On March 25, 2022, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft closed in on the Sun, getting ready to study it during a flyby. Its Metis coronagraph instrument, which blocks out the Sun so the spacecraft can study its outer atmosphere, recorded an image of something strange: a distorted, S-shaped “kink” in a small area of plasma flowing from the Sun. It was a magnetic solar switchback.
Space News & Blog Articles
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A New Shepard Exploded. Fortunately, There Wasn’t Anyone on Board
On September 12, Blue Origin New Shepard mission, NS-23, failed just over one minute into an uncrewed flight, forcing the escape system to eject its New Shepard upper stage capsule, which landed safely near the launch site. Several science experiments were being carried onboard with the original flight plan calling for the capsule to reach an altitude of a little more than 60 miles, which is internationally acknowledged as the edge of space. While the flight was uncrewed and the capsule made a successful soft landing after ejecting, the scenario could have been far more ill-favored if the flight had been crewed with tourists.
ULA readies Delta 4-Heavy rocket for weekend launch from California
The payload fairing containing the National Reconnaissance Office’s classified spy satellite is lifted atop ULA’s Delta 4-Heavy rocket before the NROL-91 mission. Credit: United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance’s ground team recently completed a countdown dress rehearsal and installed a classified spy satellite payload on top of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, readying the triple-body launcher for liftoff Saturday.
SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy rocket just fired up 7 engines for the 1st time (video)
SpaceX fired seven engines on its Starship Super Heavy prototype "Booster 7" on Monday (Sept. 19), marking the highest number of Raptor engines ever tested simultaneously.
NASA preps for SLS fueling test Wednesday
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION
NASA says Jupiter is at its closest in 59 years
The solar system's most massive planet, Jupiter, will make its closest approach to Earth for 59 years on Sept. 26 even as the gas giant will be directly opposite the sun as viewed from Earth.
NASA's Artemis 1 moon rocket launch hinges on critical fueling test on Sept. 21
A fueling test of NASA's new megarocket on Sept. 21 could make or break the agency's hopes of launching the Artemis 1 moon mission on Sept. 27.
Astronomers Find a Sun-like Star Orbiting a Nearby Black Hole
In 1916, Karl Schwarzchild theorized the existence of black holes as a resolution to Einstein’s field equations for his Theory of General Relativity. By the mid-20th century, astronomers began detecting black holes for the first time using indirect methods, which consisted of observing their effects on surrounding objects and space. Since the 1980s, scientists have studied supermassive black holes (SMBHs), which reside at the center of most massive galaxies in the Universe. And by April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration released the first image ever taken of an SMBH.
Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II draws crowds of mourners so large they're visible from space
Earth-imaging satellites have spied the massive crowds that gathered in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
James Webb Space Telescope's 1st images of Mars reveal atmosphere secrets
The James Webb Space Telescope excels at capturing images of distant cosmic objects, but the telescope's new Mars images demonstrate it can have an impact much closer to home.
Valery Polyakov, cosmonaut who logged longest space mission, dies at 80
Cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, who logged the single longest stay in space, has died at the age of 80. Polyakov launched on two missions to the space station Mir. In total, he was off Earth for 678 days.
Global space agency leaders see asteroid deflection, moon missions as top priorities
Heads of the world's major space agencies presented their big plans for the coming years at a major congress in Paris, while underlining the serious challenges that could affect space and humanity.
Astrophotographer of the Year Awards
The Royal Observatory Greenwich has announced the winners of the 14th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest.
Satellites watch Hurricane Fiona wallop Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
Satellites are watching as Hurricane Fiona, currently a Category 1 storm, pummels Caribbean islands.
Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer mini star tracker review
Astrophotographers can use this lightweight star tracker with cameras up to 100mm lenses to keep stars still for up to four minutes.
Is Europe Building its Own Starship? Not Exactly
Europe plans to have its own reusable spacecraft for cargo and crewed missions to LEO and beyond. It’s called SUSIE (Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration). At first glance, it may look like Europe’s answer to SpaceX’s Starship, but it’s not that simple.
ISS archaeologists launch Brick Moon to advise future space habitats
The only archaeologists to study life on the International Space Station are now offering to advise on the next outposts. The co-directors of the ISS Archaeological Project have found Brick Moon.
Get your own personal holodeck with the HP Reverb G2 VR headset, now over $100 off at Amazon
Pick up the HP Reverb G2 VR headset for under $500 at Amazon with this limited time offer.
Brian Binnie, SpaceShipOne test pilot who won XPrize, dies at 69
Brian Binnie, who in 2004 became only the second person in history to pilot a private craft into space, has died at the age of 69.
Mars is mighty in first Webb observations of Red Planet
The James Webb Space Telescope captured its first images and spectra of Mars on 5 September 2022. The telescope, an international collaboration between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency, provides a unique perspective with its infrared sensitivity on our neighbouring planet, complementing data being collected by orbiters, rovers, and other telescopes.
Congress wants transparency on Blue Origin launch failure investigation by FAA
The failure of a Blue Origin rocket during an uncrewed launch this month has members of Congress urging for more transparency of an FAA investigation into the accident.
