Tag: Space Exploration

What causes volcanic eruptions on Jupiter’s moon Io? Scientists aren’t so sure anymore

NeRD

Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io doesn’t appear to have a subsurface ocean of magma, resolving some issues about how Io’s volcanoes erupt and raising broader questions about similar magma oceans within other moons and planets. Data from previous missions had made planetary scientists wonder whether, rather than just pockets of melt, Io contained a 31-mile (50-kilometer) deep layer of magma: a moon-wide ocean of molten rock. In the 1990s, NASA’s Galileo mission performed magnetic induction measurements that suggested there was such a layer, while more recently, the distribution of volcanoes on…

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The yearning for Uranus: A far-out world with a tale to tell

NeRD

For sure, it was a far-reaching recommendation: The planet Uranus and its moons should be NASA’s highest-priority new flagship mission for startup in the decade 2023-2032. The proposed mission, known as Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP), would conduct a multiyear orbital tour to yield knowledge of ice giants in general and the Uranus system in particular, doing so through flybys and the delivery of an atmospheric probe. The payoff: “transformative, breakthrough science across a broad range of topics.” UOP was advocated within the pages of “Origins, Worlds, and Life —…

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Trump may cancel NASA’s powerful SLS moon rocket – here’s what that would mean for Elon Musk and the future of space travel

NeRD

Since Donald Trump’s recent electoral victory, rumors and speculation have circulated that NASA’s giant moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), could be under threat. The rocket is one of several key elements needed for the US space agency’s Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. For the first lunar landing mission, called Artemis III, the SLS will launch four astronauts on NASA’s Orion crew capsule. Orion will then travel to the moon. Once in lunar orbit, Orion will dock with…

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Watch Europe’s Vega-C rocket launch today on 1st flight since 2022 (video)

NeRD

Watch live! Vega-C rocket to launch Sentinel-1C satellite in return to flight – YouTube Watch On For the first time since the launch vehicle’s catastrophic mission failure in 2022, Europe’s Vega-C rocket is poised to return to flight today. The European Space Agency (ESA) is scheduled to launch the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite today, lifting off from Kourou, French Guiana, during an instantaneous launch window Dec. 4, at 4:20 p.m. EST (2120 GMT, 22:20 CET — local time). This will be the third mission for ESA’s medium-lift rocket, and its first…

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How bacteria are inspiring the next generation of space-borne lasers

NeRD

Solar-powered lasers that run on the photosynthetic machinery of bacteria could one day provide a low mass, simple and sustainable means of providing power in space, replacing the usual heavy lenses and complex electronics that aren’t very cost-effective to launch. “Our plan is to use photosynthetic structures extracted from bacteria, and the idea is that you can grow them and keep replenishing material, you don’t need to maintain a supply line from Earth,” Erik Gauger, a professor of photonics and quantum science at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh and leader…

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Near Space Labs launches fleet of AI-powered balloon robots to track Earth climate risks

NeRD

Near Space Labs, a New York-based startup, has deployed a network of high-altitude balloons equipped with advanced robotic cameras to capture high-resolution images of disaster-prone neighborhoods across the United States. With this enhanced imagery, the startup said it aims to accelerate the work of insurance companies that rely on aerial data to assess property risks and respond to damage caused by extreme weather events. The newly deployed balloons are outfitted with AI-enabled robots called “Swifts,” which are capable of capturing imagery with a resolution of 7 centimeters (2.76 inches) per…

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NASA tests cellphone-sized underwater robots for future ocean world missions (video)

NeRD

A swarm of tiny robots destined to search for life on a faraway moon recently began its journey in a swimming pool here on Earth. The SWIM robots — short for Sensing With Independent Microswimmers — demonstrated impressive maneuverability during recent tests in the swimming pool at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Pushed along by propellers, the miniature, wedge-shaped robots steered themselves to stay on course, executed a back-and-forth “lawnmower” pattern, and even spelled out “J-P-L,” according to a NASA statement.   Designed to one day search for evidence…

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How a mini-team of NASA archivists is restoring astronomical history

NeRD

Precious data from space missions, going back decades, is being carefully restored and archived by scientists at NASA’s Space Science Date Coordinated Archive, allowing researchers today to make new discoveries by delving into the history books. “What’s surprising is how much of this information is either lost or at least not in a condition that anybody can use it in,” planetary scientist David Williams of the National Space Science Data Center Archive (NSSDCA) told Space.com. “We’ve got tons of photography, reels of film from various missions, a lot of microfilm…

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NASA awards $11.5 million to help design the aircraft of tomorrow

NeRD

NASA is looking to develop a new generation of low-emission commercial aircraft that will offer a more efficient and sustainable mode of travel. The space agency has commissioned five new design studies as part of its Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 initiative. The organizations contributing to new airliner design concepts include Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences, the aerospace company Electra, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the aviation startup JetZero and Pratt & Whitney, according to a statement from NASA. “Through initiatives like AACES, NASA is positioned to harness…

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Watch Rocket Lab launch 5 French ‘Internet of Things’ satellites tonight

NeRD

Rocket Lab plans to launch five “Internet of Things” (IoT) satellites to orbit tonight (Nov. 23), and you can watch the action live. An Electron launcher carrying five spacecraft for the French company Kinéis is scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab‘s New Zealand site tonight at 10:55 p.m. EST (0355 GMT and 4:55 p.m. local New Zealand time on Nov. 24). The launch window is instantaneous, so if the weather or any other issues force a delay, Rocket Lab will have to try again another day. Rocket Lab will…

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