Collecting material from an asteroid seems like a simple task. In reality, it isn’t. Low gravity, high rotational speeds, lack of air, and other constraints make collecting material from any asteroid difficult. But that won’t stop engineers from trying. A team from Beijing Spacecrafts and the Guangdong University of Technology recently published a paper that described a novel system for doing so – using an ultrasonic drill and gas “conveyor belt.”
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SpaceX Dragon capsule on display ahead of joining space shuttle LA exhibit
What do you do when your star space shuttle is under wraps and out of view from the public for the next few years? If you are the California Science Center, you land another spacecraft.
Do other planets have plate tectonics?
Earth's surface is broken up into large plates that rub against each other, causing earthquakes, volcanoes and large mountain ranges. But how unique is our planet's geology?
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch final NASA, NOAA GOES weather satellite on Falcon Heavy rocket
The 10th SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket stands ready to launch the joint NASA and NOAA GOES-U mission on June 25, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein / Spaceflight Now
The finale in a series of critical weather satellites for the United States faces some weather challenges as it looks to join its three fellow satellites on orbit. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-U (GOES-U) satellite is designed to provide critical weather, climate and solar data to meteorologists and other parties to enhance the safety of people and property.
How Long Has Jupiter's Great Red Spot Really Been Around?
A new study follows two lines of research to suggest that that Great Red Spot we see today has not, in fact, been going for as long as we thought.
Sprites from space! Astronaut photographs rare red lightning phenomenon from ISS
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick caught a rare surprise while imaging an intense thunderstorm off the coast of South Africa. He spotted a red sprite, a rare type of lightning.
Marvel superheroes battle bloodthirsty Xenomorphs in new 'Alien' variant covers
Marvel Comics' 'Marvel vs. Alien' variant covers are coming soon.
It's back! Aurora-sparking sunspot returns for rare 3rd trip across the sun, firing off explosive solar flare (video)
The sunspot region responsible for May's epic solar storm and widespread auroras is returning for the third time.
'Physics itself disappears': How theoretical physicist Thomas Hertog helped Stephen Hawking produce his final, most radical theory of everything
Thomas Hertog tells us how he collaborated with Stephen Hawking on his final theorem — a Darwinian revolution in physics that explains the origin of time.
NASA confirms space debris in North Carolina was from SpaceX Crew Dragon reentry
NASA has confirmed that pieces of debris found throughout the mountains of North Carolina are the remnants of SpaceX Crew Dragon hardware that reentered the atmosphere in May 2024.
SpaceX rolls Falcon Heavy rocket out to pad for GOES-U weather satellite launch (photos)
SpaceX rolled its Falcon Heavy rocket out to the pad on Monday (June 24) ahead of its 10th-ever launch, which is scheduled for Tuesday (June 25).
Media briefing on Ariane 6’s inaugural flight
Video: 01:00:08
Watch the replay of the Ariane 6 inaugural flight pre-launch media briefing to learn more about the first flight of Europe’s new heavy lift launch vehicle.
Jupiter’s upper atmosphere surprises astronomers
Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, scientists observed the region above Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot to discover a variety of previously unseen features. The region, previously believed to be unremarkable in nature, hosts a variety of intricate structures and activity.
China’s Chang’e-6 Probe Drops Off Samples From Moon’s Far Side
Three weeks after it lifted off from the far side of the moon, China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft dropped off a capsule containing first-of-its-kind lunar samples for retrieval from the plains of Inner Mongolia.
China returns samples from the moon's far side in historic 1st
China's Chang'e 6 mission has successfully returned samples from the moon's far side to Earth, notching another spaceflight first for the nation.
Simulating the Last Moments Before Neutron Stars Merge
When stars reach the end of their life cycle, they shed their outer layers in a supernova. What is left behind is a neutron star, a stellar remnant that is incredibly dense despite being relatively small and cold. When this happens in binary systems, the resulting neutron stars will eventually spiral inward and collide. When they finally merge, the process triggers the release of gravitational waves and can lead to the formation of a black hole. But what happens as the neutron stars begin merging, right down to the quantum level, is something scientists are eager to learn more about.
Powerful GOES-U weather satellite cleared for launch today on SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket
NOAA's GOES-U weather satellite has been cleared for its planned liftoff today (June 25) atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
China's Chang'e 6 probe will soon bring samples of the moon's far side to Earth — and scientists are getting excited
China's Chang'e 6 probe is scheduled to return to Earth on June 25, and scientists are starting to get excited about what its far side moon samples can tell us.
Massive radio telescope array investigates the birth of planets around twin stars
Using the ALMA radio telescope array, astronomers have investigated the disks of gas and dust around young binary stars to better understand how these systems procure planets.
Growing Black Holes Have Much in Common With Baby Stars
First looks would tell most observers that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and very young stars have nothing in common. But that’s not true. Astronomers have detected a supermassive black hole (SMBH) whose growth is regulated the same way a baby star’s is: by magnetic winds.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin could soon launch Nigeria's 1st-ever space tourist
A Nigerian could soon make it to space for the first time ever, via Jeff Bezos' aerospace company Blue Origin.
