Water Vapor Definitively Identified On Ceres In The Asteroid Belt
Scientists using the Herschel space observatory have made the first definitive detection of water vapor on the largest and roundest object in the asteroid belt, Ceres. Plumes of water vapor are thought to shoot up periodically from Ceres when portions of its icy surface warm slightly. Ceres is classified as a dwarf planet, a solar system body bigger than an asteroid and smaller than a planet.
System Projected to Provide 10 Times More Power than the Largest Current Satellite Solar Array Technology
Full deployment of a large MegaFlex solar array built by ATK under a NASA contract to further the development of a high-power system to be used for future robotic and manned exploration missions has been demonstrated by the company.
The Canadian Space Agency Uses An Antarctic Mission To Field Test A ‘Smart Shirt For Space’
XPAntarctik, a crew of six experienced explorers, left Canada Thursday on the first leg of an unprecedented 45-day expedition to Antarctica. During their expedition, the team will be testing Astroskin, a prototype "smart shirt" for space for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Goddard Institute For Space Studies Released Report Tuesday
NASA scientists say 2013 tied with 2009 and 2006 for the seventh warmest year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures. With the exception of 1998, the 10 warmest years in the 134-year record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the warmest years on record, according to an updated report.
'LauncherOne' Being Designed And Built In House For Company's Small Satellite Launch Service
Virgin Galactic says it has reached a significant milestone in the testing of a new family of liquid rocket engines for LauncherOne, the company’s small satellite launch vehicle. As part of a rapid development program, Virgin Galactic has now hot-fired both a 3,500 lbf thrust rocket engine and a 47,500 lbf thrust rocket engine, called the “NewtonOne” and “NewtonTwo” respectively.
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