Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Jupiter's Rings Made in the Shade
A new study reveals how light and shadow sculpt the faint rings.
NASA offers to take names to the moon
GREENBELT, Md., May 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has started a project that provides an opportunity for people to send their names to the moon.
Record low 2008 Arctic ice a probability
BOULDER, Colo., May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. climate scientists are forecasting a 3-in-5 chance of record low amounts of Arctic sea ice forming this year.
NASA Tests HYTHIRM at Sandia's Solar Tower
NASA has once again turned to Sandia's National Solar Thermal Test Facility -- aka the Solar Tower -- to help evaluate new technology for future space shuttle missions. NASA's most...
China Launches Relay Satellite to Prepare for First Spacewalk
China launched a new relay satellite to aid its first planned spacewalk this year.
India Hails Success of Complicated Rocket Launch
India celebrated the successful Monday launch of its most complicated mission.
TGV Gets Serious with Suborbital Reusable Rocket Design
After a decade, TGV Rockets has moved to serious design work.
ESA May Face British Astronaut Quandary
ESA faces a nightmare if a British citizen is the best astronaut candidate.
Out-of-this-world cuisine
A French master chef has taken his meals to a new location this week. London? Tokyo? New York? Not far enough for Alain Ducasse Formation (ADF). Last Sunday their meals...
Winners selected in ESA space art contest
Pupils from all over Germany joined ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter's ground-breaking Astrolab mission by taking part in an art contest. Over 500 excellent submissions made judging a challenge and showed...
Nespoli talks with Italian students via amateur radio
The first amateur radio link-up between ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli and Italian students was established yesterday morning at around 9:30 CET (08:30 UT). On this occasion two classes participated: the...
Rosetta on its way
Rosetta, on its way to the upcoming Earth swing-by, was seen last night from the Starkenburg observatory in Heppenheim, Germany.
The Moon and Europe - Rosetta OSIRIS images
As Rosetta closed in on Earth, swung by and then left on its course again, several instruments on the spacecraft were busy taking snaps. As it swung away, the OSIRIS...
ESA and Inmarsat sign innovative Alphasat satellite contract
ESA PR 34-2007. ESA and Inmarsat Global Ltd announce on Friday 23 November in Paris the formal signature of the contract for Alphasat satellite, one of the world's largest telecommunications...
Vega main engine test in Kourou
A prototype of the P80 rocket motor, which will power the first stage of ESA's new small launcher - Vega, was successfully tested on 4 December at the Guiana Space Centre,...
Hinode: new insights on the origin of solar wind
Spectacular images and data from the Hinode mission have shed new light on the Sun's magnetic field and the origins of solar wind, which can disrupt power grids, satellites and...
Integral discovers the galaxy’s antimatter cloud is lopsided
The shape of the mysterious cloud of antimatter in the central regions of the Milky Way has been revealed by ESA’s orbiting gamma-ray observatory Integral. The unexpectedly lopsided shape is...
Deep valleys of Candor Chasma
Mars Express took snapshots of Candor Chasma, a valley in the northern part of Valles Marineris, as it was in orbit above the region on 6 July 2006.
Space Sentinels: new ‘tools’ in space to improve European environment and security policies
ESA PR 12-2008. ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and European Commission Director General for Enterprise & Industry Heinz Zourek today signed in Brussels an agreement which establishes the allocation of...
Icy Promethei Planum
Promethei Planum, an area seasonally covered with a more than 3500 m thick layer of ice in the martian south polar region, was the subject of the High Resolution Stereo...
Mars Express reveals the Red Planet’s volcanic past
A new analysis of impact cratering data from Mars reveals that the planet has undergone a series of global volcanic upheavals. These violent episodes spewed lava and water onto...
GOCE Media day at ESA/ESTEC
ESA PR 17-2008. ESA’s Gravity field and steady state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite is designed to provide unique models of the Earth’s gravity field and of the geoid, on...
Cosmic engines surprise XMM-Newton
XMM-Newton has been surprised by a rare type of galaxy, from which it has detected a higher number of X-rays than thought possible. The observation gives new insight into the...
Contract signed for ESA’s Sentinel-3 earth observation satellite
ESA PR 22-2008. The European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space today signed a €305 million contract to provide the first Sentinel-3 earth observation satellite, devoted to oceanography and land-vegetation...
Toulouse centre stage for space exploration
Toulouse will be the European capital of space and its applications when it hosts 'Toulouse Space Show '08' – an international space exhibition for both business and the general public...
From Mars to the Earth: Studying ice beneath the surface
A technique being used by the European Space Agency at Mars could prove invaluable for studying the stability of Antarctic ice sheets here on Earth. In preparation, a new ESA...
Ariane 5 - second launch of 2008
Yesterday evening, an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits.
Herschel spacecraft assembly complete
The mirror of the Herschel telescope has now been assembled with the payload and service module, completing the spacecraft structure - an important milestone in the days following through to...