Science

SAN FRANCISCO – Australian Earth observation startup LatConnect 60 announced plans June 9 to hire York Space Systems to manufacture small satellites and to operate its Earth observation constellation. LatConnect 60, a company founded in 2019, plans to launch its first satellite in 2021 and to establish an initial constellation of three satellites with multiple

Adam Fortais explains how the “At-Home Lab Kit” allows undergraduate students at McMaster University to do physics experiments while sheltering in place. This post is part of a series on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the personal and professional lives of physicists around the world. If you’d like to share your own perspective, please contact

Gen. Raymond: “These men and women “made the bold decision to volunteer to join the U.S. Space Force and defend the ultimate high ground.” WASHINGTON — More than 8,500 active-duty airmen applied to join the U.S. Space Force during the month of May, the service announced on June 9. Applicants include a mix of officers

The Space Development Agency says optical inter-satellite links are “one of the most critical technologies to be demonstrated.” WASHINGTON — Optical communications terminals that use lasers to beam data across space will be tested in upcoming experiments by the Space Development Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. These terminals are important pieces of

Combatting the COVID-19 pandemic has become an international challenge and charge. It has highlighted the positive consequences of science operating on a global scale. It has shown how answers can be found quickly when scientists share results at unprecedented speed and research becomes increasingly open-access. It has shown that we must rely on scientists from

Joint effort: the new imaging method, which is called biochemical quantitative phase imaging with mid-infrared photothermal effect. (Courtesy: s-graphics.co.jp, CC BY-NC-ND) Optical imaging is widely used to image biological cells thanks to its non-destructive, label-free nature. A team of researchers in Japan has now combined two common optical techniques – quantitative phase microscopy and molecular

SAN FRANCISCO – The Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator and Techstars Allied Space Accelerator announced the names June 8 of companies selected to participate in their 2020 classes. The Techstars Allied Space Accelerator, established late last year with the support of the U.S. Air Force, Netherlands Ministry of Defence, Norwegian Ministry of Defence and Norwegian Space

WASHINGTON — Virgin Orbit and the British government are continuing efforts to begin flights of the company’s air-launch system from an English airport by early 2022 despite challenges on both sides of the Atlantic. Virgin Orbit and the U.K. Space Agency, along with Spaceport Cornwall, held an online suppliers conference June 4 to provide an

ISOLDE’s CRIS: the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy on ISOLDE at CERN. (Courtesy: Maximilien Brice/CERN) The first spectroscopic study of radium monofluoride suggests that the radioactive molecule could be used to perform high precision tests of the Standard Model of particle physics. The study was done by an international team of physicists working in the ISOLDE

A June 5 solicitation for a “tracking phenomenology experiment” is a step in the development of a sensor network in space to track hypersonic missiles. WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency is soliciting bids to integrate a missile-warning sensor with a satellite bus and launch it to low Earth orbit by late 2021. The June

WASHINGTON — NASA announced June 5 that it awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman to begin work on a habitation module for the lunar Gateway, nearly a year after the agency announced its intent to sole-source that module to the company. NASA said it issued a contract to Northrop Grumman valued at $187 million for

Nano Letters 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00800″> A hydrogel can cool off electronics and generate electricity from their waste heat. Scale bar, 2 cm. Courtesy: Adapted from Nano Letters 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00800 A new thermogalvanic hydrogel can simultaneously cool down electronic devices and convert the waste heat they produce into electricity. The material, developed by a team

WASHINGTON — Earth-observation company BlackSky will launch two satellites as co-passengers on a SpaceX Starlink mission expected to occur June 24, Nick Merski, vice president of space operations for Spaceflight Industries, told SpaceNews. Spaceflight Industries is arranging the launches for BlackSky, said Merski, who is responsible for supporting BlackSky and formerly directed the BlackSky constellation

SAN FRANCISCO – Under a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration six-month study contract, Maxar Technologies will explore the application of its WorldView Legion constellation to weather observation from low Earth orbit. “This is not just a technical study, it’s more programmatic,” Al Tadros, Maxar vice president of space infrastructure and civil space, told SpaceNews.

[embedded content] Are you looking for a fun physics activity to do with the kids this weekend? The Institute of Physics’ Melissa Brobby has just the thing – a self-spinning water sprinkler made from a milk carton.  In the above the video, she shows you how to make a sprinkler and tells you about the

HELSINKI — A number of Chinese private launch firms for the burgeoning commercial space sector have reported progress in efforts to develop a range of launch vehicles. Landspace and iSpace are reporting progress with methane rocket engines, while Galactic Energy is moving closer to launch of its Ceres-1 launcher. Deep Blue Aerospace has meanwhile secured

WASHINGTON — The reelection campaign of President Donald Trump has taken down an online ad tied to the recent Demo-2 commercial crew launch after complaints it appeared to violate NASA media guidelines, and criticism from one person who appeared in it. The ad, titled “Make Space Great Again!”, was posted on YouTube June 3 by

Taking to the street: following the killing of George Floyd on 25 May by a police officer, protests and demonstrations have been held across the US against systemic racism, excessive use of police force and lack of accountability for police officers. (Courtesy: Christopher Brown/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock) US scientific societies, universities and technology companies have reacted strongly