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How do spacecraft avoid collisions in the asteroid belt?

Astronomy Staff — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

How do spacecraft avoid collisions when passing through the asteroid belt? Val-David SmithsonPleasant Grove, Utah Let’s begin by reviewing some astronomical “history”: Han Solo and his rebel cohorts Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and C-3PO are nestled uncomfortably together in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit while their ship is pursued by a battalion of Imperial fighters. Unable toContinue reading "How do spacecraft avoid collisions in the asteroid belt?"

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Astronomers urge FCC to research impacts of space junk

Samantha Hill — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000

Citing environmental concerns, 120 astronomers and researchers implored the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an Oct. 24 letter to halt launches of internet satellites like SpaceX’s Starlink. The letter, which was organized by the Public Interest Research Group, also urged FCC Space Bureau Chief Julie Kearney to investigate the potential negative environmental and health impactsContinue reading "Astronomers urge FCC to research impacts of space junk"

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NASA conducts first otherworldly aircraft accident investigation

Mark Zastrow — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 22:28:08 +0000

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA oversee investigations of aircraft accidents in U.S. airspace. But what happens when a crash occurs hundreds of millions of miles away in outer space? Engineers with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) manufacturer Aerovironment, a prominent aerospace and defense contractor, areContinue reading "NASA conducts first otherworldly aircraft accident investigation"

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A look back at NEOWISE, the NASA mission that cataloged objects around Earth for over a decade

Alison Klesman — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

The NASA project NEOWISE, which has given astronomers a detailed view of near-Earth objects – some of which could strike the Earth – ended its mission and burned on re-entering the atmosphere after over a decade. On a clear night, the sky is full of bright objects – from stars, large planets and galaxies toContinue reading "A look back at NEOWISE, the NASA mission that cataloged objects around Earth for over a decade"

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NASA releases new infrared images from retired NEOWISE mission

Samantha Hill — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Although it completed its mission in July, NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) still has interesting archival data covering the solar system thanks to the team at the Infrared Processing & Analysis Center (IPAC) at Caltech. After the spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere in November, IPAC completed a final data release ofContinue reading "NASA releases new infrared images from retired NEOWISE mission"

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Proba-3 launches, ready to eclipse the Sun

Korey Haynes — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:42:51 +0000

UPDATE: Proba-3 launched successfully Thursday morning at 5:34 A.M. EST (10:34 GMT). You can watch a replay of the launch here. In a fabulous feat of formation flying, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission, now set to launch Thursday morning, will fly two spacecraft 490 feet (150 meters, or one and a half footballContinue reading "Proba-3 launches, ready to eclipse the Sun"

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Opinion: An international affairs expert breaks down Harris and Trump’s records on space policy

Alison Klesman — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 19:45:49 +0000

The next president of the United States could be the first in that office to accept a phone call from the Moon and hear a woman’s voice on the line. To do so, they’ll first need to make a series of strategic space policy decisions. They’ll also need a little luck. Enormous government investment supports outerContinue reading "Opinion: An international affairs expert breaks down Harris and Trump’s records on space policy"

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How the Cluster II mission studied the Sun’s effects on Earth

Sten Odenwald — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000

On July 26, 2000, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Salsa satellite, which joined its three companion satellites — Samba, Rumba, and Tango — on the Cluster II mission, scheduled to last two years. On Sep. 8, after more than 24 years of service, Salsa re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in a controlled de-orbit, where itContinue reading "How the Cluster II mission studied the Sun’s effects on Earth"

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NASA’s Europa Clipper sets sail for Jupiter

Alison Klesman — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:43:44 +0000

NASA’s newest scientific flagship is on its way to the Jupiter system to explore the icy moon Europa, one of the most compelling worlds in our solar system. The mission lifted off Oct. 14 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.Continue reading "NASA’s Europa Clipper sets sail for Jupiter"

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30 years ago: Magellan Venus mission successfully concluded

Ben Evans — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000

The third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon, Venus is known for its opalescent splendor at dawn or dusk. Humans have long been drawn to its exquisite beauty and tied it to goddesses of love — from Inanna of Mesopotamian myth to the Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus. But Venus isContinue reading "30 years ago: Magellan Venus mission successfully concluded"

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