[ad_1] There’s still plenty of opportunity for astronomers to discover strange new objects. Researchers using the University of Hawaii’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) have found (via Gizmodo) a Trojan asteroid, 2019 LD2, that not only follows an odd orbit ahead of Jupiter but also sports an icy tail — it’s a unique “crossover” […]
Category: Space
Virgin Orbit’s first launch demo takes place this weekend
[ad_1] Virgin Orbit is finally ready to try a proper launch demo. The spaceflight outfit now expects the launch demo mission to take place on either May 24th or May 25th between 1PM and 5PM Eastern each day. If there’s enough of a launch window, the Cosmic Girl carrier aircraft will release LauncherOne over the […]
Astronomers may have witnessed a planet’s birth
[ad_1] Scientists believe they have observed a planet being formed for the first time. In a study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics today, a team of astronomers explain how they captured images of a young star, AB Aurigae, 520 light-years from Earth. In a massive disc of swirling gas and dust around the star, they […]
Is going to space truly essential during a pandemic?
[ad_1] Moon-mining machinations are perhaps the most grandiose example of space work continuing through the pandemic, but they’re far from the only ones. Few might immediately think of astronauts as essential workers or rocket launches as mandatory for the nation’s survival. But based on the permitted activities of both NASA and private companies, space has […]
NASA’s human spaceflight lead resigns days before Crew Dragon launch
[ad_1] Former astronaut Ken Bowersox will serve as the acting associate administrator, a role he took when Gerstenmaier was ousted from his position. This shouldn’t affect NASA’s plans in the short term. Bowersox is a leadership veteran, including as commander on the International Space Station. However, this tumult is coming at what might be the […]
NASA crowdsourcing helps build a better Moon digging robot
[ad_1] NASA’s Artemis program will eventually need robots to help live off the lunar soil, and it’s enlisting help from the public to make those robots viable. The space agency has picked winners from a design challenge that tasked people with improving the bucket drums RASSOR (Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot) will use to […]
SpaceX Crew Dragon simulator shows what it’s like to dock with the ISS
[ad_1] You don’t have to train as an astronaut to know what it’s like to pilot Crew Dragon — you just need a web browser and some patience. TechCrunch notes that SpaceX has launched a web simulator that lets you dock the capsule with the International Space Station using the “actual interface” the crew relies […]
3D atom mapping helps investigate the origins of life
[ad_1] A relatively new technique for studying atoms might shed more light on how life began on Earth. Scientists have used 3D atom mapping (specifically, atom probe tomography) to discover that the oldest molecular fluids in the Solar System could have supported the development of amino acids and, eventually, life. The team studied molecules on […]
Scientists find the closest known black hole to date
[ad_1] Don’t worry about being so close to an all-consuming beast. Unlike some black holes, such as the supermassive one believed to be at the heart of our galaxy, this one is both small and doesn’t “violently” interact with its surroundings or broadcast its presence with X-rays. It’s one of the first discovered stellar-mass holes […]
NASA is helping Tom Cruise film a movie in space
[ad_1] The title is reportedly in the very early stages, with no studio involved and no release window. SpaceX doesn’t expect to offer tourist flights aboard Crew Dragon until the second half of 2021 at the earliest. It’s not shocking that both sides would be eager to work with each other. Cruise is well-known for […]