This large constellation abounds in deep-sky delights, including many fine open star clusters.
Space News & Blog Articles
Tune into the SpaceZE News Network to stay updated on industry news from around the world.
Boeing Starliner launch slips to May 21 to verify helium leak fix
Artist’s illustration of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in orbit. Credit: Boeing
Launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying Boeing’s Starliner capsule is slipping another four days, from Friday to next Tuesday, to give engineers time to make sure a helium leak in the crew ship’s propulsion system has been resolved, officials said Tuesday.
Sun unleashes massive X8.7 solar flare, biggest of current cycle, from super-active monster sunspot (video)
A monster sunspot on the sun's surface just won't quit, erupting yet again this week with a whopping X8.7-class solar flare on Tuesday (May 14).
Jupiter's mysterious moon Amalthea spied crossing the Great Red Spot (photo)
NASA's Juno spacecraft has spotted the elusive fifth moon of Jupiter transiting the giant planet's Great Red Spot, giving astronomers a rare view of this small but intriguing natural satellite.
New York Times best-selling author revisits 1986 space shuttle tragedy in 'Challenger' (interview)
Adam Higginbotham was out with his first book when he got the idea. "People often asked me whether I remembered where I was when I heard the news about Chernobyl." He didn't, but recalled Challenger.
Helium leak delays Boeing's 1st Starliner astronaut launch to May 21
The first crewed mission of Boeing's Starliner capsule has been pushed back by four days to May 21, due to a helium leak in its service module.
Giant 'rogue waves' of invisible matter might be disrupting the orbits of stars, new study hints
New research shows how disruptions to binary star systems could be the key to detecting space's most confounding substance — dark matter.
The summer of 2023 was Earth's hottest in 2,000 years, scientists find
Using tree ring data, scientists have confirmed that summer 2023 was the hottest summer on Earth in the last 2,000 years.
SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites on 50th mission of the year (video)
SpaceX launched 20 of its Starlink internet satellites today (May 14), on the company's 50th orbital mission of 2024.
A cosmic chronicle
Are you ready for the greatest story ever told? Launched in France on 25 April 2024, Space Odyssey is the first complete history of space in graphic novel form. Drawing on the latest scientific and historical sources, it tells the story of the men and women who pioneered humankind's journey into space.
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base
A stack of SpaceX Starlink satellites, which included the first six featuring Direct to Cell capabilities. The batch launched on the Starlink 7-9 mission, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 2, 2024. Image: SpaceX
SpaceX continues to expand its Starlink constellation that offer Direct to Cell capability through its upcoming launch. There will be 13 DTC satellites among the 20 set to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday, May 14.
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser prepares for pre-launch journey to the Cape
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane shown inside a test chamber at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Image: Sierra Space
Sierra Space is getting one step closer to finally seeing its Dream Chaser spaceplane reach the launch pad. The spacecraft completed its environmental testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, last week.
Perseverance Wraps Up Over 1,000 Days on Mars. Still Going Strong
I can remember when Perseverance was launched, travelled out into the Solar System and landed on Mars in February 2021. In all the time since it arrived, having clocked up 1000 days of exploration, it has collected 23 samples from different geological areas within the Jezero Crater. The area was once home to an ancient lake and if there is anywhere on Mars to find evidence of ancient (fossilised) life, it is here.
Astronomers Try to Directly Observe Epsilon Eridani b. No Luck. Maybe Webb Can Find it?
Back in the year 2000, Epsilon Eridani b was discovered. It is a Jupiter-like exoplanet 10.5 light years away but it has taken decades of observations to learn more about the planet. One thing that remains a mystery is it’s orbit which, until recently has been unknown. There has never been a direct image of the planet either, so now, it’s the turn of JWST to see what it can do.
'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' reinvigorates an aging 'Apes' franchise (review)
"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is a triumph of solid storytelling, cutting-edge motion capture work by the actors and a multi-layered score.
SpaceX Starship's next launch 'probably 3 to 5 weeks' away, Elon Musk says
SpaceX's Starship megarocket will likely conduct its fourth-ever test flight in the next month or so, according to Elon Musk.
AI may be to blame for our failure to make contact with alien civilizations
The rise of AI might explain why the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has yet to detect the signatures of advanced technical civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy.
Space Force aims to launch 1st 'Foo Fighter' satellites in 2027 to track hypersonic threats
The U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency has ordered the first eight satellites for its upcoming 'FOO Fighter' hypersonic missile-tracking constellation.
Some Clever Ways to Search for Primordial Black Holes
Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) have recently received much attention in the physics community. One of the primary reasons is the potential link to dark matter. In effect, if PBHs can be proven to exist, there’s a very good chance that they are what dark matter, the invisible thing that makes up 85% of the universe’s mass, is made of. If proven, that would surely be a Nobel-level discovery in astrophysics.
NASA appoints 1st AI chief to keep agency on 'the cutting edge'
NASA has appointed its first-ever chief artificial intelligence officer, a move designed to ensure that the agency keeps up with the vital and rapidly evolving tech.
