Galileo liftoff EU–(ENEWSPF)–22 August 2014. The next pair of Galileo satellites, Galileo 5 and 6, has been successfully delivered into orbit today. This launch marks the start of a new phase in the European satellite navigation programme where the full constellation will be deployed with short intervals between launches. Galileo[Read More…]
Space
Stardust Team Reports Discovery of First Potential Interstellar Space Particles
The largest interstellar dust track found in the Stardust aerogel collectors was this 35 micron-long hole produced by a 3 picogram mote that was probably traveling so fast that it vaporized upon impact. The other two likely interstellar dust grains were traveling more slowly and remained intact after a soft[Read More…]
NASA’s Chandra Observatory Searches for Trigger of Nearby Supernova
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory is helping determine what caused SN 2014J, one of the closest supernovas discovered in decades. By comparing X-ray data taken before and after the stellar explosion, scientists can learn more about what set it off. Image Credit: NASA/SAO/CXC/R. Margutti et al Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 14, 2014. New[Read More…]
Rosetta Arrives at Comet Destination
Comet on 3 August 2014 EU–(ENEWSPF)–8 August 2014. After a decade-long journey chasing its target, ESA’s Rosetta this week became the first spacecraft to rendezvous with a comet, opening a new chapter in Solar System exploration. Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko and Rosetta now lie 405 million kilometres from Earth, about half way between[Read More…]
Hubble Shows Farthest Lensing Galaxy Yields Clues to Early Universe
The farthest cosmic lens yet found, a massive elliptical galaxy, is shown in the inset image at left. The galaxy existed 9.6 billion years ago and belongs to the galaxy cluster, IRC 0218.Image Credit: NASA and ESA Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 31, 2014. Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have unexpectedly discovered[Read More…]
NASA Announces Mars 2020 Rover Payload to Explore the Red Planet as Never Before
Image Credit: NASA Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 31, 2014. The next rover NASA will send to Mars in 2020 will carry seven carefully-selected instruments to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet. NASA announced the selected Mars 2020 rover instruments Thursday at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. Managers[Read More…]
NASA Launches New Carbon-Sensing Mission to Monitor Earth’s Breathing
A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket launches with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2)satellite onboard from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. OCO-2 will measure the global distribution of carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth’s climate.[Read More…]
Ocean on Saturn Moon Could be as Salty as the Dead Sea
Researchers found that Titan’s ice shell, which overlies a very salty ocean, varies in thickness around the moon, suggesting the crust is in the process of becoming rigid. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/SSI/Univ. of Arizona/G. Mitri/University of Nantes Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 3, 2014. Scientists analyzing data from NASA’s Cassini mission have firm evidence[Read More…]
Young Sun’s Violent History Solves Meteorite Mystery
Violent wind gusting around protostar EU–(ENEWSPF)–1 July 2014. Astronomers using ESA’s Herschel space observatory to probe the turbulent beginnings of a Sun-like star have found evidence of mighty stellar winds that could solve a puzzling meteorite mystery in our own back yard. In spite of their tranquil appearance in the[Read More…]
Athena to Study the Hot and Energetic Universe
Artist’s impression of an active galaxy EU–(ENEWSPF)–27 June 2014. ESA has selected the Athena advanced telescope for high-energy astrophysics as its second ‘Large-class’ science mission. The observatory will study the hot and energetic Universe and takes the ‘L2’ slot in ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015–25 plan, with a launch foreseen in[Read More…]
