Space Explored

A team of researchers from the Southwest Research Institute has come across new evidence of a large, previously unknown asteroid that once prowled our solar system. The discovery was made when studying a fragment of a 9-ton asteroid that exploded over Sudan in 2008.

Virgin Orbit planned to conduct its second Launch Demo mission before the end of the year, but the spread of COVID-19 forced the team to halt pre-flight work this month. After following recommended safety guidelines, the team at Virgin Orbit is back on track, the company shared today. Virgin Orbit’s launch approach involves dropping a space-bound rocket called LauncherOne from the wing of a 747 plane named Cosmic Girl.

Are we alone? This is arguably the biggest question that mankind has ever asked. Now, a newly published study suggests the answer to that question is no, but with one substantial caveat, the alien civilizations are out there; they’re just all dead.

Originally planned to be a part of the first iteration of Space Launch System, the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) is set to start being used on the SLS Block 1B variant of NASA’s Moon rocket. Boeing, the prime contractor for NASA’s SLS, announced this week that they have completed a critical design review for the new upper stage of the rocket.

Both the House and Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Bill for 2021 this week, and while the biggest topic is the new COVID relief measure, this is a consolidation of several appropriation bills including the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bill that oversees the Arecibo Observatory.

Astronomers have observed a new dark spot on Neptune that’s affectionately being called Dark Spot Jr. While the Hubble Space Telescope-observed transient dark spot may be adorable from afar, The New York Times describes the treacherous nature of Neptune’s latest mini storm viewed from space.

Sierra Nevada Corporation, maker of the mini-shuttle-esque Dream Chaser spacecraft, is targeting Washington D.C. Metro system travelers in an advertising campaign focused on the Pentagon.

Earlier this week we saw the first installation of a commercially developed airlock from Nanoracks on the International Space Station. Now CNBC reports that Voyager Space Holdings will acquire the company behind the Bishop Airlock.

Popular App Store developer Iconfactory has just released a new app called Waterscope Weather. However, this isn’t your typical weather app; as the developer puts it, it’s a “weather app designed for people who love being around water.”

In the early 60s, the Cold War was intensifying between the United States and the Soviet Union. Because of rising tensions between the two superpowers, the threat of a nuclear war was a genuine concern for both sides. So naturally, spying and reconnaissance became valuable tactics.

A large majority of the terrain on Mars is rather challenging to traverse, especially for our delicate and slow-moving rovers. Because of this fact, NASA/JPL-Caltech has been hard at work creating what may be the future of Mars exploration: an autonomous robot dog.

A few days ago, word got out that researchers at Breakthrough Listen, a group hunting for alien civilizations, had detected a mysterious radio signal. The signal originated from Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun, and it has been designated as a possible alien transmission.

The European Space Agency is developing a low Earth orbit transportation system called Space Rider, and this month plans for the reusable spacecraft have started to come together. ESA describes the future system as an “uncrewed robotic laboratory about the size of two minivans” that will launch on a Vega C rocket and stay in orbit for up to two months.

Last night China launched its Long March 8 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the island of Hainan in the South China Sea. This was the rocket’s maiden flight with the goal to make China’s launch services program more appealing to outside customers and in the future compete with SpaceX on reusability.

The countdown to Mars kicked off earlier this year on July 30 when NASA’s Perseverance rover blasted off on a ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA’s newest Martian rover will arrive in less than two months on February 18 to begin its search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet.

SpaceX is rapidly sending batches of internet satellites to orbit as the company builds its Starlink broadband service. With over 900 operational satellites already in space, Starlink internet service reached public beta in October. Service is expected to reach many more markets over the next year, and a massive FCC investment will certainly help speed up the rollout.

Science YouTuber Scott Manley sat down with Rocket Lab CEO to talk about their year of launches while playing the popular space simulation game Kerbal Space Program.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a sizeable next-generation space telescope set to be launched sometime in 2021. As the launch window approaches, the telescope has gone through a series of tests to ensure its space readiness. The most recent of those tests involved unfolding the telescope’s sunshield.

While delivery of new methane powered engines for United Launch Alliance was expected to occur this year, Blue Origin pushed back the delivery date to next year due to more time needed to solve issues with the engine’s turbo pump.