The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has achieved the extraordinary feat of imaging the event horizons of black holes, including those at the heart of the Milky Way and M87. Now, astronomers are eagerly anticipating the advancements of the next-generation EHT, poised to revolutionize our understanding of these enigmatic cosmic entities.
NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by streaming 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International Space Station (ISS) and back for the first time. This historic feat utilized advanced optical (laser) communications technology and represents a significant step forward in space data transmission.
Astronomers have unveiled new insights into a spectacular collision between two colossal galaxy clusters, revealing that dark matter surged ahead of normal matter during the cosmic event. These clusters, each brimming with thousands of galaxies, are located billions of light-years from Earth. This groundbreaking study offers the first direct observations
As the arms race between artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake images and detection methods intensifies, recent advancements in astronomy are proving invaluable. Astronomical techniques designed to analyze and interpret light in distant celestial objects are now being adapted to identify and combat deepfakes. Deepfake images, a fusion of “deep learning” and
TAMPA, Fla. — Astroscale has successfully obtained the final tranche of government funding necessary for its 2026 demonstration mission aimed at de-orbiting a defunct OneWeb broadband satellite from low Earth orbit (LEO). The Japanese space company announced on July 22 that its British subsidiary has secured approximately $15 million from
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites have executed nearly 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers in the past six months, marking a dramatic increase from the previous period. This surge in evasive actions underscores the rising challenges of managing orbital traffic in an era of expanding satellite constellations. SpaceX’s Collision-Avoidance Efforts According to SpaceX’s latest Semiannual
Spaceflight and exploration have undergone remarkable transformations over the past 25 years, shaping the current landscape of our journey into the cosmos. Since 1999, we’ve witnessed the rise of a dynamic private spaceflight sector, spearheaded by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and the emergence of China as a major player in space
ABL Space Systems faces a setback in its plans to conduct its second orbital launch after its RS1 rocket was destroyed during a recent preflight test. The California-based startup was preparing for the test flight of its RS1 rocket, scheduled to lift off from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is targeting 2031 for the launch of its first lunar lander mission, named Argonaut. This ambitious project aims to provide Europe with autonomous access to the moon, according to a development announcement published last week. Argonaut: Europe’s Robotic Lunar Lander The Argonaut mission is set
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is urging unity among major U.S. political parties during the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on Saturday, July 20. NASA Chief Nelson’s Call for Unity In a speech released on YouTube, NASA Chief Bill Nelson, a former Democratic politician, highlighted the similarities between
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has achieved the extraordinary feat of imaging the event horizons of black holes, including those at the heart of the Milky Way and M87. Now, astronomers are eagerly anticipating the advancements of the next-generation EHT, poised to revolutionize our understanding of these enigmatic cosmic entities. Understanding Black Holes: Anatomy and Significance Black holes, the gravitational powerhouses of galaxies, possess a complex structure centered around a singularity—a point of infinite density where the laws of physics
NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by streaming 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International Space Station (ISS) and back for the first time. This historic feat utilized advanced optical (laser) communications technology and represents a significant step forward in space data transmission. Innovative Technology: Laser Communications vs. Traditional Radio Waves Traditionally, NASA has relied on radio waves for space communication. However, laser communications, which use infrared light, offer a substantial improvement. This
Astronomers have unveiled new insights into a spectacular collision between two colossal galaxy clusters, revealing that dark matter surged ahead of normal matter during the cosmic event. These clusters, each brimming with thousands of galaxies, are located billions of light-years from Earth. This groundbreaking study offers the first direct observations of how dark and normal matter velocities decouple during such high-energy collisions. Dark Matter and Normal Matter: A Cosmic Collision Galaxy clusters, some of the universe’s largest structures, are bound
As the arms race between artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake images and detection methods intensifies, recent advancements in astronomy are proving invaluable. Astronomical techniques designed to analyze and interpret light in distant celestial objects are now being adapted to identify and combat deepfakes. Deepfake images, a fusion of “deep learning” and “fakes,” are generated by sophisticated AI algorithms that mimic real images with high accuracy. This AI technology can replace faces or alter visuals to create misleading or fabricated content. The
TAMPA, Fla. — Astroscale has successfully obtained the final tranche of government funding necessary for its 2026 demonstration mission aimed at de-orbiting a defunct OneWeb broadband satellite from low Earth orbit (LEO). The Japanese space company announced on July 22 that its British subsidiary has secured approximately $15 million from the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency. This funding will support the fourth and final phase of the End of Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple (ELSA-M) mission. Phase Four
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites have executed nearly 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers in the past six months, marking a dramatic increase from the previous period. This surge in evasive actions underscores the rising challenges of managing orbital traffic in an era of expanding satellite constellations. SpaceX’s Collision-Avoidance Efforts According to SpaceX’s latest Semiannual Constellation Status Report filed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on July 1, 2024, the number of collision-avoidance maneuvers has doubled from the previous six-month period. Between December 1,
Spaceflight and exploration have undergone remarkable transformations over the past 25 years, shaping the current landscape of our journey into the cosmos. Since 1999, we’ve witnessed the rise of a dynamic private spaceflight sector, spearheaded by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and the emergence of China as a major player in space exploration. Additionally, India has made significant strides in the space arena. As we look ahead to 2049, the next quarter-century promises even greater advancements in space exploration and technology. While
ABL Space Systems faces a setback in its plans to conduct its second orbital launch after its RS1 rocket was destroyed during a recent preflight test. The California-based startup was preparing for the test flight of its RS1 rocket, scheduled to lift off from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. However, the rocket was severely damaged and is no longer in a condition to proceed with the launch. RS1 Rocket Suffers Irrecoverable Damage On Friday, following a pre-flight static fire
The European Space Agency (ESA) is targeting 2031 for the launch of its first lunar lander mission, named Argonaut. This ambitious project aims to provide Europe with autonomous access to the moon, according to a development announcement published last week. Argonaut: Europe’s Robotic Lunar Lander The Argonaut mission is set to revolutionize Europe’s lunar exploration efforts with its state-of-the-art robotic lander. This advanced lander is meticulously designed to transport a variety of cargo and scientific instruments to the moon’s surface,
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is urging unity among major U.S. political parties during the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on Saturday, July 20. NASA Chief Nelson’s Call for Unity In a speech released on YouTube, NASA Chief Bill Nelson, a former Democratic politician, highlighted the similarities between today’s divided climate and the troubled 1960s when the Apollo program was at its peak. He emphasized that Apollo 11‘s landing on July 20, 1969, by astronauts Neil Armstrong and
