China launched the first group of satellites for its Guowang megaconstellation on Dec. 16, marking the beginning of its efforts to provide global satellite internet coverage. The Long March 5B rocket, launched from Hainan, carried the satellites into low Earth orbit. The Guowang constellation, managed by China Satnet, aims to compete with systems like Starlink, with plans to deploy nearly 13,000 satellites by 2032. This … Continue reading China kicks off Guowang megaconstellation with Long March 5B launch

SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Dec. 16 at 11:05 a.m. EST, completing the CRS-31 mission. The spacecraft will splash down off Florida’s coast on Dec. 17, returning thousands of pounds of equipment and experiment samples for NASA. Dragon is the only cargo vehicle capable of safely bringing items back to Earth; other cargo freighters, like Cygnus and Progress, … Continue reading SpaceX’s 31st Dragon cargo capsule departs ISS to head home to Earth

In a secretive mission, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the U.S. military’s GPS III SV-07 satellite on Dec. 16, demonstrating the ability to condense a typical two-year planning cycle to under six months. Originally slated for a late 2025 launch aboard ULA’s Vulcan rocket, SV-07 was reassigned due to Vulcan delays. The “Rapid Response Trailblazer-1” (RRT-1) mission aimed to prove the U.S. Space Force’s … Continue reading SpaceX launches U.S. Space Force ‘rapid response’ GPS mission

Astroscale, a Japanese space company, achieved the closest ever approach by a commercial operator to space junk, coming within 15 meters of a defunct rocket upper stage. This was part of the Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) mission, selected by JAXA for its Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration. While this close approach was not required by JAXA, it aimed to demonstrate precise rendezvous and … Continue reading Astroscale orbital janitor gets within 15 meters of space junk

A new study published in Science examines the frequency of solar superflares by analyzing data from 56,450 sun-like stars observed by NASA’s Kepler space telescope. These superflares, which release immense energy, were detected as sharp brightness peaks. By studying these stars, researchers estimate that a sun-like star experiences a superflare approximately once every century, Phys.org has reported. The study, which accounts for errors and non-sun-like stars, offers … Continue reading Observations suggest sun-like stars emit superflares once per century

Ingenuity, NASA’s Mars helicopter, may have crashed during its 72nd flight on January 18, 2024, but it isn’t finished. Despite rotor damage, the helicopter’s avionics and sensors remain functional, allowing it to continue operating as a weather station, taking images and recording telemetry daily. NASA’s investigation into the crash revealed that the Martian surface’s bland texture caused the navigation system to lack critical information. While … Continue reading NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter could live on as a weather station for 20 years

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse crossed North America, and NASA supported various research projects to study the sun’s effect on Earth’s atmosphere. Citizen scientists played a key role in the Citizen CATE 2024 project, capturing over 47,000 images of the sun’s corona during totality. Despite some challenges, the data collected in polarized light will help scientists understand the corona’s behavior, Phys.org has … Continue reading NASA’s solar eclipse experiments yield intriguing early data

In 2017, the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua, with an elongated shape, was identified as a hybrid asteroid-comet, later termed a dark comet. New research has doubled the number of known dark comets, discovering seven more and revealing two distinct populations based on their size and orbit. These objects, with both asteroid and comet-like behaviors, might have played a key role in delivering the building blocks of … Continue reading ‘Dark Comets’ Come in Two Distinct Types, Study Finds

Astronomers using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered dozens of tiny asteroids, including the smallest ever observed in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. These asteroids, often just tens of meters wide, are more likely to migrate toward Earth and cause significant damage, such as the impact events in Chelyabinsk or Tunguska. The team, led by MIT’s Artem Burdanov, spotted … Continue reading James Webb Space Telescope finds smallest asteroids ever seen between Mars and Jupiter

China’s commercial launch firm Expace successfully launched its upgraded Kuaizhou-1A rocket on December 3, 2024, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The rocket deployed the Haishao-1 satellite, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing satellite. The enhanced Kuaizhou-1A features a longer first and second stage, a larger payload fairing, and an increased payload capacity, able to carry up to 450 kg to low Earth orbit (LEO), … Continue reading China debuts modified solid rocket with remote sensing satellite launch

Scientists have debunked the theory that Venus ever hosted Earth-like life by analyzing the planet’s atmosphere. Research suggests Venus has always been dry, with volcanic eruptions emitting little water, indicating the planet never had oceans of liquid water. This challenges the idea that Venus was once habitable, as some previously thought. While Venus may still hold some potential for life in its acidic clouds, the … Continue reading Atmospheric analysis shows Venus never had Earth-like life, scientists say

SpaceX launched 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral early on December 8, including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities. A Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivered the satellites into low Earth orbit and landed its first stage on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic. This launch marked SpaceX’s 123rd Falcon 9 liftoff of the year, with nearly 70% dedicated to expanding the Starlink network, which … Continue reading SpaceX launches 23 Starlink internet satellites from Florida

Iran launched its heaviest-ever rocket, the Simorgh, on Friday, carrying a 660-pound payload. This launch has raised concerns among security experts that Iran’s rocket technology could be linked to its nuclear program. The rocket launch coincided with reports that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles are nearing weapons-grade purity. Iran’s space advancements are seen as a potential pathway to developing long-range missiles, which could pose a threat … Continue reading Iran launches rocket with heaviest-ever payload into space amid heightened concern over nuclear program

SpaceX has launched 20 satellites to complete its first Starlink direct-to-cell constellation, with 13 capable of communicating directly with cell phones without extra equipment. This follows a recent deal between SpaceX and T-Mobile, enabling phones to connect even in remote areas. The constellation acts like a space-based cellphone tower, improving coverage and eliminating dead zones. SpaceX announced the satellites will connect to the Starlink network … Continue reading SpaceX completes Starlink’s first direct-to-cell constellation

SiriusXM’s satellite radio service is getting a boost with the launch of the SXM-9 satellite, which took off on December 5 aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This marks the third SiriusXM satellite launched by SpaceX and the tenth overall for the company. The launch took place from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Falcon 9 booster successfully landing on the drone ship “Just … Continue reading SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Sirius XM radio satellite

Jupiter will be at its closest to Earth on December 7, 2024, creating a stunning celestial display known as Jupiter’s opposition, when Earth is positioned between the Sun and Jupiter. This will make the planet shine its brightest this year, visible all night. The best view will be after sunset, looking towards the southeastern horizon. Jupiter’s opposition occurs every 13 months, and this year’s “Christmas … Continue reading Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth

Europe’s Vega-C rocket successfully returned to flight on December 5, 2024, after a two-year hiatus following a failure in 2022. The rocket launched the Copernicus Sentinel-1C satellite from French Guiana, which will join Sentinel-1A to complete a dual-satellite constellation for Earth observation. This mission was crucial for Europe’s space program, highlighting the capabilities of the Vega-C rocket, designed by the Italian aerospace company Avio. The … Continue reading Europe’s Vega-C rocket launches Earth-observation satellite

NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon, has faced further delays. A planned moon landing in 2026 will now occur no earlier than mid-2027, and a mission to fly astronauts around the moon, originally scheduled for 2025, is now set for April 2026. These delays are partly due to issues with the Orion crew capsule’s heat shield, which experienced unexpected damage … Continue reading NASA delays first crewed flight to the moon in over 50 years

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission on December 4th, using the PSLV-XL rocket. Proba-3 will deploy two spacecraft, the Occulter and Coronagraph, which will fly in close formation to create artificial solar eclipses, enabling detailed study of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona. This mission will offer scientists an unprecedented view of the corona, … Continue reading European twin satellites to create perfect artificial solar eclipse

China’s new Long March 12 rocket successfully completed its inaugural flight on Saturday, placing two experimental satellites into orbit and testing upgraded engines for future lunar missions. The rocket, launched from the Wenchang spaceport, is designed to be a more affordable option for deploying small satellites and competing with SpaceX’s Starlink. It uses four upgraded YF-100K engines, which will also be used on the upcoming … Continue reading China debuted a new rocket on the nation’s path to the Moon

A small asteroid, C0WEPC5, was visible in northern Siberia on Tuesday as it approached Earth. The European Space Agency alerted that the 27-inch asteroid would create a visible fireball upon entry, though the impact was deemed harmless. It entered Earth’s atmosphere over Yakutia in northeastern Siberia, producing a bright fireball witnessed by locals. This marked the fourth detected asteroid strike of the year, ABC News … Continue reading Asteroid nearly hits Earth in Siberia, with a 2nd massive asteroid passing this week

The sun has entered a more active phase, known as solar maximum, with increasing solar storms, flares, and plasma eruptions. These events have triggered geomagnetic storms on Earth, creating vivid auroras visible farther south than usual. The heightened activity is expected to continue for the next year. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, set to make its closest-ever approach to the sun on Dec. 24, will study … Continue reading The sun is at its solar maximum

SpaceX successfully launched the NROL-126 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday. This mission, the fifth in the NRO’s proliferated architecture program, carried government satellites and 20 Starlink satellites to orbit. It marked SpaceX’s 100th successful launch from the base. The Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster also successfully landed on a drone ship in the Pacific … Continue reading SpaceX launches fifth mission bolstering US government reconnaissance satellite architecture

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission launched on October 14, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, beginning its journey to Jupiter. As of now, the spacecraft is about 20 million km from Earth. The spacecraft has deployed its solar arrays and magnetometer boom, with instruments being gradually activated. Europa Clipper will travel over 2.9 billion km, including two flybys of Mars and Earth, before reaching Jupiter. … Continue reading Over a month into mission, Europa Clipper continues deploying instruments

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has resumed regular operations after a month-long communication pause. In late October, it unexpectedly switched off its primary X-band radio transmitter, forcing the team to use a backup, weaker transmitter. However, the team successfully reactivated the X-band transmitter earlier this month and resumed data collection. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is now 15 billion miles from Earth, facing challenges due to … Continue reading NASA’s Voyager 1 Finally Phones Home After Worrying Communications Glitch