An atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion system developed in PhD research at the University of Stuttgart uses thin upper-atmospheric gases as fuel for a radio-frequency helicon plasma thruster, potentially letting satellites stay in Very Low Earth Orbit indefinitely without carrying a conventional supply of propellant. VLEO Satellite Benefits and Atmospheric Drag Challenges Operating a satellite in Very … Read more
NASA astronaut Christina Koch traveled farther into space than any person (other than her three crewmates) had gone before during the Artemis II mission, but she had to return to Earth to find herself starring as a category on the television quiz show Jeopardy! Masters, according to broadcast records from the program. The game’s outcome … Read more
European Space Agency spacecraft BepiColombo stands on the verge of entering Mercury orbit after an eight-year journey, facing extreme solar radiation and temperatures reaching 450 degrees Celsius, according to mission officials. The complex arrival sequence begins when the spacecraft splits in two to shield instruments and initiate braking maneuvers against intense solar gravity. BepiColombo Separation … Read more
EDT for the debut test flight of its Pallas-1 rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Pallas-1 is a partially reusable, medium-lift rocket designed to land vertically up to 25 times, similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Global Commercial Rocket Launch Lineup EDT for an Electron launch named “Owl Around The World” from … Read more
Repeating partial tidal disruption events occur when a supermassive black hole tears away parts of an orbiting star without completely destroying its dense core, according to research published in The Astrophysical Journal. A Syracuse University study led by doctoral student Ananya Bandopadhyay resolves why certain light flares in these systems grow progressively dimmer with each … Read more
A protective vest worn by a female test dummy during NASA’s Artemis I lunar flight could reduce an astronaut’s radiation exposure by up to 60% during severe solar storms, according to a study published in Science Advances. Researchers from the United States, Germany, and Israel reported that the AstroRad vest effectively shields vital organs from … Read more
The annual Perseid meteor shower is active, with NASA estimating visible rates of 50 to 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions for the Northern Hemisphere. Understanding the Perseid Meteor Shower Origins Meteor showers happen at predictable times every year when Earth travels through debris trails left behind by comets and asteroids. These remnants collide … Read more
Europe is expanding its environmental monitoring network with the scheduled launch of the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite on 14 September 2026, according to the European Space Agency. Lift-off will take place at the European Spaceport in French Guiana aboard Avio’s Vega-C rocket, placing the spacecraft into a Sun-synchronous orbit roughly 820 kilometres above Earth to join … Read more
As NASA and the European Space Agency join forces to master plan an astronaut base on the lunar South Pole, ESA-backed designer Jorge Mañes Rubio has proposed robotically constructing a monumental Moon Temple open to all spacefarers. According to Rubio, the cosmic citadel is designed to serve as a centerpiece for Moon Base Alpha and … Read more
Experimental lunar cement made from extraterrestrial soil simulants survived six months exposed to the harsh vacuum, extreme radiation, and wild temperature swings of low Earth orbit without degrading, according to findings detailed by the University of Delaware. Published in the journal Advances in Space Research, the study evaluated geopolymers tested on NASA’s MISSE-20 mission to … Read more