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Artemis II Orion Service Module Secured for Launch at Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft is a step closer to its mission around the Moon. Three spacecraft adapter jettison fairings have been installed on its service module at Kennedy Space Center. These panels will protect the solar arrays from heat, wind, and acoustic forces during launch. Once in space, they will detach, allowing the arrays to dep...
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NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Deploys NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope and PUNCH Probes
NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions have successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SPHEREx will map the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colours, while PUNCH will study the transition of the sun’s corona into the solar wind. The two-year missions aim to deepen our understanding of th...
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NASA Delays SPHEREx and PUNCH Missions Due to SpaceX Vehicle Checks
NASA’s planned launch of the SPHEREx and PUNCH missions aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has been postponed. Originally set for March 8 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, the launch was delayed as SpaceX conducts additional vehicle checkouts. SPHEREx will focus on mapping the universe using infrared light, while PUNCH will examine solar wind and coro...
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NASA Reschedules SPHEREx and PUNCH Missions, Now Set for March 7 Launch
NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions, originally set for February 27, have faced another delay. The launch, previously rescheduled for March 4, is now expected to take place on March 7 at 10:09 p.m. EST from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. NASA cited scheduling constraints at the Western Range as the reason for the latest postponement. The ...
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Firefly Blue Ghost Moon Lander Successfully Lands on Moon for NASA Mission
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully landed on the Moon, marking a major milestone in private space exploration. Part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, the mission aims to study radiation levels, test lunar sample collection, and capture a total solar eclipse. The spacecraft, which landed in Mare Cris...
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NASA’s New Missions Will Map the Sun and the Cosmos
NASA is set to launch two major missions, PUNCH and SPHEREx, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 2. PUNCH, a four-satellite system, will study the sun’s corona and space weather, while SPHEREx will create infrared maps of the cosmos to study galaxy evolution and cosmic history. These missions will contribute to a de...
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NASA Launches Satellite On Mission To Detect Water On The Moon
Lunar Trailblazer, which weighs about 440 pounds (200 kg) and measures about 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) wide when its solar panels are fully deployed, is being sent to find and map this water on the moon's surface.
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US Space Force Shares First X-37B Space Plane Image, Revealing Mission Insights
The US Space Force has released the first-ever image of its X-37B space plane in orbit. Captured while conducting experiments above the African continent, the image shows the spacecraft’s solar panel and open payload bay. The X-37B, launched on December 28, 2023, has been in orbit for over a year, testing new space domain awareness technologies a...
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Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts
Solar sail satellites, harnessing sunlight for propulsion, are being developed to improve space weather forecasting. NOAA and NASA’s Solar Cruiser project aims to extend geomagnetic storm alert times by 50%, reducing risks to power grids, GPS, and air traffic. The new spacecraft, expected to launch in 2029, will move beyond traditional observatio...
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May 2024 Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Radiation Belts, Raising Space Safety Concerns
A significant solar storm in May 2024 led to the creation of two temporary radiation belts, detected by the CIRBE satellite in June. One belt contained high-energy electrons, while the other was rich in protons, a rare occurrence. While the electron belt dissipated in three months, the proton-dominated belt remains, potentially affecting space miss...
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NASA Perseverance Rover Discovers Ancient Rock Sample on Mars' Jezero Crater
NASA’s Perseverance rover has collected a unique rock sample from Mars' Jezero Crater. The rock, named “Silver Mountain,” is believed to be one of the oldest in the solar system, possibly dating back to the Noachian period, over 4 billion years ago. This discovery provides new insights into Mars’ geological history and past environmental co...
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NASA’s PUNCH Mission Set to Track the Sun’s Corona and Solar Wind in 3D
NASA’s PUNCH mission, set for launch on Feb 27, will deploy four satellites to study the transition between the sun’s corona and the solar wind. The mission aims to improve understanding of space weather by capturing 3D images, helping predict solar storms with greater accuracy. The data will also complement NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, offerin...
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Bennu Asteroid Sample Reveals Organic Compounds That May Hint at Life Beyond Earth
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu, revealing amino acids, nucleobases, ammonia, and minerals formed in saltwater. These organic compounds, vital to life, suggest that the building blocks for life might have existed in other regions of the early solar system. The discovery of evaporite minerals, including halite ...
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Chorus Waves Found Far From Earth Raise Concerns for Space Exploration
Chorus waves, energetic electromagnetic bursts resembling bird chirps, have been detected 100,000 miles from Earth, far beyond their usual range. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites observed these waves in a flatter region of Earth's magnetosphere, contradicting prior assumptions about their formation near strong magnetic gradients. The wav...
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Artemis II Orion Service Module Secured for Launch at Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft is a step closer to its mission around the Moon. Three spacecraft adapter jettison fairings have been installed on its service module at Kennedy Space Center. These panels will protect the solar arrays from heat, wind, and acoustic forces during launch. Once in space, they will detach, allowing the arrays to dep...
-
NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
-
SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Deploys NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope and PUNCH Probes
NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions have successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SPHEREx will map the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colours, while PUNCH will study the transition of the sun’s corona into the solar wind. The two-year missions aim to deepen our understanding of th...
-
NASA Delays SPHEREx and PUNCH Missions Due to SpaceX Vehicle Checks
NASA’s planned launch of the SPHEREx and PUNCH missions aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has been postponed. Originally set for March 8 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, the launch was delayed as SpaceX conducts additional vehicle checkouts. SPHEREx will focus on mapping the universe using infrared light, while PUNCH will examine solar wind and coro...
-
NASA Reschedules SPHEREx and PUNCH Missions, Now Set for March 7 Launch
NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions, originally set for February 27, have faced another delay. The launch, previously rescheduled for March 4, is now expected to take place on March 7 at 10:09 p.m. EST from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. NASA cited scheduling constraints at the Western Range as the reason for the latest postponement. The ...
-
Firefly Blue Ghost Moon Lander Successfully Lands on Moon for NASA Mission
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully landed on the Moon, marking a major milestone in private space exploration. Part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, the mission aims to study radiation levels, test lunar sample collection, and capture a total solar eclipse. The spacecraft, which landed in Mare Cris...
-
NASA’s New Missions Will Map the Sun and the Cosmos
NASA is set to launch two major missions, PUNCH and SPHEREx, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 2. PUNCH, a four-satellite system, will study the sun’s corona and space weather, while SPHEREx will create infrared maps of the cosmos to study galaxy evolution and cosmic history. These missions will contribute to a de...
-
NASA Launches Satellite On Mission To Detect Water On The Moon
Lunar Trailblazer, which weighs about 440 pounds (200 kg) and measures about 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) wide when its solar panels are fully deployed, is being sent to find and map this water on the moon's surface.
-
US Space Force Shares First X-37B Space Plane Image, Revealing Mission Insights
The US Space Force has released the first-ever image of its X-37B space plane in orbit. Captured while conducting experiments above the African continent, the image shows the spacecraft’s solar panel and open payload bay. The X-37B, launched on December 28, 2023, has been in orbit for over a year, testing new space domain awareness technologies a...
-
Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts
Solar sail satellites, harnessing sunlight for propulsion, are being developed to improve space weather forecasting. NOAA and NASA’s Solar Cruiser project aims to extend geomagnetic storm alert times by 50%, reducing risks to power grids, GPS, and air traffic. The new spacecraft, expected to launch in 2029, will move beyond traditional observatio...
-
May 2024 Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Radiation Belts, Raising Space Safety Concerns
A significant solar storm in May 2024 led to the creation of two temporary radiation belts, detected by the CIRBE satellite in June. One belt contained high-energy electrons, while the other was rich in protons, a rare occurrence. While the electron belt dissipated in three months, the proton-dominated belt remains, potentially affecting space miss...
-
NASA Perseverance Rover Discovers Ancient Rock Sample on Mars' Jezero Crater
NASA’s Perseverance rover has collected a unique rock sample from Mars' Jezero Crater. The rock, named “Silver Mountain,” is believed to be one of the oldest in the solar system, possibly dating back to the Noachian period, over 4 billion years ago. This discovery provides new insights into Mars’ geological history and past environmental co...
-
NASA’s PUNCH Mission Set to Track the Sun’s Corona and Solar Wind in 3D
NASA’s PUNCH mission, set for launch on Feb 27, will deploy four satellites to study the transition between the sun’s corona and the solar wind. The mission aims to improve understanding of space weather by capturing 3D images, helping predict solar storms with greater accuracy. The data will also complement NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, offerin...
-
Bennu Asteroid Sample Reveals Organic Compounds That May Hint at Life Beyond Earth
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu, revealing amino acids, nucleobases, ammonia, and minerals formed in saltwater. These organic compounds, vital to life, suggest that the building blocks for life might have existed in other regions of the early solar system. The discovery of evaporite minerals, including halite ...
-
Chorus Waves Found Far From Earth Raise Concerns for Space Exploration
Chorus waves, energetic electromagnetic bursts resembling bird chirps, have been detected 100,000 miles from Earth, far beyond their usual range. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites observed these waves in a flatter region of Earth's magnetosphere, contradicting prior assumptions about their formation near strong magnetic gradients. The wav...
