Science

TAMPA, Fla. — SpaceX has applied for more spectrum to upgrade Starlink satellite broadband services for mobile users. The company asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission July 25 for permission to use the 2 GHz spectrum band to “augment” its mobile satellite services (MSS). Specific details about the next-generation services Starlink plans to provide were

WASHINGTON — NASA is preparing to award a contract to a Boeing-Northrop Grumman joint venture for Space Launch System missions that could run through the middle of the next decade. The agency published July 26 a pre-solicitation notice for its Exploration Production and Operations Contract (EPOC), which would shift procurement of SLS launches to a

Low-cost screening: A smartphone-based tympanometer can diagnose middle ear disorders. (Courtesy: Dennis Wise/University of Washington) Tympanometry is a test that measures middle ear function by examining the compliance of the eardrum to changing air pressure. The test, used to help diagnose middle ear disorders that could lead to hearing loss, is currently performed using a

TAMPA, Fla. — Viasat said July 26 it has been selected to study multi-orbit satellite networks for the European Space Agency. The study will be conducted by the U.S.-based satellite broadband operator’s British subsidiary, which will spend a year evaluating technical requirements and potential markets for hybrid networks that combine multiple frequency bands and network

WASHINGTON — Orbit Fab, a startup that is developing an infrastructure for in-space refueling of spacecraft, announced plans to purchase a small amount of lunar regolith and transfer it to a trust to promote sustainable management of lunar resources. The Colorado-based company said July 26 that it signed a letter of intent with Breaking Ground,

An illustration of the ANU metasurfaces. Credit: Ella Maru Studio Usually, when light travels through a material, it produces an image. But when it passes through a new material developed by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU), it produces two completely independent and different images – as different, in fact, as the iconic outline

Defense Innovation Unit’s Steve Butow: ‘We want to make GEO cool again’ WASHINGTON — The Defense Innovation Unit is funding space projects that the agency hopes will spur commercial investments in satellite refueling technologies and support services for geostationary satellites.  “Imagine a world where every 18 to 24 months, you could simply upgrade the processor

TAMPA, Fla. — Eutelsat said July 25 it is in talks to merge with OneWeb to create a global multi-orbit satellite broadband operator. The deal would combine France-based Eutelsat’s satellite fleet in geostationary orbit (GEO) with British startup OneWeb’s constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO). Eutelsat already owns 23% of OneWeb, and has been building

Sara Fry from Atlas Copco talks to Hamish Johnston about the company’s plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 46% by 2030 Leading role Sara Fry believes that Atlas Copco’s commitment to the transition to a low-carbon economy gives the company a competitive advantage. (Courtesy: Atlas Copco) The Swedish company Atlas Copco, which owns

HELSINKI — China added a new experiment module to its space station Sunday, following a high-profile launch from the country’s coastal spaceport. The Wentian experiment module launched atop of a Long March 5B rocket at 2:22 a.m. Eastern from the Wenchang spaceport on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, with crowds watching on from nearby

WASHINGTON — NASA awarded a contract to Draper to send three science instruments to the far side of the moon through a commercial payload delivery program. NASA announced July 21 it selected a team led by Draper for the 2025 mission to land in Schrödinger Basin, an impact basin about 320 kilometers across on the

“Chasing ghost particles at the South Pole” by Yuya Makino bagged first prize in the “at a glance” category. (Courtesy: Yuya Makino) It’s easy to take physics for granted, after all it’s all around us, constantly governing how everything interacts. Despite this – or perhaps because of it – most of us go about our

“A single strike could reshape our world, and the only thing that can stop it is science.” Credit: IMAX Those are the opening lines of “Asteroid Hunters,” an IMAX film narrated by Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame. If a June 17 screening near the NASA Ames Research Center is any guide, “Asteroid Hunters” achieves

The company developed a sensing payload that would give spacecraft ‘eyes to enable better navigation and avoid threats’ WASHINGTON — Startup SCOUT Space won a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research contract from the U.S. Space Force to augment military systems with commercial data from space-based sensors, the company announced July 22. The $750,000 award

A good night’s sleep awaits: a look at the heating and cooling sections of the mattress and pillow using a thermal camera. (Courtesy: The University of Texas at Austin) Today it is cool and raining here in Bristol, but earlier this week the temperature reached 36.9 °C in the city – which is extremely hot

TAMPA, Fla. — The U.K. announced a public consultation July 22 to assess the environmental impact of the country’s first space launch, as part of the licensing process for clearing Virgin Orbit’s mission this year. The U.K.’s space regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is seeking comments on an environmental assessment from Virgin Orbit and

WASHINGTON — NASA’s safety advisers warn that the agency’s efforts to transition from the International Space Station to commercial space stations without a gap are on a “precarious trajectory.” At a July 21 meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, members said they were concerned that commercial stations whose development is being supported by NASA

Early detection: A colourized scanning electron microscopic image depicting Ebola virus particles budding from the surface of a cell. (Courtesy: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) A new tool can rapidly and reliably detect the presence of Ebola virus in blood samples at lower concentrations than existing tests, researchers from the US report. The