Science

TAMPA, Fla. — International regulators have waived a requirement for Rivada Space Networks to launch 10% of its proposed 576 satellites by September, boosting plans to fund the multibillion-dollar connectivity constellation. Rivada expects to start deploying commercial satellites in 2025 under contracts with manufacturer Terran Orbital and launcher SpaceX, easily missing the first deployment deadline

Cool idea: images of the bolometer on a silicon chip. (Courtesy: Jean-Philippe Girard/Aalto University) A new type of bolometer that covers a broad range of microwave frequencies has been created by researchers in Finland. The work builds on previous research by the team and the new technique could potentially characterize background noise sources and thereby

WASHINGTON — Firefly Aerospace signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to launch a small satellite aboard Firefly’s Alpha vehicle. The agreement, announced June 29, is to launch a Lockheed Martin technology demonstration mission. Firefly did not disclose the estimated timeline for this launch.  “We are working with Firefly because of their innovative performance in offering

Split ties: the so-called China Initiative has led to many Chinese scientists in the US to consider leaving (courtesy: iStock) Feelings of “fear and anxiety” have led many academic scientists of Chinese heritage to consider leaving the US since the launch in 2018 of the “China Initiative“. That is according to a new study from

WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency on June 28 released a final request for proposals for its next procurement of 100 satellites as the agency continues to build out a military constellation in low Earth orbit. These 100 satellites, named Alpha, will be part of a mesh network known as Transport Layer Tranche 2. The

WASHINGTON — The Defense Innovation Unit is seeking proposals from commercial launch companies that can provide “responsive and precise point-to-point delivery of cargo to, from, and through space.” The solicitation, published June 30, asks companies to submit proposals by July 17.  DIU, a DoD agency created to bring commercially developed technology into military programs, is

Brother-and-sister duo Eugenia Viti and Ivan Viti ponder the limits of the everyday Have you ever stood in an apparently endless queue, or been trapped in an everlasting meeting, thinking to yourself “This is taking absolutely forever”? Have you perhaps pondered some other of the seeming “infinities” you might come across, outside of a calculus textbook? In this whimsical

TAMPA, Fla. — AST SpaceMobile is continuing to search for funds ahead of deploying commercial direct-to-device satellites next year after getting more breathing room with a $60 million discounted share sale. Some 12.5 million shares were sold June 27 at around $4.75 each, about 27% less than where they were trading before the sale announcement,

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A European mission to unravel some of the biggest mysteries in the universe is underway thanks to a launch from an American rocket. A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off at 11:12 a.m. Eastern July 1 from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40. The rocket deployed its payload, the European Space Agency’s

Time to fly: Euclid will spend some six years observing the universe (Courtesy: SpaceX) A craft to explore the nature of dark energy has been launched today aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:12 local time. The €1.4bn Euclid mission will study the large-scale structure of the universe

HELSINKI — A Chinese satellite manufacturer and constellation operator says it has successfully demonstrated space-to-ground high-speed laser communications which could help China break bottlenecks in getting data from space down to the ground. Changguang Satellite Technology (CGST) recently carried out the test with its Jilin-1 MF02A04 remote sensing satellite. The test was conducted in cooperation

WASHINGTON — After completing an upgrade to the International Space Station’s power system in June, NASA is moving ahead with plans to add two more solar arrays to the station. Boeing and Redwire announced June 28 that they signed a contract for a fourth pair of ISS Roll-Out Solar Arrays, or IROSA, for the station.

Message projection: the IOP’s “Bin the Boffin” slogan has lit up the Daily Star’s offices in Canary Wharf. (Courtesy: David Parry) “Boffin” is a quintessentially British word that refers to a stereotypical scientist – usually portrayed as an oddball, grey-haired, white man in a lab coat. It is very popular with the UK’s tabloid press,

WASHINGTON — A European spacecraft is set to launch on a mission to help astronomers resolve an “embarrassing situation” in cosmology, although the launch itself is another kind of embarrassing situation for Europe. The European Space Agency’s Euclid spacecraft is ready to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:11 a.m.

WASHINGTON — A solid rocket motor for Europe’s Vega C rocket malfunctioned during a static-fire test June 28, likely pushing back the vehicle’s return to flight to 2024. In a June 29 statement, Avio, the Italian company that is the prime contractor for the Vega, said a Zefiro 40 motor experienced an anomaly during a

Type-1 diabetes is a disease that arises from a person’s inability to produce insulin, which normally regulates glucose levels in the bloodstream. While there is no cure today, type-1 diabetes can be managed by monitoring glucose levels and treatment with insulin. Looking to the future, bioelectronic medicine could improve diabetes management thanks to the work

SPACEPORT AMERICA, N.M. — After nearly two decades of development, Virgin Galactic conducted its first commercial SpaceShipTwo suborbital flight June 29. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo vehicle VSS Unity, separated from its VMS Eve mothership aircraft at about 11:29 a.m. Eastern above cloudy skies in southern New Mexico. The vehicles took off from Spaceport America at 10:30

SPACEPORT AMERICA, N.M. — Virgin Galactic is set to conduct its first commercial SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceflight June 29, one that will demonstrate the readiness of the vehicle for commercial operations as well as its role as a research platform. The company made final preparations June 28 for the Galactic 01 mission, the second suborbital flight