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The European Space Agency (ESA), Airbus Defence and Space, and Voyager Space have signed a technology agreement that gives us a glimpse at space exploration and exploitation beyond the retirement of the International Space Station (ISS).The ISS is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2030 and deorbited a short time later. Twenty five years ago, the first module of the station roared into orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and since then it has grown into a 100-tonne behemoth that is the cornerstone of orbiting astronaut…

While air is a gaseous delight unique to Earth, a team of astrophysicists have made a satisfying discovery: the direct observation of atomic oxygen on Venus’ dayside, confirming that the element crucial for our existence exists on both sides of the hellish planet.NASA Delays Return to Earth's Evil Twin, VenusAbout 96% of the atmosphere on the second planet from the Sun is made up of carbon dioxide, a smidge of other gasses including nitrogen, and practically no oxygen. But there is some oxygen, and some of the element was…

The solar wind is a ubiquitous feature of our solar system. This relentless high-speed flow of charged particles from the sun fills interplanetary space. On Earth, it triggers geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites and it causes the dazzling auroras — the northern and southern lights — at high latitudes.But precisely how the sun generates the solar wind has remained unclear. New observations by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft may provide an answer.Researchers on Thursday said the spacecraft has detected numerous…

In an effort to secure precious access to low Earth orbit, the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with Airbus and Voyager Space for the use of their commercial space station which is currently under development as a replacement for the International Space Station (ISS).Taking out the Trash (in Space)The agreement explores how the Starlab space station can be used to provide Europe with access to space for astronaut missions and research activities, as well as commercial business development, according to ESA.…

Japan launched its lunar exploration spacecraft on Thursday aboard a homegrown H-IIA rocket, hoping to become the world's fifth country to land on the Moon early next year. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the rocket took off from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as planned and successfully released the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM). Unfavorable weather led to three postponements in a week last month.Dubbed the "Moon sniper", Japan aims to land SLIM within 100 meters of its target site…

The European Space Agency has signed a deal with Airbus and Voyager Space to secure its next home in orbit.  The two companies are currently developing Starlab, one of several planned replacements for the International Space Station (ISS), which is set to retire in 2030.  Under the agreement, ESA will assess how the Starlab space station could be used to provide continued access to space for Europe after the retirement of the ISS. ESA would primarily use Starlab for astronaut missions and…

After the Earth was struck by two different coronal mass ejection (CME) clouds in successive days, many believed this was the end of the Sun's assault during the week at hand. But another event has shocked the astronomy community. On July 26, a farside flare eruption released an extremely powerful CME and it hit the European Space Agency (ESA) operated Solar Orbiter satellite. Luckily, the CME cloud delivered a glancing blow as it was moving in a different direction, but if it was Earth-directed it could have sparked a…

It appears that yesterday's solar storm was not the end of troubles for the planet, as another coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud is expected to strike the Earth later today, July 27. The CME was part of the released mass that escaped the Sun during the solar flare eruption on July 23. Researchers have been tracking the CME, but yesterday, another CME made an impact unexpectedly. It is believed to be another smaller CME that came from a blind spot. The real threat is still yet to hit, as the incoming CME is much larger…

NASA sent the Perseverance rover to Mars in 2020. The key objective of the mission includes collecting rock samples from the Red Planet that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. NASA and ESA will later send a spacecraft to Mars to collect these samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Perseverance rover is also tasked with analysing the planet’s geology and past climate that will pave the way for human exploration of Mars. According to NASA, an ancient river on Mars is helping…

If you look afar from space, our planet and the moon will look like a small bright dot. But, from Mars, you can see a little more than just two bright dots orbiting. Although you might have seen mesmerizing photos of our planet from previous space missions, but these images of the Earth by ESA from Mars, show our planet as just a “pale blue dot”.“On the special occasion of Mars Express's 20th anniversary since launch, we wanted to bring Carl Sagan's reflections back to the present day, in which the worsening climate and…