SpaceX is kicking off the second week of October with a planned pair of back-to-back Falcon 9 launches, lifting off from both of its Space Force-based launch pads.
Space News & Blog Articles
Is This a Collapsed Lava Tube on the Moon?
The Moon was once a geologically active place characterized by volcanoes, lava flows, and a magnetic field generated by action in its interior. The Moon’s airless environment has perfectly preserved evidence of this past and can be seen today as dark deposits, volcanic domes, and cones. But the most recognizable features are known as “sinuous rilles,” which are believed to be ancient lava tubes that have since collapsed. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) recently captured images of a rille that extended 48 km long (30 mi) across the northern hemisphere.
SpaceX to launch 22 Starlink satellites early Oct. 9 in 2nd half of doubleheader
SpaceX plans to loft 22 of its Starlink broadband satellites early Monday morning (Oct. 9) on the second half of a launch doubleheader.
Here's What it Would Take to See a Black Hole's Photon Ring
Supermassive black holes are elusive creatures. Massive gravitational beasts that can power immensely bright quasars, or can lurk quietly among the bright stars of a galactic core. We mostly study them indirectly through their bright accretion disks or powerful jets of plasma they create, but we have been able to observe them more directly, such as our images of M87* and Sag A*. But what still eludes us is capturing a direct image of the enigmatic photon ring. A new work in Acta Astronautica proposes how this might be done.
M87's Jet is Triggering Novae
Everyone loves a good mystery, and astronomers have just uncovered a new one in a nearby supermassive galaxy called M87. Like most galaxies, M87 regularly plays host to a smattering of stellar explosions called novae, each the result of a star stealing material from a neighbour. M87 also features a massive jet of plasma blasting out into deep space from the galactic core. These phenomena: the jet and the novae, are unrelated astronomical occurrences, or so scientists believed. But astronomers recently discovered that the novae in M87 seem to be uncharacteristically aligned along the jet, instead of scattered randomly throughout the galaxy. Is the jet somehow triggering nova explosions?
Celebrate Life Day with Marvel Comics' batch of special 'Star Wars' variant covers
Marvel Comics shares four new 'Star Wars' Life Day covers from Mike Del Mundo and Rod Reis.
A Flock of CubeSats Will Use Wings to Maneuver at the Edge of Space
CubeSats are taking on more and more responsibility for remote monitoring of the Earth. As they become more ubiquitous, they will also gain more varied propulsion systems. Or, in the case of a new set of monitoring CubeSats from INTA, Spain’s Institue of Aerospace Technology, no propulsion system at all.
SpaceX to launch 22 Starlink satellites tonight in 1st of back-to-back missions
SpaceX is set to launch 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida tonight (Oct. 8) on the first leg of a spaceflight doubleheader for the company.
How do astronomers know the age of the planets and stars?
Measuring the ages of planets and stars helps scientists understand when they formed and how they change – and, in the case of planets, if life has had time to have evolved on them.
A comet explosion may have started agriculture in Syria 12,800 years ago
A fragmented comet that exploded in Earth's atmosphere initiated the first-ever farming village in Syria, according to new research.
'Starfield' is an inspiring odyssey that could rekindle mainstream interest in space exploration
Bethesda's latest open-world video game 'Starfield' takes us for a fantastic ride among the stars and plants seeds of curiosity and belief in science.
All solar eclipses will be "rings of fire" in the distant future. Here's why
There will come a time 1.21 billion years from now when the phenomenon of a total eclipse of the sun will become an impossibility.
Future Moon and Mars Rovers Have a New Sandbox to Learn in
In-situ testing for space equipment is complex when it has to be developed on Earth, which is the case for literally all of it, at least for now. Typically, engineers and scientists developing the next Lunar or Martian robotic explorer would seek out exotic destinations that, while they look like they fit on another planet, were just more exotic parts of ours. The robotics team at DLR, Germany’s space agency, decided they could do better. So they built a 1500 sq meter test bed for their upcoming Martian and Lunar exploration bots.
Hubble Sees a Mysterious Flash in Between Galaxies
While the night sky may appear tranquil (and incredibly beautiful), the cosmos is filled with constant stellar explosions and collisions. Among the rarest of these transient events are what is known as Luminous Fast Blue Optical (LFBOTs), which shine intensely bright in blue light and fade after a few days. These transient events are only detectable by telescopes that continually monitor the sky. Using the venerable Hubble Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers recently observed an LFBOT far between two galaxies, the last place they expected to see one.
Starlinks are Easily Detected by Radio Telescopes
Radio astronomy and satellite communication have a long common history. Advances made in one field have benefitted the other, and our modern era of spacecraft and mobile internet is a product of this partnership. But there are times when the goals of radio astronomy and the goals of communication satellites are in opposition. This is most clearly seen in the development of satellite constellations such as Starlink.
Annular solar eclipse 2023: Live updates
Stay up-to-date with the latest news on the "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023.
Star-studded snake-like galaxy shines in gorgeous Hubble Telescope photo
A breathtaking image by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope features the dazzling NGC 1087 spiral galaxy.
Space telescope images star on new ESA-endorsed Swatch watches
Now you can select your favorite swath of the universe and display it on it your wrist, thanks to a new collaboration between Swatch and the European Space Agency.
This Moon Rover Wheel Could be 3D Printed on the Moon
When you think about sending missions to the Moon, every single gram counts on launch day. Therefore, it makes sense to live off the land when you arrive with in-situ resource utilization. For example, what if you could fly a rover without wheels and 3D print them out of lunar regolith when you get there?
Public invited to watch solid rocket motors arrive for shuttle Endeavour exhibit in L.A.
The California Science Center is celebrating the anniversary of space shuttle Endeavour's L.A. trip with the delivery of two very large candles. Solid rocket motors are set to stand with Endeavour.
One week until the spectacular 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse!
Get ready for the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14! The famous 'ring of fire' is not to be missed.