September 18th, 2018
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By tapping robotic and sensor technologies, a small free-flying spacecraft is being demonstrated to autonomously investigate lava tubes on the Moon. Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is partnering with scientists from the RIS4E node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), led by Stony Brook University. High-priority targets Lunar lava tubes […]
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now carrying out Sol 2175 duties. Curiosity’s latest drill attempt was not successful, reports Vivian Sun, a planetary geologist at NASA/JPL in Pasadena, California. “Who’d have thought that ridge rocks could be so hard.” Drilling into the target rock, “Inverness,” the rover equipment reached only 4 millimeters into the […]
Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Dream Chaser spacecraft has shrunk – but to just the right size to become a toy in the Matchbox Sky Busters® line. That line showcases America’s best and most groundbreaking aircraft and spacecraft, including NASA’s space shuttle. To be sold in stores starting this month, the full-scale Dream Chaser spacecraft is […]
SpaceX has signed the world’s first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard their Big Falcon Rocket launch vehicle – an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space, according to the SpaceX website. Only 24 humans have been to the Moon in history. Twelve humans walked across […]
It’s a good day for privately-backed lunar landers. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has released a Request for Information (RFI) so the space agency can assess proposals for Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads. This NASA program element would solicit flight payloads that do not require significant additional development. Science goals, knowledge gaps, tech […]
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is performing Sol 2169 tasks. The robot’s drill campaign at “Inverness” is starting, reports Kristen Bennett, a planetary geologist at the USGS in Flagstaff, Arizona. “In the weekend plan Curiosity drove to an area that the team thought would be a good location for the next drill site on Vera Rubin […]
Making high-quality satellite imagery available to the broader global energy research community can help crack open China’s “Great Wall of Secrecy” and improve data transparency and insights into the inner workings of the world’s second-largest crude oil market. A new study — Using Satellite Data to Crack the Great Wall of Secrecy Around China’s Internal […]
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now performing Sol 2168 tasks. Reports Sean Czarnecki, a planetary geologist at Arizona State University in Tempe: “Curiosity’s last plan didn’t quite get our intrepid rover close enough to our next potential drill location in the gray bedrock that is visually distinct on this part of Vera Rubin Ridge.” This […]
Tapping the use of high-flying satellites, scientists have released the most accurate, high-resolution terrain map of Antarctica ever created. The mapping project, called The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA), will change science in Antarctica. The new map has a resolution of 2 to 8 meters, compared to 1,000 meters, which was typical for previous […]
This informative panel met today, Monday, September 10 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Headquarters in Washington, D.C. This event was webcast live. Moving forward The discussion focused on President Trump’s newly announced Space Force proposal. With Vice President Pence’s announcement of the Department of Defense’s report on “Organizational and Management Structure […]
