"Using a model that more realistically simulates atmospheric conditions, we discovered a new process that controls the habitability of exoplanets and will guide us in identifying candidates for further study," said Yuka Fujii of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), New York, New York and the Earth-Life Science Institute at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, lead author of a paper on the research published in the Astrophysical Journal Oct. 17. Previous models simulated atm...

NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the Sentinel-6A mission. Launch is currently targeted for November 2020, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The total cost for NASA to launch Sentinel-6A is approximately $97 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs. The Sentinel-6A mission, also known as Jason Conti...

NASA Team Finds Noxious Ice Cloud on Saturn's Moon Titan Researchers with NASA's Cassini mission found evidence of a toxic hybrid ice in a wispy cloud high above the south pole of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The finding is a new demonstration of the complex chemistry occurring in Titan's atmosphere-in this case, cloud formation in the giant moon's stratosphere-and part of a collection of processes that ultimately helps deliver a smorgasbord of organic molecules to Titan's surface. Inv...

ESO's fleet of telescopes in Chile have detected the first visible counterpart to a gravitational wave source. These historic observations suggest that this unique object is the result of the merger of two neutron stars. The cataclysmic aftermaths of this kind of merger - long-predicted events called kilonovae - disperse heavy elements such as gold and platinum throughout the Universe. This discovery, published in several papers in the journal Nature and elsewhere, also provides the strongest ev...

For the first time, NASA scientists have detected light tied to a gravitational-wave event, thanks to two merging neutron stars in the galaxy NGC 4993, located about 130 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Hydra. Shortly after 8:41 a.m. EDT on Aug. 17, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope picked up a pulse of high-energy light from a powerful explosion, which was immediately reported to astronomers around the globe as a short gamma-ray burst. The scientists at the National S...

Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space GmbH to develop the feed array system for the antenna on the European Space Agency's Biomass spacecraft. This equipment is essential to guarantee the full satellite performance. One of ESA's Earth Explorer missions dedicated to protect our planet, Biomass will help us understand the quantity of carbon stored in the world's forests within the global carbon cycle. Due for launch in 2021, Biomass is primarily designed to d...

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 on Oct. 15 at 3:28 a.m. EDT. Designated NROL-52, the mission is in support of national security. "Today's launch is a testament to the tireless dedication of the ULA team, demonstrating why ULA continues to serve as our nation's most dependable and successful launch provider," said Laura Maginnis, ULA vice president of Government Satellite Launch. "Af...

The first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere, Sentinel-5P, has been launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. The 820 kg satellite was carried into orbit on a Rockot launcher at 09:27 GMT (11:27 CEST) today. The first stage separated 2 min 16 sec after liftoff, followed by the fairing and second stage at 3 min 3 sec and 5 min 19 sec, respectively. The upper stage then fired twice, delivering Sentinel-5P to its final orbit 79 min after liftoff. ...

The first full-scale model of the rocket motor that will propel Ariane 6 and Vega-C into orbit has been cast and filled with inert propellant for testing at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The P120C is the largest solid-propellant rocket motor ever built in one segment. Each P120C will hold over 140 tonnes of propellant in a carbon fibre casing almost 11.5 m long and about 3.4 m in diameter. It is derived from Vega's current first stage motor, the P80, which holds 88 tonnes of propell...

There's no map showing all the billions of exoplanets hiding in our galaxy -- they're so distant and faint compared to their stars, it's hard to find them. Now, astronomers hunting for new worlds have established a possible signpost for giant exoplanets. A new study finds that giant exoplanets that orbit far from their stars are more likely to be found around young stars that have a disk of dust and debris than those without disks. The study, published in The Astronomical Journal, focused on ...

Our 4th Space Resiliency Summit is designed as an educational and training ''Town Hall'' forum, where thought leaders and key policy-makers across military services, defense agencies, and civilian organizations can come together for actionable discussions and debate. This year's summit will focus on technology and innovation needed to defend critical space assets against increasing and new threats. Download Conference Agenda | Register to attend this Conference 2017 Summit Topics to Includ...

EchoStar Corp. (NASDAQ: SATS) announced today that the EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite was successfully launched on October 11 at 6:53 PM EDT on a SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. EchoStar 105/SES-11, a dual-mission satellite for EchoStar and SES, is a hybrid Ku and C-band communications satellite that provides EchoStar with 24 Ku-band transponders of 36 MHz, marketed as EchoStar 105, and SES with a C-band payload of 24 transponders, marketed under the name S...

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) was recently selected by DigitalGlobe, Inc. as the next-generation WorldView Legion satellite imaging constellation payload provider. Under the contract, Raytheon will deliver the telescopes, detectors and combined electronics to Space Systems Loral, the WorldView Legion space vehicle integrator. Raytheon's new payload doubles DigitalGlobe's capacity to capture multispectral and 30 cm imagery, while tripling to quadrupling the company's capacity to image high-dema...

Mission controllers completed a critical final rehearsal today, confirming that everything and everyone on ground are ready to take over control of Sentinel-5P in the harsh environment of space. A 'team of teams' working at ESA's control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, today conducted a final rehearsal for this week's launch of Sentinel-5P. They were joined by engineers working at ground stations on three continents and by teams responsible for the launcher and its payload in Plesetsk, Russ...

Ushering in a new era of advanced Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, the U.S. Air Force declared the first Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-built GPS III satellite "Available for Launch." The Air Force's "AFL" declaration is the final acceptance of Lockheed Martin's first GPS III Space Vehicle (GPS III SV01) prior to its expected 2018 launch. GPS III SV01 will bring new capabilities to U.S. and allied military forces, and a new civil signal that will improve future connectivity worldwide ...

With four days to liftoff, the next Sentinel satellite is now on the launch pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. The rocket will be fuelled two days before launch, set for Friday at 09:27 GMT (11:27 CEST). The Sentinel-5P satellite has been at the cosmodrome since early September going through a series of tests and being readied for the big day. After being sealed from view in the rocket fairing last week, it was rolled out to the launch pad on Saturday. "This point in any...

L3 Technologies (NYSE:LLL) announced today that it has been awarded a contract to provide Hawkeye(tm) III Lite VSAT satellite communications terminals and on-site training to the U.S. Air National Guard's Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) teams. These terminals will facilitate direct communication from remote locations in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Additionally, these Army Strategic Command (ARSTRAT)-certified terminals will enable access to the Wideband Global SATCO...

The third batch of Iridium(r) NEXT satellites built by Thales Alenia Space has been successfully launched by SpaceX from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After the perfect commissioning of the first 20 satellites launched in January and June, thirteen of which are now interconnected and operating in full compatibility with the initial Block One Constellation, with seven being maneuvered to an adjacent plane, this new milestone allows to continue the fantastic Iridium(r) NEXT adventure. ...

Astronomers have identified a bumper crop of dual supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. This discovery could help astronomers better understand how giant black holes grow and how they may produce the strongest gravitational wave signals in the Universe. The new evidence reveals five pairs of supermassive black holes, each containing millions of times the mass of the Sun. These black hole couples formed when two galaxies collided and merged with each other, forcing their superma...

As preparations for the launch of Sentinel-5P continue on track, the team at Russia's Plesetsk site has bid farewell to the satellite as it was sealed from view in the Rockot fairing. Liftoff is set for 13 October at 09:27 GMT (11:27 CEST). Since its arrival at the launch site at the beginning of September, Sentinel-5P has been through a series of stringent tests to confirm there was no damage during the flight from the UK. These tests have made sure that everything is in good working orde...