Science

PARIS — Regional satellite operators are searching for faster ways to add more capacity to their networks to meet soaring demand for broadband, according to executives speaking at World Satellite Business Week here. Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat is in talks to buy Ka-band capacity in the Middle East and Africa from another operator while it waits

Two-in-one sensor: Team leader Jun Yao (left) and first author Hongyan Gao, a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering, have developed a new tool for improved cardiac studies. (Courtesy: Jun Yao) A team of US-based researchers has developed an innovative nanoelectronic sensor that simultaneously measures electrical and mechanical activity in heart cells – paving

, Aalyri won an $8 million contract from the Defense Innovation Unit to prototype a hybrid communications network WASHINGTON — Aalyri Technologies, a startup that emerged from stealth mode Sept. 13, plans to provide high-speed internet using software and networking technology from Google’s ill-fated project to beam internet service from high-altitude balloons. Founded by former U.S.

PARIS – Skyloom and Space Compass, a joint venture between NTT and Sky Perfect JSAT, plan to establish a constellation to relay data from low Earth orbit to the ground through satellites in geostationary orbit. It was the latest entry in an increasingly crowded field of companies seeking to address growing demand from satellite operators

Diamonds from plastic A powerful laser was fired at a thin piece of PET plastic, generating a shock wave that created nanodiamonds. (Courtesy: HZDR / Blaurock) Firing powerful laser pulses at pieces of plastic has provided new insights into how diamonds could form and rain down on ice-giant planets such as Neptune and Uranus. The

PARIS, France — OneWeb is considering plans for a second-generation constellation jointly with Eutelsat ahead of closing their proposed merger, executives for the satellite operators said Sept. 12. The companies “do not need to wait” for the six to nine months it could take for their merger to clear shareholder and regulatory approvals, OneWeb CEO

PARIS – The quest for enhanced space-based computing and data storage is extending to lunar missions. Skycorp announced plans Sept. 12 to send a commercial solid-state drive from Taiwan-based Phison Electronics Corp. to the moon next year. Ramon.Space unveiled plans Sept. 7 to provide a computing technology for a lander being developed for Israel’s Beresheet

Carbon capture: A study finds heating, travel and commuting are the biggest contributors to lab carbon emissions (Courtesy: iStock/Griffin24) Researchers in France have developed a new open-source tool to help scientists understand and reduce the carbon footprint of their labs. From the 500 or so labs that have already used the tool – called GES

WASHINGTON — The United States will introduce a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly this month calling for a halt on direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) testing. Speaking at a meeting of the National Space Council Sept. 9 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Vice President Kamala Harris said the measure was an effort to get more

PARIS — A NASA-funded cubesat mission to the moon has gone into safe mode after suffering a problem during a trajectory correction maneuver, the agency said Sept. 10. The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) spacecraft was performing its third trajectory correction maneuver on Sept. 8 when it encountered an unspecified

Sumner Norman, chief neuroscientist at AE Studio, talks to Tami Freeman about the company’s work in brain–computer interfaces In the lab: Sumner Norman and colleagues at AE Studio are developing cutting-edge software for brain–computer interfaces. (Courtesy: Agency Enterprise) A brain–computer interface (BCI) is a system that enables information to flow directly between the brain and

Sierra Space signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Transportation Command WASHINGTON — Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice has previously hinted about possible military applications for the company’s Dream Chaser space plane. On Sept. 8, Sierra Space announced it signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA)  with the U.S. Transportation Command

The contract is in support of a new ground system to collect and process data from missile warning satellites WASHINGTON — SciTec, a small business based in Princeton, New Jersey, won a $272 million contract to develop software to analyze data collected by the U.S. military’s early-warning infrared satellites.  The Space Systems Command announced the

Light snack: infrared radiation has been shown to make tasty popcorn. (Courtesy: HeatherLion/CC BY-SA 3.0) This edition of the Red Folder comes from kitchen. Cooking with infrared light is becoming increasingly popular because it can cook some foods quickly and evenly – often using less energy than more conventional techniques. Now, Majid Javanmard and colleagues

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have signed a new agreement outlining their roles investigating commercial space accidents. The agencies announced Sept. 9 that they signed a new memorandum of agreement, updating one signed 22 years ago. The agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities of the agencies in

WASHINGTON — Iridium will launch five of its remaining six ground spare satellites on a Falcon 9 rideshare mission in 2023, the company announced Sept. 8. Iridium said it selected SpaceX for the launch of the five satellites, sharing a launch with other, unnamed payloads. The launch is scheduled for the middle of 2023 from

Dancing spikes: the bottom frames are photographs of the magnetic fluid in three different configurations. The top frames illustrate how the dynamic nature of the system increases the evaporation of water. (Courtesy: Yajie Hu et al/Nature Communications) A magnetic system that dynamically adjusts the surface properties of a material used for solar-driven water purification has

WASHINGTON — NASA is laying the groundwork for another attempt to launch the Space Launch System on the Artemis 1 mission late this month, pending both repairs to leaking liquid hydrogen lines and negotiations with the Eastern Range. During a Sept. 8 briefing, Jim Free, NASA associate administrator for exploration systems development, said the agency