Satellites need to stay within a set temperature range in order to carry out their regular functions.(Photo/Courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Why do USC engineers try to keep satellites warm? Not doing so could cause a disruption in ...
Read More »Russia’s Mayak satellite: crowd-funded cosmic pest or welcome nightly visitor?
The Mayak satellite will unfold a giant reflective pyramid that will be seen from Earth. Mayak/YouTube/Screenshot Russia’s Mayak satellite: crowd-funded cosmic pest or welcome nightly visitor? Will we soon see a new bright “star” visiting our evening skies? The ...
Read More »Satellite sends quantum-spooky signals to Earth – raising hopes of secure global communications
‘Entangled’ beams successfully picked up at Earth. Andrey VP/Shutterstock Click for a full size image Satellite sends quantum-spooky signals to Earth – raising hopes of secure global communications The satellite Micius, launched from Jiuquan, China, in August last year, ...
Read More »Australia’s back in the satellite business with a new launch
An artist’s impression of the UNSW-EC0 cubesat in Earth’s orbit. UNSW, Author provided Click for a full size image Australia’s back in the satellite business with a new launch The first Australian-built satellites to be launched in 15 years ...
Read More »China’s quantum satellite could make data breaches a thing of the past
photo credit : Shutterstock Click for a full size image China’s quantum satellite could make data breaches a thing of the past China recently launched a satellite into orbit with a unique feature: it has the ability to send information ...
Read More »Why ‘Asgardia’ is more likely to be a pie in the sky than a nation in space
Artist’s impression. James Vaughan Click for a full size image Why ‘Asgardia’ is more likely to be a pie in the sky than a nation in space I have become citizen number 62 of Asgardia, a new space nation dedicated ...
Read More »Making space rocket fuel from water could drive a power revolution on Earth
NASA/Northrop Grumman/William Furlong Click for a full size image Making space rocket fuel from water could drive a power revolution on Earth Researchers led by NASA’s former chief technologist are hoping to launch a satellite carrying water as the source ...
Read More »The Mystery of the Martian Moons Solved
Artist’s impression of the giant impact that would have given birth to Phobos and Deimos. The colliding object is about 1/3 the size of Mars—which at the time may have had a thicker atmosphere and water on its surface. Université ...
Read More »Keep your local orbit tidy – two techniques for tackling the problem of space junk
It’s pretty busy up there. NASA Click for a full size image Keep your local orbit tidy – two techniques for tackling the problem of space junk It is said that what goes up must come down. But in the ...
Read More »Researchers trace Mercury’s origins to rare meteorite
An image, taken by MESSENGER during its Mercury flyby on Jan. 14, 2008, of Mercury’s full crescent. Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington Click for a full size image Researchers trace Mercury’s origins to rare meteorite ...
Read More »The future of personal satellite technology is here – are we ready for it
CubeSats upon release from the International Space Station. NASA Johnson, CC BY-NC Click for a full size image The future of personal satellite technology is here – are we ready for it? Satellites used to be the exclusive playthings of ...
Read More »NASA flies satellites through explosion in space – and starts to unravel mystery of magnetism
Four identical NASA spacecraft fly near the sun-facing boundary of Earth’s magnetic field (the blue wavy lines). NASA Click for a full size image NASA flies satellites through explosion in space – and starts to unravel mystery of magnetism There’s ...
Read More »How Propulsion Keeps Satellites In The Same Spot
Visualization of the GPM Core Observatory satellite orbiting the Earth. Credit: Britt Griswold via NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr Click for a full size image How Propulsion Keeps Satellites In The Same Spot Some satellites, such as weather and GPS ...
Read More »Scientists develop Microsatellite for Air Force
Scientists develop Microsatellite for Air Force A Missouri University of Science and Technology aerospace engineering professor is developing a microsatellite imager that could be used to check satellites, do small repairs or refuel spacecraft — and keep astronauts from making ...
Read More »What Is a Geosynchronous Orbit
What Is a Geosynchronous Orbit? by Elizabeth Howell A geosynchronous orbit is a high Earth orbit that allows satellites to match Earth’s rotation. Located at 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth’s equator, this position is a valuable spot for monitoring ...
Read More »The Moon and the International Space Station
One of the most remarkable images was taken at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2012. The image, which was taken by photographer Lauren Hartnett, captured the old (Luna) and the new (the ISS) side-by-side in one stunning image. One ...
Read More »Intelligence Augmentation
The terms “intelligence augmentation” and “intelligence amplification” evoke images of human beings with computer chips embedded in their skulls or bizarre accoutrements attached to their heads. However, according to an article entitled Get Smart by Jamais Cascio, human beings’ ability ...
Read More »Activity at Kliuchevskoi
When viewing conditions are favorable, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) can take unusual and striking images of the Earth. This photograph provides a view of an eruption plume emanating from Kliuchevskoi, one of the many active volcanoes on ...
Read More »Ice Cube science
Francis Halzen has an unusual job. This scientist studies itsy bitsy, teeny tiny objects zipping through the universe. They’re called neutrinos. His job should be easy because neutrinos are all around us, all the time. They pass from the depths ...
Read More »Meteor explodes over Russia
Mother Nature provided a surprise light show over Russia early on February 14. That’s when a major meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere. The object was originally 17 meters (55 feet) in diameter. That’s as wide as a 5-story building is high. ...
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