Lunar Impact Surveyor Eye Test

Lunar Impact Surveyor Eye Test

ESA’s newly approved Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer, Lumio, is an exciting mission that will orbit an Earth-Moon Lagrange point to detect meteoroid flashes on the night-time lunar farside. This briefcase-sized 12-unit ‘CubeSat’ – a low-cost small spacecraft built up from standardized 10 cm boxes – will be placed in orbit around the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point […]

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Perspective Matters

Perspective Matters

The captivating image presents an optical illusion that challenges our perceptions of celestial distances. At first glance, the vibrant red nebula appears to reside far beyond the dark, winding dust lanes that snake through the Milky Way. However, this celestial trickery is nothing more than a matter of perspective. The crimson glow emanates from the […]

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US and China Lead Launch Surge in Second Half of 2024

US and China Lead Launch Surge in Second Half of 2024

Moving into the second half of 2024, the first week of July has already begun with the third launch of the Japanese H3 rocket in the early hours of Monday morning UTC. The week ahead continues with two Starlink missions from SpaceX, pushing the number of Starlink satellites launched to over 6,700. Two more launches […]

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AI-powered satellite to imropve Earth observation

AI-powered satellite to imropve Earth observation

Here is a detailed text for the “Φsat-2 Mission Overview” section, formatted for embedding in a WordPress post using HTML tags: ESA’s Φsat-2 mission, launching in the coming weeks, will push the boundaries of AI for Earth observation – demonstrating the transformative potential of AI for space technology. Measuring just 22 x 10 x 33 […]

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Messier 4 (NGC 6121) is a standout globular cluster, shining at a remarkable magnitude of +5.8 and spanning an impressive 26 arcminutes across the sky. This makes it one of the largest globular clusters visible in the Messier catalogue. Despite its grand appearance, Messier 4 is relatively close, situated at a distance of approximately 7,200 […]

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Ariane 6 Prepped for Liftoff

Ariane 6 Prepped for Liftoff

The countdown to liftoff began with rolling back the 90-meter tall Ariane 6 mobile gantry building, standing 120 meters away from the launch pad. This momentous occasion marked the first time the complete rocket stood freely, a sight that sent waves of excitement through the air. The journey leading up to this pivotal moment was […]

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ESA Impact Q2 2024

ESA Impact Q2 2024

The European Space Agency’s ambitious space transportation initiatives are making steady progress. The Ariane 6 program, Europe’s next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle, has successfully completed its qualification tests and is on track for its maiden flight in late 2024. Designed to be more reasonable investment and flexible, Ariane 6 will secure Europe’s independent access to space […]

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Starship preps hint at tower catch in Flight 5

Starship preps hint at tower catch in Flight 5

Many signs point to a possible catch attempt on the fifth flight of Starship. Elon Musk did post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that he thought there should be a catch attempt on Flight 5. A new communications license from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has language that states […]

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Focus your sights on the Sun

Focus your sights on the Sun

Sunspots are temporary regions of intense magnetic disturbance on the Sun’s surface, where the energy from below is blocked by magnetic forces. This causes the area to cool down slightly compared to the surrounding surface, creating the dark sunspots visible to observers. When looking at a sunspot, you will notice two distinct parts: a nearly […]

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