Solar power is the fastest-growing form of renewable energy and currently accounts for 3.6% of global electricity production today. This makes it the third largest source of the renewable energy market, followed by hydroelectric power and wind. These three methods are expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades, reaching 40% by 2035 and 45% by 2050. Altogether, renewables are expected to account for 90% of the energy market by mid-century, with solar accounting for roughly half. However, several technical challenges and issues need to be overcome for this transition to occur.
Space News & Blog Articles
Strawberry Moon of June 2023 sweetens the night sky in these amazing photos
Skywatchers from around the planet have set the internet aglow with images of June's full moon, the Strawberry Moon, which rose on Saturday, June 3.
The Latest JWST Image Pierces Through a Shrouded Star-Forming Galaxy
Sometimes an image is so engrossing that we can ignore what it’s telling us about its subject and just enjoy the splendour. That’s certainly true of this image of NGC 5068 released by the ESA. But Universe Today readers are curious, and after enjoying the galactic portrait for a while, they want to know more.
LIGO project begins new gravitational wave hunt
May 24 marked the start of Observation Run 4, the latest gravitational-wave hunting effort of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration. But only LIGO is fully operational at the moment.
Russia delays launch of Luna 25 moon lander until August
The launch of Russia's robotic Luna 25 moon lander has been postponed from July 13 and will now lift off no earlier than August.
Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman on suiting up for Fox TV show 'Stars on Mars' (exclusive)
An exclusive interview with former NFL superstar Richard Sherman about his participation in the Fox show 'Stars on Mars.'
James Webb Space Telescope spies earliest complex organic molecules in the universe
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the oldest known examples of complex organic molecules in the universe, a new study reports.
It Might Take Space Telescopes to Finally Resolve the Crisis in Cosmology
Gravitational wave (GW) observatories have been a great addition to cosmologists’ arsenal in the lack decade. With their first effective detection at the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Observatory completed in 2015, they opened up a whole new world of data collection for scientists. However, so far, they haven’t solved one of the fundamental problems at the heart of their discipline – the “Hubble tension.” Now a new paper discusses the possibility of utilizing a network of new, space-based gravitational wave observatories to get closer than ever to the real value of one of the most important numbers in the Universe.
Nicolas Bobrinsky on innovation and risk management | ESA Masterclass
Video: 00:12:38
Innovation is triggered by many drivers. One of these is the constant need for ESA to develop innovative solutions, such as unique spacecraft technologies.
NASA Has a Plan to Power the Moon
Despite all the hype surrounding the coming of the commercial space age, NASA and other governmental agencies will still play a vital role in the early stages of getting much of the infrastructure up and running before commercial actors can come in. That role will primarily be filled by being the first (and sometimes only) customer for a wide variety of companies that hope to profit from exploiting space resources.
Starliner Faces New Delays for Crewed Flights to ISS
While the SpaceX Crew Dragon is making regular trips to and from the International Space Station, the other vehicle NASA was planning to rely on for crew transportation keeps running into problems and delays. Boeing and NASA just announced another set of delays for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, pushing it even further back from its proposed July launch window — which was already years behind schedule.
Confessions of a Photon Snob: Going Robotic
When visual astronomy isn't possible — or even when it is — robotic telescopes can make way for more stargazing.
How long will the new supernova visible in the night sky last?
A new supernova that burst into the night sky in May 2023 should remain visible in the Pinwheel Galaxy for some time, astronomers say.
China's Shenzhou 15 capsule lands safely with 3 Tiangong space station astronauts (video)
China's Shenzhou 15 astronauts returned to Earth with a smooth and safe weekend landing after completing a six-month mission to the country's space station.
Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket ready to launch space station resupply mission
Watch our live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket will launched SpaceX’s 28th resupply mission to the International Space Station. Follow us on Twitter.
Live coverage: Second-generation Starlink satellites set for launch on Falcon 9 rocket
Watch our live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 6-4 mission at 5:56 a.m. EDT (0956 UTC) on June 3 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Follow us on Twitter.
Shenzhou crew capsule brings home three Chinese astronauts
The Shenzhou 15 spacecraft descends toward landing under its main parachute. Credit: CCTV
Three Chinese astronauts departed the Tiangong space station Saturday and landed in the remote Gobi Desert of northwestern China, capping a six-month expedition that included four spacewalks and a host of experiments in the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit.
Live coverage: Three Chinese astronauts returning to Earth today
Live coverage of China’s Shenzhou 15 mission, a six-month expedition to the Chinese space station. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter.
CCTV Undocking Replay
Jupiter’s “Stripes” Change Color. Now We Might Know Why
While Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is one of the most well-known spectacles in the solar system, Jupiter’s clouds and stripes that are responsible for the planet’s weather patterns are highly regarded, as well. Though not nearly as visible in an amateur astronomy telescope, Jupiter’s multicolored, rotating, and swirling cloud stripes are a sight to behold for any astronomy fan when seen in up-close images. And, what makes these stripes unique is they have been observed to change color from time to time, but the question of what causes this color change to occur has remained elusive.
Watch SpaceX launch 22 Starlink 'V2 mini' satellites early Sunday
A Falcon 9 rocket will launch 22 of SpaceX's new "V2 Mini" Starlink internet satellites early Sunday morning (June 4), and you can watch the action live.