Category: Space
UK’s first moon rover to be launched 2021
The UK’s first moon rover will be sent into space in 2021. The world’s smallest robotic moon rover, with legs not wheels, will be part of the first set of payloads to be sent to the astronomical body. Announced at the New Scientist Live event in London’s ExCeL, UK-grown start-up space company SpaceBit created and…
Astronauts take spacewalk to replace old batteries
Astronauts have kicked off the first of five spacewalks to replace old batteries at the International Space Station. Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan had to remove a pair of old batteries and install a new one delivered just a week ago. These new lithium-ion batteries are so powerful that only one is needed for every…
RAF pilot picked to join Virgin Orbit space programme
An RAF pilot who has been picked to join the Virgin Orbit space programme has spoken of his pride at being involved in the pioneering project. Flight Lieutenant Mathew “Stanny” Stannard, who is a Typhoon pilot with one of the RAF’s test and evaluation squadrons, is set to begin his three-year secondment next year. He…
Listen to NASA’s InSight lander on Mars
NASA’s InSight lander on Mars has captured the low rumble of marsquakes and a symphony of other otherworldly sounds. Scientists released an audio sampling on Tuesday. The sounds had to be enhanced for humans to hear. InSight’s seismometer has detected more than 100 events, but only 21 are considered strong marsquake candidates. The rest could…
Elon Musk unveils SpaceX for Moon or Mars
Elon Musk has unveiled a SpaceX spacecraft designed to carry a crew and cargo to the moon, Mars or anywhere else in the solar system and land back on Earth perpendicularly. In a live-streamed speech from the SpaceX launch facility near the southern tip of Texas, Mr Musk said the space venture’s Starship is expected…
NASA unable to spot India’s lost moon lander
A NASA orbiter circulating the moon was unable to find India’s lost lander in newly released photos around its targeted landing site. The American space agency stepped in to help the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) find Vikram, part of India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission which was meant to make a soft landing on the moon earlier…
UK Space Agency launches scheme for young people
Young people’s chances of being able to engage with the UK space industry has been boosted by the announcement of a new scheme. The UK Space Agency has launched an initiative to help the sector deliver one million engagement activities a year. The sector generates billions of pounds for the economy and creates around 42,000…
Multinational crew lifts off for International Space Station
A multinational crew made up of an American, a Russian and the first space traveller from the United Arab Emirates blasted off successfully on Wednesday for a mission on the International Space Station. A Russian Soyuz rocket lifted off as scheduled from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and entered a designated orbit en route to…
Tim Peake: People will land on Mars within 50 years
Within 50 years a human will have been to Mars, astronaut Tim Peake believes. But the European Space Agency astronaut is not convinced the feat will be achieved in the next two decades. Speaking at the UK Space Conference in Newport, Major Peake said he thought it was unlikely life would be found on the…
ESA blinks first in game of cosmic chicken with SpaceX
A European space probe has performed an evasive manoeuvre to avoid a possible collision with another satellite after its operator, private firm SpaceX, said it would not budge. Officials at the European Space Agency (ESA) said the manoeuvre did not affect the operations of the Aeolus satellite, which was launched in August 2018 to measure…
