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Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
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Astronauts on ISS Share Christmas Cheer with Floating Candy Canes and Festivities
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) celebrated Christmas in a unique way, creating a festive atmosphere with floating candy canes and a snowman made from storage bags. The multinational crew, including astronauts from NASA and Russian cosmonauts, shared heartfelt messages, reflecting on their unity as a team and the collaborativ...
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ISRO and NASA to Launch NISAR Satellite in March 2025 for Earth Observation
The ISRO-Nasa collaboration on the NISAR satellite will launch in March 2025, aiming to revolutionise global Earth observation. The satellite, featuring advanced radar technology, will monitor land and ice surfaces, track ecosystem changes, and detect geological events like earthquakes and landslides. The mission will help map Earth’s surface wit...
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Rocket Lab Delays Launch of Synspective's Earth-Imaging Satellite
Rocket Lab's scheduled launch of Synspective's Earth-imaging satellite, "Owl The Way Up," was postponed on December 20, 2024. The delay, announced by the company, was due to the need for further analysis of sensor data. The mission aims to deploy one of Synspective's Strix radar-imaging satellites, part of a broader plan to establish a 30-satellite...
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Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration
A study published in The Astrophysical Journal has shed light on how the Sun’s magnetic field influences solar wind acceleration. Using data from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, researchers observed that sharp magnetic switchbacks smooth out into gentler waves as they travel further from the Sun. This relaxation process transfers magnet...
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James Webb and Chandra Capture Images of Star Clusters in Distant Galaxies
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory have unveiled stunning new images of two star clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud. NGC 602, located approximately 200,000 light-years from Earth, showcases active star formation, with dust clouds and ionised gas revealing unique stellar birth conditions. Meanwhile, NGC 2264 featur...
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Explained: Why NASA Delayed Sunita Williams' Return From Space
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams' return from the International Space Station has been delayed once again. Ms Williams, 59, will now touch down on earth after March next year. NASA insists that the crew is healthy and safe aboard the ISS.
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SpaceX Dragon Cargo Capsule Returns to Earth After CRS-31 Mission
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule successfully undocked from the International Space Station on December 16, 2024, as part of the CRS-31 mission. Carrying thousands of pounds of research materials and supplies, the spacecraft is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida on December 17. Dragon remains the only cargo spacecraft capable of safely...
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China's Tianwen-3 Mars Sample Return Mission Targets 2031 Ahead of NASA, ESA
China's Tianwen-3 mission aims to return Martian rock samples to Earth by 2031, setting a benchmark in space exploration. Scheduled for launch in 2028, the mission will employ cutting-edge technologies, including a lander, ascent vehicle, rover, and helicopter, to gather samples from regions like Utopia Planitia and Chryse Planitia. These areas wer...
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X-Class Solar Flare From Sunspot 3912 Causes Radio Blackouts in Southern Africa
A powerful X-class solar flare erupted from sunspot region 3912 on December 8, disrupting high-frequency radio communications in southern Africa. The flare, accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), ionised Earth’s upper atmosphere, absorbing radio signals and causing blackouts in areas exposed to peak solar activity. Experts predict the CME ...
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Vega-C Rocket Successfully Returns to Flight with Sentinel-1C Launch After 2022 Failure
The Vega-C rocket has successfully resumed operations, launching the Copernicus Sentinel-1C Earth-observation satellite. After a failure in 2022, Vega-C’s design was updated, allowing it to complete this mission. Sentinel-1C will work alongside Sentinel-1A to enhance Earth’s monitoring capabilities. The launch took place from the Guiana Space C...
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Solar 'Battle Zone' Could be Even Worse Than Solar Maximum, Experts Warn
Experts warn that the sun's next phase, the "battle zone," could result in increased geomagnetic activity, lasting until 2028. This period could bring heightened solar flares and coronal holes, which may cause disruptions to satellites in low-Earth orbit. Space weather experts, including Scott McIntosh from Lynker Space, have noted that this phase ...
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Sombrero Galaxy Appears Distinct In New Image From Webb Telescope
The Sombrero galaxy, or Messier 104 or M104, is roughly 30 million light-years from the Earth in the Virgo constellation.
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Can We Defend Earth from Asteroids? Here's What You Need to Know
Efforts to protect Earth from asteroid impacts have made significant strides, notably with NASA’s DART mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022. This achievement marked a key advancement in planetary defence, demonstrating that asteroid deflection is a viable strategy. However, the success of DART al...
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 24 Starlink Satellites to Expand Internet Network
SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink satellites aboard its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on November 30 at 12:00 a.m. EST. The mission aimed to enhance the company’s global internet network by adding to its expanding satellite megaconstellation in low-Earth orbit. The Falcon 9's first stage booster, identified as B10...
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Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
-
Astronauts on ISS Share Christmas Cheer with Floating Candy Canes and Festivities
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) celebrated Christmas in a unique way, creating a festive atmosphere with floating candy canes and a snowman made from storage bags. The multinational crew, including astronauts from NASA and Russian cosmonauts, shared heartfelt messages, reflecting on their unity as a team and the collaborativ...
-
ISRO and NASA to Launch NISAR Satellite in March 2025 for Earth Observation
The ISRO-Nasa collaboration on the NISAR satellite will launch in March 2025, aiming to revolutionise global Earth observation. The satellite, featuring advanced radar technology, will monitor land and ice surfaces, track ecosystem changes, and detect geological events like earthquakes and landslides. The mission will help map Earth’s surface wit...
-
Rocket Lab Delays Launch of Synspective's Earth-Imaging Satellite
Rocket Lab's scheduled launch of Synspective's Earth-imaging satellite, "Owl The Way Up," was postponed on December 20, 2024. The delay, announced by the company, was due to the need for further analysis of sensor data. The mission aims to deploy one of Synspective's Strix radar-imaging satellites, part of a broader plan to establish a 30-satellite...
-
Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration
A study published in The Astrophysical Journal has shed light on how the Sun’s magnetic field influences solar wind acceleration. Using data from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, researchers observed that sharp magnetic switchbacks smooth out into gentler waves as they travel further from the Sun. This relaxation process transfers magnet...
-
James Webb and Chandra Capture Images of Star Clusters in Distant Galaxies
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory have unveiled stunning new images of two star clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud. NGC 602, located approximately 200,000 light-years from Earth, showcases active star formation, with dust clouds and ionised gas revealing unique stellar birth conditions. Meanwhile, NGC 2264 featur...
-
Explained: Why NASA Delayed Sunita Williams' Return From Space
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams' return from the International Space Station has been delayed once again. Ms Williams, 59, will now touch down on earth after March next year. NASA insists that the crew is healthy and safe aboard the ISS.
-
SpaceX Dragon Cargo Capsule Returns to Earth After CRS-31 Mission
SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule successfully undocked from the International Space Station on December 16, 2024, as part of the CRS-31 mission. Carrying thousands of pounds of research materials and supplies, the spacecraft is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida on December 17. Dragon remains the only cargo spacecraft capable of safely...
-
China's Tianwen-3 Mars Sample Return Mission Targets 2031 Ahead of NASA, ESA
China's Tianwen-3 mission aims to return Martian rock samples to Earth by 2031, setting a benchmark in space exploration. Scheduled for launch in 2028, the mission will employ cutting-edge technologies, including a lander, ascent vehicle, rover, and helicopter, to gather samples from regions like Utopia Planitia and Chryse Planitia. These areas wer...
-
X-Class Solar Flare From Sunspot 3912 Causes Radio Blackouts in Southern Africa
A powerful X-class solar flare erupted from sunspot region 3912 on December 8, disrupting high-frequency radio communications in southern Africa. The flare, accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), ionised Earth’s upper atmosphere, absorbing radio signals and causing blackouts in areas exposed to peak solar activity. Experts predict the CME ...
-
Vega-C Rocket Successfully Returns to Flight with Sentinel-1C Launch After 2022 Failure
The Vega-C rocket has successfully resumed operations, launching the Copernicus Sentinel-1C Earth-observation satellite. After a failure in 2022, Vega-C’s design was updated, allowing it to complete this mission. Sentinel-1C will work alongside Sentinel-1A to enhance Earth’s monitoring capabilities. The launch took place from the Guiana Space C...
-
Solar 'Battle Zone' Could be Even Worse Than Solar Maximum, Experts Warn
Experts warn that the sun's next phase, the "battle zone," could result in increased geomagnetic activity, lasting until 2028. This period could bring heightened solar flares and coronal holes, which may cause disruptions to satellites in low-Earth orbit. Space weather experts, including Scott McIntosh from Lynker Space, have noted that this phase ...
-
Sombrero Galaxy Appears Distinct In New Image From Webb Telescope
The Sombrero galaxy, or Messier 104 or M104, is roughly 30 million light-years from the Earth in the Virgo constellation.
-
Can We Defend Earth from Asteroids? Here's What You Need to Know
Efforts to protect Earth from asteroid impacts have made significant strides, notably with NASA’s DART mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022. This achievement marked a key advancement in planetary defence, demonstrating that asteroid deflection is a viable strategy. However, the success of DART al...
-
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 24 Starlink Satellites to Expand Internet Network
SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink satellites aboard its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on November 30 at 12:00 a.m. EST. The mission aimed to enhance the company’s global internet network by adding to its expanding satellite megaconstellation in low-Earth orbit. The Falcon 9's first stage booster, identified as B10...
