Category: Solar System

Our solar system

Remote-control robots could help humanity explore the moon and Mars

NeRD

Teleoperated rovers could soon be working on the moon, with human controllers on Earth manipulating the rovers’ tools virtually, allowing for greater dexterity when taking samples, digging or assembling. Researchers from the robotics laboratory at the University of Bristol in England have tested their new teleoperations system at the European Space Agency‘s (ESA) European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications at Harwell in Oxfordshire. By controlling a virtual simulation of a rover, they were able to manipulate a robotic arm to dig a sample of pretend lunar regolith (called simulant).…

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‘Edge of Space’ director Jean de Meuron on his X-15 film and having ‘the right stuff’ (exclusive)

NeRD

Soaring in with the unbridled spirit of classics like director Philip Kaufman’s “The Right Stuff,” a new short film making the festival rounds and being submitted for Oscar contention is indie filmmaker Jean de Meuron’s “Edge of Space.”  This 18-minute cinematic flight starring Chad Michael Collins is a thrilling leap into the wild blue yonder. It offers an absorbing glimpse into NASA’s X-15 rocket plane, which flew from 1959 to 1968, and we’ve got an exclusive high-altitude clip to share. That legendary hypersonic rocket-propelled aircraft was an experimental marvel drop-launched…

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Blowing up: Inflatable space habitats could be key to exploring the solar system

NeRD

It’s high time to crank up the volume in space! That’s the shout from several private firms that want to see an inflation factor for the future. What is now being evaluated and tested is the use of “softgoods” to fashion inflatable/expandable airlocks and off-Earth habitats, not only for low Earth orbit, but also to provide comfy housing for future moon and Mars explorers. First, however, there’s a memory lane trip about this idea worth taking, one that also underscores how far things have evolved. NASA’s Echo balloon project in…

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SpaceX launches 20 Eutelsat OneWeb broadband satellites to orbit

NeRD

SpaceX sent a set of internet satellites to orbit for another company early Sunday morning (Oct. 20). SpaceX launched the last batch of Eutelsat OneWeb’s V1 satellites from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday at 1:13 a.m. EDT (0513 GMT; 10:13 p.m. on Oct. 19 local California time). The Falcon 9‘s first stage returned to Earth as planned, touching down at Vandenberg’s Landing Zone 4 about eight minutes after lifting off. It was the seventh launch and landing for this particular booster, according to…

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‘Starfield: Shattered Space’ is outlandish enough, but won’t alter your perception of the game (review)

NeRD

Starfield’s hopeful exploration of mankind’s future among the stars (with a healthy dose of zany sci-fi thrown in too) seemed to convince enough critics when the game launched a little over a year ago, but it also faced harsh criticism from longtime Bethesda fans and players expecting much more advanced game design. Does the Shattered Space expansion fix any of those central issues?  The short answer is: no, not really. Bethesda Game Studios seems to be quite proud of Starfield overall, and it makes sense that the studio is sticking…

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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 133 —Red Moon Rising

NeRD

Red Moon Rising – Artemis, Commercial Space, and the China Challenge – YouTube Watch On On Episode 133 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Greg Autry on the progress of the Artemis moon program, space science, and the challenges posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Dr. Autry is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of “Red Moon Rising.”  We’ll also highlight the…

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New ‘Dune: Prophecy’ trailer unveils the prequel series’ grand scope (video)

NeRD

Dune: Prophecy | Official Series Trailer | Max – YouTube Watch On HBO’s “Dune: Prophecy” is poised to be an irresistible miniseries for “Dune” fans when its six-episode season enters our galaxy on Nov. 17, 2024 on HBO and Max.  The initial teaser rolled out back in May, but today (Oct. 18) at NYCC during the “Dune: Prophecy” panel on the Empire Stage that included showrunner Alison Schapker, executive producer Jordan Goldberg, and cast members Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, and Jessica Barden,…

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US Space Force awards SpaceX $730 million to launch at least 9 national-security missions

NeRD

SpaceX just added another batch of launches to its already-busy manifest. The U.S. Space Force announced on Friday (Oct. 18) that it has awarded SpaceX $733.6 million, in the form of two “National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch Service Task Orders.” Together, the two task orders cover seven launches for the Space Development Agency (SDA) and one “mission set” for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), according to Space Force officials. “In this era of Great Power Competition, it is imperative to not leave capability on the ground,”…

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SpaceX launches 20 Starlink internet satellites from Florida (video)

NeRD

SpaceX sent yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit tonight (Oct. 18). A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 20 Starlink craft, including 13 with direct-to-cell capability, lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station tonight at 7:31 p.m. EDT (2331 GMT). The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff as planned, landing on the SpaceX drone ship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 of the company’s Starlink internet satellites from Florida’s…

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Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is still visible in the night sky, but not for long

NeRD

Have you seen comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS yet? If you’ve not been able to glimpse the bright, icy space rock that’s traveled from the edge of the solar system, it’s not too late. But you need to see it soon.  The coma and long tail of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also called C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), is currently shining at magnitude +0.5. That’s well within the grasp of the human eye. It’s likely now past its best, but only just, and will likely remain a naked-eye object after sunset in the west until, and possibly…

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