Category: Space Stations

Space stations in orbit or planned

SpaceX’s Starlink internet flies on a Boeing 777 jet for the 1st time

NeRD

SpaceX’s Starlink internet service continues to make inroads around the globe. Starlink provided Wi-Fi on a Boeing 777 jet for the first time today (Oct. 22), during a Qatar Airways flight from the Qatari capital of Doha to London. The 777 is the “largest and longest-range passenger aircraft equipped with Starlink to date,” SpaceX representatives said in an emailed statement today. #QatarAirways launches the world’s first Boeing 777 Starlink-equipped flight. @StarlinkWe are proud to be the airline that leads the way, setting new standards in the airline industry. ✈️#QatarAirwaysStarlink pic.twitter.com/347ZnclANbOctober…

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SpaceX to launch 23 Starlink broadband satellites from Florida on Oct. 23

NeRD

SpaceX plans to launch 23 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida’s Space Coast on Wednesday evening (Oct. 23). A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 23 Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station tonight, during a 3.5-hour window that opens at 5:47 p.m. EDT (2147 GMT). SpaceX had been targeting Tuesday (Oct. 22) but called that try off due to weather concerns. SpaceX will livestream the launch on X, beginning about five minutes before liftoff. If all goes according to plan, the Falcon…

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What happens when black holes merge?

NeRD

Black hole mergers are beautiful — and some of the most violent events in the cosmos. Here’s how the process unfolds. The story begins with two black holes orbiting far from each other in long, lazy circles. They could have been born as a binary pair of stars, or they may have just randomly encountered each other in the depths of interstellar space. Either way, to merge, they must get close, which means losing a lot of orbital energy. The first step in stealing energy from the system is through…

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Matthew McConaughey introduces the monstrous Mara-Yama in creepy new ‘Exodus’ trailer (video)

NeRD

NEW EXODUS CINEMATIC — ‘The Mara Yama’ Reveal Trailer – YouTube Watch On “Do you know what fear is?  The Mara-Yama do.” “Exodus,” Archetype Entertainment’s expansive sci-fi RPG, could be 2025’s most sought-after gaming title. A new cinematic trailer for it, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, was just unleashed this week — and it might be the single most unsettling teaser you’ll see all year. The hideously deformed alien creatures, which were once human beings, in their odd arkship evoke a hellish air of Lovercraftian cosmic dread that viewers will not…

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Most of Earth’s meteorites may have come from the same 3 spots

NeRD

Earth is constantly getting pummeled by meteorites. We are unaware of most of them, as they burn up in our atmosphere before they hit the ground. Every now and again, though, something larger gets drawn into Earth’s gravitational field —  and when this happens, it usually spells bad news for any life living on our planet’s surface.  Scientists know that the vast majority of meteorites that come crashing down to Earth originate from the solar system‘s main asteroid belt: a region between Mars and Jupiter where irregularly shaped rocks left…

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Station Science Top News: Oct. 18, 2024

NeRD

Microgravity had no immediate effect on a person’s ability to perceive the height of an object, indicating that astronauts can safely perform tasks that rely on accurate and precise height judgments soon after arrival in space. We use the height and width of objects around us to complete tasks such as reaching for objects and deciding whether we can fit through an opening. VECTION, an investigation from the Canadian Space Agency, examined the effect of microgravity on an astronaut’s visual perception and how that ability may adapt during flight or upon return to…

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Explore International Space Station Research with NASA Mobile Apps

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At any given time, crew members are conducting dozens of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations on the International Space Station. If you’re curious about this work, the Space Station Research Xplorer (SSRX) mobile application provides information on these experiments, special facilities on the station, research benefits, and published results. The app includes summaries of each investigation along with photos, videos, interactive media, and additional reference links. Screenshot from the Space Station Research Xplorer (SSRX) mobile app Other sections include: Facilities – brief descriptions of research facilities browsable by research category,…

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

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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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