A Texas telecommunications startup launched its first five massive “BlueBird” communications satellites into orbit on September 12. Each device is nearly 700-feet-wide when fully deployed, and like BlueWalker 3—AST SpaceMobile’s 2022 prototype, also in orbit—every BlueBird will soon shine brighter than most stars and planets in the night sky. But despite the concerns of critics Read more about Five new massive satellites outshine most evening stars and will get bigger[…]

The mysterious brightening of a galaxy far, far away has been traced to the heart of the star system and the sudden awakening of a giant black hole 1m times more massive than the sun. Decades of observations found nothing remarkable about the distant galaxy in the constellation of Virgo, but that changed at the Read more about Astronomers detect sudden awakening of black hole 1m times mass of sun[…]

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observed the smallest exoplanet where water vapor has been detected in its atmosphere. At only approximately twice Earth’s diameter, the planet GJ 9827d could be an example of potential planets with water-rich atmospheres elsewhere in our galaxy. GJ 9827d was discovered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope in 2017. Read more about Hubble finds water vapor in small exoplanet’s atmosphere[…]

[…] humans have sent over 15,000 satellites into orbit. Just over half are still functioning; the rest, after running out of fuel and ending their serviceable life, have either burned up in the atmosphere or are still orbiting the planet as useless hunks of metal. […] That has created an aura of space junk around Read more about Orbit Fab wants to create refueling stations in space, standardised fuel ports, refineries[…]

Before a massive star explodes as a supernova, it convulses and sends its outer layers into space, signalling the explosive energy about to follow. When the star does explode, it sends a shockwave out into its own ejected outer layer, lighting it up as different chemical elements shine with different energies and colours. Intermingled with Read more about JWST Delivers A Fantastic New Image Of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A[…]

Scientists have discovered the first indication of nuclear fission occurring amongst the stars. The discovery supports the idea that when neutron stars smash together, they create “superheavy” elements — heavier than the heaviest elements of the periodic table […] “People have thought fission was happening in the cosmos, but to date, no one has been Read more about Nuclear fission seen for 1st time in space[…]

Sir Richard Branson is leaving his space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, to stand or fall on its own two feet after declaring that his business empire will not be tipping any more cash into the project. Branson told the Financial Times: “We don’t have the deepest pockets after COVID, and Virgin Galactic has got $1 Read more about Richard Branson’s wallet too small to support Space travel[…]

Dream Chaser, built by Sierra Space, is being prepped for transport to a NASA facility in Ohio, where it will undergo a series of tests to make sure the spaceplane can survive its heated reentry through Earth’s atmosphere. Starting these tests is crucial, demonstrating Dream Chaser’s readiness for flights and potentially transforming commercial space travel. Read more about World’s First Commercial Spaceplane Faces Crucial Test at NASA[…]

A team of astronomers have detected over 500 planet-like objects in the inner Orion Nebula and the Trapezium Cluster that they believe could shake up the very definition of a planet. The 4-light-year-wide Trapezium Cluster sits at the heart of the Orion Nebula, or Messier 42, about 1,400 light-years from Earth. The cluster is filled Read more about JuMBOs Planets – but without stars to orbit. So not planets according to definition[…]

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has racked up an impressive list of superlatives in its first five years of operations: It’s the closest spacecraft to the sun, the fastest human-made object and the first mission to ever “touch the sun.”   Now, Parker has one more feather to add to its sun-kissed cap: It’s the first Read more about Parker Probe’s path through solar blast yields unparalleled space weather insights[…]

A recent study submitted to Acta Astronautica explores the potential for using aerographite solar sails for traveling to Mars and interstellar space, which could dramatically reduce both the time and fuel required for such missions. This study comes while ongoing research into the use of solar sails is being conducted by a plethora of organizations Read more about Solar Sails Could Reach Mars in Just 26 Days[…]

OSIRIS-REx weighs 4,650 pounds (or 2,110 kg). On September 8th of 2016, NASA first launched the spacecraft on its 3.8-billion mile mission to land on an asteroid and retrieve a sample. That sample has just returned. Throughout Sunday morning, NASA tweeted historic updates from the sample’s landing site in Utah. “We’ve spotted the #OSIRISREx capsule Read more about After Seven Years, Sample Collected From Asteroid Finally Returns to Earth[…]

[…] Using Solar Orbiter’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI), the team of scientists behind the mission was able to record part of the Sun’s atmosphere at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. The last-minute modification to the instrument involved adding a small, protruding “thumb” to block the bright light coming from the Sun such that the fainter light of Read more about Clever Camera Trick Allows view of Sun’s Corona[…]

Blazars occupy an intriguing spot in the cosmic zoo. They’re bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) that blast out cosmic rays, are bright in radio emission, and sport huge jets of material traveling in our direction at nearly the speed of light. For some blazars, their jets look curvy and snaky and astronomers have questions. […] Read more about Some Galaxies Contain Double Supermassive Black Holes[…]

A pair of astrophysicists at the Rochester Institute of Technology has found via simulations that some black holes might be traveling through space at nearly one-tenth the speed of light. In their study, reported in Physical Review Letters, James Healy and Carlos Lousto used supercomputer simulations to determine how fast black holes might be moving Read more about Simulations suggest some black holes could be moving at nearly one-tenth the speed of light[…]

Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity, the reusable rocket-powered space plane carrying the company’s first crew of tourists to space, successfully launched and landed on Thursday. The mission, known as Galactic 02, took off shortly after 11am ET from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Aboard the spacecraft were six individuals total – the space plane’s commander and Read more about Virgin Galactic successfully flies tourists to space for first time[…]

Scientists have observed a white dwarf star – a hot stellar remnant that is among the densest objects in the cosmos – that they have nicknamed Janus owing to the fact it has the peculiar distinction of being composed of hydrogen on one side and helium on the other. […] The star is located in Read more about Janus, ‘two-faced’ hydrogen / helium white dwarf star[…]