Space

 For many reasons, 2020 may be a watershed year for society and science. Astronomers and space agencies spent the year managing the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic. They also made breakthroughs in new technologies and bid farewell to several important projects. 

The field of exoplanet photography is just getting underway, with astronomers around the world striving to capture clear images of the more than 4000 exoplanets discovered to date. Some of these exoplanets are more interesting to image and research than others.  That is certainly the case for a type of […]

It’s an exciting time for space exploration! All around the world, national space agencies are sending missions to deep-space and preparing to send astronauts to orbit and the Moon. At the same time, the commercial aerospace industry (NewSpace) is expanding to include more launch providers and service new markets. These […]

Arianespace will launch a Russian-built Soyuz rocket carrying the CSO-2 Earth observation satellite for the French space agency CNES Tuesday, Dec. 29, and you can watch it live here, courtesy of Arianespace. Liftoff is set for 11:42 a.m. EST (1642 GMT) from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. […]

Arianespace launched a new reconnaissance satellite for the French military into orbit Tuesday (Dec. 29), marking the European launch provider’s final mission of 2020. 

The massive bill authorizes $740 billion for national defense spending and sets policies affecting every aspect of military operations.

What happened to all the lithium? The question has stumped astronomers for decades. While cosmologists have successfully predicted the abundance of the other light elements from the Big Bang, lithium has always come up short. Now, a team of astronomers may have found the reason: lithium-rich asteroids are smashing into […]

The ashes of the late James Doohan, who played chief engineer Montgomery Scott on the original Star Trek television series, have been aboard the International Space Station for 12 years — and the Times of London has the fascinating backstory of how it happened. Doohan died in 2005 at the […]