is getting a new documentary feature on his prolific career courtesy of NatGeo and Seth MacFarlane. Per Deadline (opens in new tab), the starbound legend of Carl Sagan will live on in a mind-expanding project being produced by National Geographic Documentary Films in alliance with Fuzzy Door’s Seth MacFarlane and Erica…
Read MoreChinese rocket startup bounces back from 3 straight failures with successful launch (video)
Chinese commercial launch startup iSpace has completed its second successful flight of its Hyperbola 1 solid rocket. The fifth Hyperbola 1 rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:00 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT, 12:00 p.m. Beijing time) on Friday (April 7). The four-stage solid rocket successfully achieved orbit but carried no active payload. The aim of the flight was to verify the overall performance of the vehicle and obtain flight data, according to a company statement (opens in new tab). Related: The latest news…
Read MoreWilliam Shatner is back in the captain’s chair in wild new ‘Stars on Mars’ TV show
The indefatigable William Shatner is about to embark on a Red Planet mission, or at least a simulated one. Fox is heating up summertime television by approving a full season of the sci-fi reality series, “Stars on Mars,” a celebrity-fueled unscripted show spotlighting “Star Trek” luminary William Shatner in a host-style role, according to Variety (opens in new tab). This extra-planetary series will premiere in June and is centered around Earthly entertainment stars as they slip on spacesuits to reside inside a colony habitat designed to simulate environments that a Mars…
Read MoreHeavy Rain, Snow Revive Tulare Lake
Floodwater (dark blue) stands out against the vegetation in agricultural fields around Tulare Lake near Corcoran, California, in this enhanced color image taken by Landsat 8 on March 29, 2023.
Read MoreNASA, SpaceX’s 27th Resupply Mission Returns Science Samples for Study
Samples from NASA studies are returning from the International Space Station April 15 aboard the 27th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission for the agency.
Read MoreRelativity Space shelves Terran 1 rocket, focuses on bigger, reusable Terran R
The first-ever 3D-printed rocket is being retired after a single flight. That vehicle, Relativity Space’s Terran 1, launched on its debut test flight on March 22. The rocket performed well initially, surviving Max-Q, the part of flight during which the structural loads are highest on a vehicle. But something went wrong shortly after the Terran 1’s two stages separated, and the rocket failed to reach orbit. On Wednesday (April 12), Relativity Space revealed the preliminary findings (opens in new tab) of its ongoing anomaly investigation. It appears that the main valves…
Read MoreSpace debris problem spurs a bold change in US government regulations
The fast-growing space debris issue is top of mind at a new space-focused division of the U.S. government. “Satellite and orbital debris rules” will be one of the primary responsibilities of the newly created Space Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The regulator announced (opens in new tab) the new bureau on Tuesday (April 11). The FCC is trying to pivot quickly amid a fast-changing space environment; more satellites launching and an increasing collision risk are among the challenges it faces. For example, SpaceNews reports (opens in new tab)…
Read MoreEurope’s JUICE Jupiter mission rolls out to pad for April 13 launch (photos)
Europe’s flagship mission to Jupiter looks ready to fly. The European Space Agency (ESA) shared images of the Ariane 5 rocket ahead of its April 13 launch that will send its JUICE spacecraft to Jupiter and its moons. “#ESAJuice is on the move, getting closer to #DestinationJupiter,” the mission’s official Twitter account tweeted (opens in new tab) on Wednesday (April 12) alongside images of the rocket being rolled out the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana ahead of the planned liftoff. The launch will mark the penultimate…
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