Europe’s troubled Vega-C rocket to launch after delays (Image Credit: Phys.org) The Vega-C rocket was grounded for two years while the nozzle of the Zefiro 40 rocket motor — which caused the failure — was redesigned. The first launch of Europe’s new Vega-C rocket since a failed flight two years ago has […]
China plans to retrieve Mars samples by 2031 (Image Credit: Phys.org) The launch of the Tianwen-1 mission, Wenchang City, south China’s Hainan Province, July 23, 2020. Credit: CFP China’s growing presence in space has been undeniable since the turn of the century. Between sending the first “taikonaut” to space in 2003 (Yang […]
Some black holes at the centers of galaxies have a buddy, but detecting these binary pairs isn’t easy (Image Credit: Phys.org) Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, much like every egg has a yolk. But sometimes, hens lay eggs with two yolks. In a […]
Here’s how interstellar objects and rogue planets can be trapped in the solar system (Image Credit: Phys.org) Illustration of an interstellar object approaching our solar system. Credit: Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. daSilva When ‘Oumuamua traversed our solar system in 2017 it was the first confirmed Interstellar Object (ISO) to do so. Then in 2019, […]
European satellites launched to create artificial solar eclipses in a tech demo (Image Credit: Phys.org) This image provided by the European Space Agency shows a pair of probes creating an artificial total solar eclipse through formation flying. Credit: European Space Agency via AP A pair of European satellites rocketed into orbit Thursday […]
A rare Venus solar transit helps unravel exoplanet atmospheres (Image Credit: Phys.org) In June 2012, Hinode probe (of JAXA and NASA), dedicated to the study of the sun, observed the planet Venus transiting in front of our star. Credit: JAXA/NASA/Lockheed Martin In the next decade, researchers will start probing the atmosphere of […]
NASA delays crewed lunar landing to 2027 (Image Credit: Phys.org) A supermoon rises over Singapore on October 17, 2024. The United States is delaying its planned return to the moon from 2026 to “mid-2027,” citing heat shield issues and other problems plaguing its Orion crew capsule, NASA officials said Thursday. The announcement […]
Citizen scientist data help uncover the mysteries of a blue low-latitude aurora (Image Credit: Phys.org) One of the two photographs that captured blue-dominant aurora and were analyzed in this study. Credit: Takuya Usami Colorful auroras appeared around Japan’s Honshu and Hokkaido islands on May 11, 2024, sparked by an intense magnetic storm. […]
Hubble takes closest-ever look at a quasar (Image Credit: Phys.org) A two-panel image of quasar 3C 273, taken by different Hubble instruments. The top panel is a WFPC2 image of 3C 273. It looks like a bright white car headlight. There’s a linear orange-white smoke-like feature stretching to the 4 o’clock position, […]
Iran launches heaviest space payload into orbit: media (Image Credit: Phys.org) Credit: Pixabay from Pexels Iran successfully launched on Friday its heaviest space payload, which includes a satellite and a space tug, using a domestically developed satellite carrier, official media reported. Weighing 300 kilograms (660 pounds), the payload consisted of the Fakhr-1 […]
