Science

WASHINGTON — NASA has added another asteroid flyby to its Lucy mission later this year that will provide a test of its capabilities for future encounters. NASA announced Jan. 25 that the spacecraft will fly by the small main-belt asteroid 1999 VD57 on Nov. 1. The project selected that asteroid after one scientist collaborating on

This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features an interview with Danna Freedman, who uses synthetic chemistry to create quantum bits (qubits). Based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Freedman explains how this bottom-up approach allows her team to create quantum technologies on a molecular scale. Freedman explains why this approach could be used

Lamborn said areas of focus for the subcommittee include hypersonic weapons and DoD space programs WASHINGTON — Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican representing Colorado Springs, was named chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee. HASC Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), on Jan. 25 announced the committee’s seven subcommittee chairs for the 118th

HELSINKI — ESA’s director general says  the agency does not have the budgetary capacity nor the political intention to send its astronauts to China’s space station. “We are very busy supporting and ensuring our commitments and activities on the International Space Station where we have a number of international partners working together,” ESA Director General

A doctoral training centre in wind and marine energy aims to equip PhD students with the skills and knowledge needed to drive continuing expansion in the offshore renewables industry Into the sea: major investments in the UK’s offshore energy infrastructure, such as this wind farm off the coast at Redcar, North Yorkshire, is driving demand

WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab performed its long-awaited first Electron launch from Virginia Jan. 24, placing three HawkEye 360 satellites into orbit. The Electron rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, at 6 p.m. Eastern. The two-stage Electron placed a kick stage into orbit a little more

Calvelli said DoD should stop designing bespoke satellites buses and use commercial products CHANTILLY, Va. — The era of massive satellites needs to be in the rear view mirror for the Department of Defense, the head of military space acquisitions told government and industry executives Jan. 24. Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force

Born 125 years ago, the Hungarian-born physicist Leo Szilard is best remembered for being the first scientist to call for atomic bombs to be developed – before later demanding they be stopped. But as Istvan Hargittai explains, this was not the only occasion when his views evolved in unexpected directions Safety in numbers Photographed after

SAN FRANCISCO – Charter Space, a London startup offering program management software for satellite missions, is the product of sheer frustration. While managing a satellite mission for Anchor Orbital, a former U.K. startup developing electrodynamic tethers, Yuk Chi Chan, Charter co-founder and CEO, found himself “stymied and bogged down by inefficient tooling and processes” at

WASHINGTON — The Canadian government announced plans Jan. 20 to set up a regulatory framework to allow commercial launches from the country as part of an effort to expand Canada’s space industry. In a briefing at the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) outside Montréal, officials with Transport Canada, CSA and Canadian industry announced

TAMPA, Fla. — The satellite behind Europe’s next flagship space mission is ready to be sent to French Guiana for an April launch to explore three of Jupiter’s largest icy moons, manufacturer Airbus announced Jan. 20. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) has been undergoing final assembly and testing for nearly a year and a

WASHINGTON — NASA is suspending efforts, at least until late next year, to try to fully deploy a solar array on its Lucy spacecraft, citing diminishing returns as the spacecraft heads away from the sun. In a statement quietly posted on NASA’s website Jan. 19, the agency said the latest effort to latch one of

The company developed a satellite-based augmentation system that leverages both GPS and Europe’s Galileo WASHINGTON — The availability of a new GPS navigation signal for civilian users is creating market opportunities in so-called satellite-based augmentation systems — known as SBAS — that countries around the world are developing or upgrading to support transportation and other

WASHINGTON — The United States and Israel are finalizing an agreement that would see NASA contribute to an upcoming Israeli astrophysics mission. The focus of the agreement, which could be signed as soon as later this month, involves a mission called Ultrasat under development by Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science with support from the Israel

A Partner in the True North On the global stage of mature space powers, Canada has earned its place, though it does not always receive the public acclaim it is due. For those in the space community, however, Canada is not only an important stakeholder but also a vital partner. As Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield

Scaling back facilities, canceling travel and keeping staff lean helps startups stretch every dollar raised Credit: SpaceNews Midjourney illustration If it was easier to raise money, Plasmos might have a dedicated facility for testing rocket engines. Instead, the propulsion startup rented a speedboat restoration shop east of Los Angeles. There, “we managed to test something,