#Europe pitches lunar satellites plan

#Europe pitches lunar satellites plan

“#Europe pitches lunar satellites plan” BERLIN — The European Space Agency presented a vision Thursday to put satellites in orbit around the moon that would facilitate future missions to Earth’s closest neighbor. The plan, dubbed “Moonlight,” would see ESA offer communications and navigation services to any country that wants to carry out lunar exploration missions….

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#NASA to show off space lasers, enabling faster transfer of data between Earth and space

#NASA to show off space lasers, enabling faster transfer of data between Earth and space

“#NASA to show off space lasers, enabling faster transfer of data between Earth and space” NASA is planning to unveil a new laser communications system next month that will allow data to be transmitted between Earth and space at an accelerated rate.  Slated for launch on June 23, NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstrations (LCRD) replaces radio frequency communications,…

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#Perseverance Mars rover’s robotic arm starts conducting science

#Perseverance Mars rover’s robotic arm starts conducting science

“#Perseverance Mars rover’s robotic arm starts conducting science” NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is using its robotic arm to search for signs of ancient microbial life.  The rover, which landed in Jezero Crater in February, had been functioning largely as a communications base between the autonomous Ingenuity Mars helicopter and the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) over the last couple of weeks, helping to…

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#NASA spacecraft heading back to Earth after retrieving asteroid sample

#NASA spacecraft heading back to Earth after retrieving asteroid sample

“#NASA spacecraft heading back to Earth after retrieving asteroid sample” NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on Monday began its long journey back to Earth after collecting a sample from the asteroid Bennu. The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer was NASA’s first spacecraft to visit an asteroid near Earth to bring back a sampling for scientists. …

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#Voyager 1 detects ‘hum’ while in interstellar space

#Voyager 1 detects ‘hum’ while in interstellar space

“#Voyager 1 detects ‘hum’ while in interstellar space” Voyager 1, which is the farthest human-made object from Earth and the first to enter interstellar space, has been detecting a “faint, persistent hum” that scientists have attributed to interstellar gas. Phys.org, citing research published in Nature Astronomy, reported that the spacecraft’s Plasma Wave System has picked up a “persistent…

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#NASA blasts China over rocket’s risky fall to Earth

#NASA blasts China over rocket’s risky fall to Earth

“#NASA blasts China over rocket’s risky fall to Earth” NASA officials blasted China for “failing to meet responsible standards” after debris from the malfunctioning Long March 5B rocket came crashing down to earth over the weekend. Bill Nelson, the administrator of the US space agency, said in a statement that the Chinese spacecraft created unnecessary…

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#Giant spider ‘attacks’ Australian space telescope

#Giant spider ‘attacks’ Australian space telescope

“#Giant spider ‘attacks’ Australian space telescope” It’s an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare come true. A security camera fixed on the giant antenna at Canberra’s Deep Space Communications Complex caught a terrifying spider “attack” this week when a giant huntsman spider crawled across the lens. The effect was chilling – making it look like the giant arachnid…

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#Ingenuity Mars helicopter sets stage for space flight on other worlds, NASA says

#Ingenuity Mars helicopter sets stage for space flight on other worlds, NASA says

“#Ingenuity Mars helicopter sets stage for space flight on other worlds, NASA says” NASA experts discussed a new era in space exploration Monday following the success of space flights by the Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which could set the stage for flight in other worlds.  In a live discussion streamed on YouTube from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, Ingenuity pilot Johnny…

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