China successfully launches the Space Variable Objects Monitor, a space science satellite co-developed by China and France, to its preset orbit at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on June 22, 2024. Photo: CCTV News China on Saturday successfully launched the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM), a space science satellite co-developed … Read more
I remember learning about weather forecasting in college in the late 2000s. My classmates and I hand-drew maps showing current weather systems and then we looked at the satellite data to paint a picture of what would happen in the coming hours and days. NOAA’s weather satellites were good back then, but compared to what … Read more
We’ve enjoyed a number of celestial spectacles in recent years – from total solar eclipses to stunning auroras – and yet Earth will soon witness a space event that will trump them all. In the next five years we will be treated to a visit from asteroid 99942 Apophis and it will come close enough … Read more
Stargazers and sky watchers have already been treated to a stunning spectacle of celestial events in 2024: the total solar eclipse, the return of the ‘devilish comet’ and several nights colored by the Northern Lights are undoubtedly at the top of the list for some. But if that’s not enough for you, space experts say … Read more
Stargazers and sky watchers have already been treated to a stunning spectacle of celestial events in 2024: the total solar eclipse, the return of the ‘devilish comet’ and several nights colored by the Northern Lights are undoubtedly at the top of the list for some. But if that’s not enough for you, space experts say … Read more
The Starliner spacecraft from NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is pictured docked in the forward port of the Harmony module as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles (423 kilometers) above the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: NASA Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is stuck in the space station for the time being NASA and Boeing have adjusted the … Read more
Will future humans use warp drives to explore the cosmos? We are not in a position to rule out this possibility. But if our distant descendants ever do, that will not be the case dilithium crystals, and Scottish accents will have evaporated into history by then. Warp drives have their roots in one of the … Read more
Watch a simulation of space debris orbiting Earth The following images are computer-generated images of low Earth orbit objects currently being tracked. The orbital debris points are scaled according to the image size of the image to optimize their visibility and are not scaled to Earth. (Courtesy: NASA ODPO) WASHINGTON – NASA now acknowledges that … Read more
Scientists have directly imaged eight dim objects in Gaia’s data catalog that accompany very bright stars, including so-called “failed stars,” also known as brown dwarfs. The stars and their companions were originally identified from millions of stars in the Gaia catalog. They were considered ideal for follow-up research with the ground-based GRAVITY instrument, an advanced … Read more
The piece of debris that fell through Alejandro Otero’s roof (right) came from a support bracket thrown from the International Space Station. The owner of a southwest Florida home has formally filed a claim with NASA for damage caused by a piece of space debris that fell through his roof in March. The lawsuit is … Read more