Space junk that tore through Florida home was from ISS, confirms NASA

NASA has completed the analysis of a chunk of metal that crashed into the roof of a house in Naples, Florida, a few weeks ago. The agency says it came from a pallet of trash released from the International Space Station three years ago.Continue Reading… Continue reading Space junk that tore through Florida home was from ISS, confirms NASA

Orbital reflectors could boost solar energy around dusk and dawn

Power demand spikes in the early morning and later evening, when solar arrays can’t help. But researchers in Scotland say orbital launch costs are getting so cheap that giant space-based reflectors could soon be a viable way to power these timeslots.Co… Continue reading Orbital reflectors could boost solar energy around dusk and dawn

Amazon launches two test satellites, initiating star wars with Elon Musk

Two test satellites blasted off on board a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket emblazoned with Amazon’s famous logo on Friday, ahead of more than 3,200 planned to orbit the Earth to directly challenge Elon Musk’s reign over space broadband real… Continue reading Amazon launches two test satellites, initiating star wars with Elon Musk

Newly discovered Sun “nanoflares” could be source of solar wind

There may not be any air in space, but there’s wind – solar wind, made up of charged particles thrown off by the Sun. The exact mechanism behind this phenomenon remains murky, but now ESA’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft has observed previously unknown “tiny… Continue reading Newly discovered Sun “nanoflares” could be source of solar wind

Hackaday Links: August 13, 2023

Hackaday Links Column Banner

Remember that time when the entire physics community dropped what it was doing to replicate the extraordinary claim that a room-temperature semiconductor had been discovered? We sure do, and if …read more Continue reading Hackaday Links: August 13, 2023

Longshot targets $10/kg launch costs with Nazi uber-cannon on steroids

Rockets are expensive, so a number of kinetic launch startups are working on ways to simply yeet payloads into orbit and bring costs down. This one’s very fun – a six-mile long concrete cannon that’ll squeeze launch vehicles to Mach 30 in one second.Co… Continue reading Longshot targets $10/kg launch costs with Nazi uber-cannon on steroids

World-first space solar demonstration beams power from orbit to Earth

A Caltech team is celebrating the world’s first space-based wireless power transmission, and the first time detectable levels of power have been beamed down to Earth. The Space Solar Power Project (SSPP) aims to unlock huge orbital clean energy resourc… Continue reading World-first space solar demonstration beams power from orbit to Earth

New findings suggest hundreds of millions of planets may harbor life

When Meatloaf sang “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” in 1977, we’re all but certain he was not doing the math on the potential of planets in the galaxy having the right conditions to harbor life. Because new findings suggest that two out of three are actual… Continue reading New findings suggest hundreds of millions of planets may harbor life

NASA’s TROPICS hurricane satellites reach orbit on second launch

Two hurricane-monitoring NASA CubeSats have launched into space atop a Rocket Lab Electron booster from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula at 1:00 pm NZST, on May 8, (9:00 pm EDT, on May 7).Continue ReadingCategory: Space,… Continue reading NASA’s TROPICS hurricane satellites reach orbit on second launch