Science and technology, explained simply
The US Space Force has signed a $19.8 million deal with Microsoft to create a training environment that combines virtual and mixed reality. This contract opens the way for the well-known tech giant to tap into the rapidly growing military simulation market and expand the use of its Azure cloud platform and HoloLens technology in […]
The ideas about the colors of the planets Neptune and Uranus were wrong, according to research conducted by British astronomers. In the images of the 1980s space mission, Neptune was a deep blue color, and Uranus was green. But the study showed that the two icy giant planets have the same shades of greenish-blue color. […]
Germany’s experimental space surveillance and tracking radar GESTRA, developed and built by the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Technology (FHR), has begun final tests and will soon be put into operation. The GESTRA integrated radar system includes a transmitting and receiving antenna, each of which, when fully loaded, is equipped with 256 […]
NASA is developing a new concept of a solar-powered aircraft capable of flying over the surface of Mars. This concept, known as the Mars Aerial and Ground Intelligent Explorer (MAGGIE), was announced as part of the Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. MAGGIE is a compact, ultra-high performance solar-powered aircraft designed to fly in the Martian […]
The United Arab Emirates will become part of a global project to create and launch the first space station around the Moon. Engineers in the Middle East will build a 10-ton airlock for astronauts to enter and exit the Moon. The Emirates module is expected to be launched in 2030, writes Khaleejtimes. As part of […]
On January 8, shortly after launch, the private lunar rover Peregrine encountered a fuel loss problem that jeopardizes its mission to deliver cargo to the moon. The malfunction occurred in the propulsion system, according to the developer Astrobotic. Update #4 for Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/6uISAG3Je1 — Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 8, 2024 According to the update, […]
United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket launched for the first time on January 8 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA, reports Space.com. There is a Ukrainian flag and a map of Ukraine on board. The start took place at 02:18 local time (09:18 Kyiv time). The rocket carries the Peregrine lunar […]
Lexington, Kentucky’s VisitLEX tourism bureau has sent an “official invitation” to the neighboring TRAPPIST-1 star system for aliens to visit their city. Gizmodo writes about it. In fact, this is a marketing trick, but the message is quite real. VisitLEX worked with engineers, linguists, and the US Federal Aviation Administration to implement the project. The […]
In 2014, the Cassini-Huygens mission discovered bright spots in the seas and lakes of Titan, a moon of Saturn, that moved over time. For a long time, scientists could not understand what this strange phenomenon was. It seems that now the explanation has been found: about large icebergs (though not made of water ice). Titan […]
The year 2024 promises to be an extraordinary year for astronomical observations in Ukraine and the world. The main attraction will be comets whose brightness exceeds 9th magnitude. Among them, comets Jijinshan-1 and Pons-Brooks, under favorable weather conditions, will be visible through telescopes and binoculars with a lens diameter of at least 80 mm. It […]