Published on: 2025-06-05 19:40:54
A recently launched Russian satellite is getting uncomfortably cozy with a U.S. reconnaissance satellite, leading Space Command to worry that it’s part of an anti-satellite weapon being deployed to orbit. Cosmos 2588 launched on May 23 to a near-circular orbit, placing it eerily close to a U.S. reconnaissance satellite, USA 338. The move prompted suspicion that it’s an attempt by Russia to deliberately stalk the U.S. government satellite. This isn’t the first time Russia has deployed a sneaky s
Keywords: orbit russia satellite space usa
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-11 22:44:00
SpaceX wants to launch rockets into space 170 times in 2025. That's an amibitious goal, considering that only 64 launches have been completed so far this year, and to hit that goal, SpaceX would need to launch a rocket nearly every other day. That's a significant increase from SpaceX's single-year record of 134 orbital liftoffs in 2024. For comparison of just how normal the new cadence has become, in 2020, there were only 25 launches. The average launch is every two to three days now. Read more
Keywords: falcon launches orbital spacex year
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-18 09:23:53
A small team led by Sihao Cheng, Martin A. and Helen Chooljian Member in the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Natural Sciences, has discovered an extraordinary trans-Neptunian object (TNO), named 2017 OF 201 , at the edge of our solar system. The TNO is potentially large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet, the same category as the much more well-known Pluto. The new object is one of the most distant visible objects in our solar system and, significantly, suggests that the empty section
Keywords: 2017 cheng object orbit solar
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-19 07:15:25
Twenty years ago, Congress gave NASA a directive: find 90% of the near-Earth asteroids that could potentially harm our little world. Since then, astronomers have made major progress tracking down the rocky space debris, but a new study suggests there’s a population of asteroids lurking around Venus that could pose a problem. These so-called “Venus co-orbitals” share a similar path around the Sun with our neighbor planet but aren’t harmless tagalongs. According to a paper under review for the jo
Keywords: asteroids earth observatory orbitals venus
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-19 10:47:08
Scientists are intrigued after spotting a highly unusual celestial object lurking at the very edge of our solar system. It's possible the trans-Neptunian object, dubbed 2017 OF201, is large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet, making it an "extreme 'cousin' of Pluto," according to Princeton postdoc Sihao Cheng, who coauthored a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper on the findings. The discovery was also confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center last week, lending it an a
Keywords: 2017 object orbit planet solar
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-22 23:15:59
A team of astronomers observed a confused exoplanet orbiting its two parent stars in a highly unusual way. As New Scientist reports, the planet, which was first discovered in 2004, is located in a system called Nu Octantis 72 light-years away, and is twice the size of Jupiter. After it was spotted, some physicists thought its mere existence was impossible due to its extremely close proximity to its twin stars. But according to a new paper published in the journal Nature, an international team
Keywords: orbit planet propose star stars
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-21 15:24:51
While our Sun prefers to go solo, many other stars are parts of binary systems, with a pair of stars gravitationally bound to each other. In some cases, the stars are far enough apart that planets can form around each of them. But there are also plenty of tight binary systems, where the stars orbit each other at a radius that would place them both comfortably inside our Solar System. In these systems, exoplanets tend to be found at greater distances, in orbits that have them circling both stars.
Keywords: distance orbiting star stars sun
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-23 19:49:00
Through the looking glass: Astronomers have uncovered a planetary system that challenges long-held beliefs about where planets can exist. This discovery suggests the universe may hold far more surprising and diverse worlds than previously thought. As observational technology improves, more of these extraordinary systems could soon come to light. Astronomers have discovered a remarkable planetary system that challenges long-held assumptions about where planets can survive. Known as ν (nu) Octant
Keywords: astronomers orbit planet planetary stars
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-23 18:37:04
They're all the rage right now. Space Computer China is launching a space-bound AI supercomputer — and the first batch of the satellites it's comprised of was just sent up. As the South China Morning Post reports, the so-called "Three-Body Computing Constellation" project launched the first 12 of its planned 2,800 satellites last week from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The orbital supercomputer network will, when complete, allow for rapid in-orbit data processing ra
Keywords: china computing orbital satellites space
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-24 15:10:04
When you put your hand out the window of a moving car, you feel a force pushing against you called drag. This force opposes a moving vehicle, and it’s part of the reason why your car naturally slows to a stop if you take your foot off the gas pedal. But drag doesn’t just slow down cars. Aerospace engineers are working on using the drag force in space to develop more fuel-efficient spacecraft and missions, deorbit spacecraft without creating as much space junk, and even place probes in orbit aro
Keywords: aerobraking elliptical orbit space spacecraft
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-25 04:00:35
Welcome to Edition 7.45 of the Rocket Report! Let's talk about spaceplanes. Since the Space Shuttle, spaceplanes have, at best, been a niche part of the space transportation business. The US Air Force's uncrewed X-37B and a similar vehicle operated by China's military are the only spaceplanes to reach orbit since the last shuttle flight in 2011, and both require a lift from a conventional rocket. Virgin Galactic's suborbital space tourism platform is also a spaceplane of sorts. A generation or t
Keywords: kinetica orbit rocket space spaceplanes
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-06-26 03:24:01
While our Sun prefers to go solo, many other stars are parts of binary systems, with a pair of stars gravitationally bound to each other. In some cases, the stars are far enough apart that planets can form around each of them. But there are also plenty of tight binary systems, where the stars orbit each other at a radius that would place them both comfortably inside our Solar System. In these systems, exoplanets tend to be found at greater distances, in orbits that have them circling both stars.
Keywords: distance orbiting star stars sun
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-07-03 03:14:00
In a nutshell: A few ventures are trying to bring the competition for edge computing in space, where solar energy is aplenty and ready to be harvested. A Chinese consortium is allegedly going from theory to practice, with an ambitious new constellation designed to bring AI capabilities in Earth's orbit. While Eric Schmidt and other Western space entrepreneurs are still exploring the idea of orbital data centers, Chinese companies have already begun moving forward. Last week, China Aerospace Sci
Keywords: chinese computing orbital satellites space
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-07-23 03:25:01
Kosmos 482 has been trapped in Earth’s orbit for 53 years but its wandering journey is coming to an end. The failed Venus mission is expected to reenter through the atmosphere in a dramatic fall toward its home planet, where it may remain intact or scatter its bits across a still unknown location on either side of the equator. The Soviet-era spacecraft will plunge through Earth’s atmosphere sometime between May 8 to 12. As of now, the exact location of where Kosmos 482 will crash-land on Earth
Keywords: atmosphere earth orbit reentry spacecraft
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-07-23 10:29:31
Is Planet Nine Alone in the Outer System? It was Robert Browning who said “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” A rousing thought, but we don’t always know where we should reach. In terms of space exploration, a distant but feasible target is the solar gravitational lens distance beginning around 550 AU. So far the SGL definitely exceeds our grasp, but solid work in mission design by Slava Turyshev and team is ongoing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Targets
Keywords: akari image orbit paper planet
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-07-24 07:17:00
In brief: A space probe that has orbited Earth for over half a century is expected to reenter the atmosphere within the next week. Although the failed lander might impact Earth's surface at least partially intact and at high speed, it has a low chance of hitting a populated area. The Cosmos 482 lander (also known as Kosmos 482) has been in a decaying orbit since the Soviet Union launched the spacecraft in a failed 1972 mission to Venus. Depending on numerous factors like space weather and its a
Keywords: earth failed orbit surface venus
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-07-25 03:43:00
What just happened? A newly identified object spotted in two infrared sky surveys may be the most substantial evidence for the elusive Planet Nine – a potential Neptune-sized world orbiting hundreds of times farther from the sun than Earth. Its unusual orbit and surprising mass raise questions about its origin, but astronomers will need follow-up observations with powerful telescopes to track its motion and confirm its identity. Astronomers have long speculated about an unseen planet lurking in
Keywords: data neptune orbit phan planet
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-07-27 10:18:00
The Soviet space program had a lot of hope riding on the Cosmos 482 mission when it launched in March 1972. The mission included a lander destined for Venus. The spacecraft never made it out of Earth orbit -- and now it's coming home, but not in a good way. The lander probe is expected back around May 10. Should you be worried? "Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into the Venus atmosphere, it is possible the probe (or parts of it) will survive reentry at Earth and reach the surf
Keywords: 482 cosmos earth orbit probe
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-01 11:10:22
A team of astronomers says it has identified a single, slow-moving infrared object that checks all the right boxes for it being the long-theorized ninth planet lurking beyond Neptune. The hunt for Planet Nine—the solar system’s ghostly gravitational troll—is longstanding, and is based on the peculiar clustering of rocky bodies in the Kuiper Belt beyond the orbit of Neptune. This clustering suggests the presence of some faint, massive object. But the team behind the new study took a new approach
Keywords: infrared just object orbit planet
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-01 15:05:36
A Firefly Aerospace rocket failed to deliver its payload to orbit on Tuesday, creating a cloud of debris in the sky before falling back down toward an ocean crash. Firefly launched its Alpha rocket on April 29 at 9:37 a.m. ET, a day later than its initial launch date due to an issue with ground support equipment. Shortly after liftoff, a mishap during the separation of the rocket’s first stage damaged an engine nozzle, severely reducing the rocket’s thrust, according to a statement by Firefly.
Keywords: alpha firefly launch orbit rocket
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-04 07:35:46
Amazon has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to building a constellation of internet satellites in low Earth orbit, but the company has successfully deployed its first mission in an effort to compete with industry giant SpaceX. The Kuiper-1 mission launched on Monday at 7:01 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The first batch of 27 satellites was packed into a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V for the inauguration of the Project Kuiper constellation, which has been a long time in
Keywords: amazon company kuiper orbit satellites
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-04 11:00:06
Amazon has finally launched its first batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The company was supposed to send the first 27 satellites in the constellation, which will eventually be comprised of more than 3,200 satellites, on April 8. However, the event got pushed back. A previous Bloomberg investigation claimed that Kuiper was way behind schedule, because the company was struggling to ramp up the production of its satellites. If true, the c
Keywords: amazon company launch orbit satellites
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-04 14:20:10
A 53-year-old Venus probe that failed to escape low Earth orbit is expected to make an uncontrolled reentry in the coming weeks. Built to withstand extreme heat, parts of the spacecraft could survive the descent and crash on Earth. The lander module from an old Soviet spacecraft is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere during the second week of May, according to Marco Langbroek, a satellite tracker based in Leiden, the Netherlands. “As this is a lander that was designed to survive passage thro
Keywords: atmosphere earth orbit reentry spacecraft
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-04 19:20:10
A 53-year-old Venus probe that failed to escape low Earth orbit is expected to make an uncontrolled reentry in the coming weeks. Built to withstand extreme heat, parts of the spacecraft could survive the descent and crash on Earth. The lander module from an old Soviet spacecraft is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere during the second week of May, according to Marco Langbroek, a satellite tracker based in Leiden, the Netherlands. “As this is a lander that was designed to survive passage thro
Keywords: atmosphere earth orbit reentry spacecraft
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-04 19:14:53
On the evening of April 28th, Amazon embarked on its latest venture to rival SpaceX Starlink: the first launch of its Project Kuiper satellites. With 27 satellites now in orbit around the Earth, Amazon joins a growing number of companies working to put more than 1,000 satellites each into space to create their own mega constellation. With all of these objects in orbit, the dangers of overcrowding are increasing, and if any of these objects were to collide, the results could be disastrous. Aside
Keywords: debris orbit satellite satellites space
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-06 03:15:04
A 53-year-old Venus probe that failed to escape low Earth orbit is expected to make an uncontrolled reentry in the coming weeks. Built to withstand extreme heat, parts of the spacecraft could survive the descent and crash on Earth. The lander module from an old Soviet spacecraft is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere during the second week of May, according to Marco Langbroek, a satellite tracker based in Leiden, the Netherlands. “As this is a lander that was designed to survive passage thro
Keywords: atmosphere earth orbit reentry spacecraft
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-07 00:00:03
In 2018, astronomers discovered a pair of brown dwarf stars orbiting each other in a rare system known as an eclipsing binary. Further observations show that the binary, named 2M1510, is even more unique than previously believed. Researchers are reporting the discovery of an exoplanet, named 2M1510 (AB) b, orbiting its host star at an angle of 90 degrees—called a polar orbit—in relation to the brown dwarfs’ orbital plane. The discovery, made with the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very L
Keywords: binary brown orbit planet polar
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-07 15:06:25
What does the "typical" exosolar system look like? We know it's not likely to look like our own Solar System, given that our familiar planets don't include entire classes of planets (Hot Jupiters! Mini-Neptunes!) that we've found elsewhere. And our discovery methods have been heavily biased toward planets that orbit close to their host star, so we don't really have a strong sense of what might be lurking in more distant orbits. A new study released on Thursday describes a search for what are ca
Keywords: distant orbits planet planets star
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-09 00:11:35
The joint ESA and NASA Solar Orbiter mission has delivered a stunning new image of the Sun and its corona. The sun-observing satellite originally launched in 2020, and besides making the Sun look cool, the data it's captured has impacted things like our understanding of solar wind. Today's photo shows off the spun-sugar-like particles caught in the magnetic field of the Sun's atmosphere, the dark "filaments" of cooler material weaving their way in between and bursting active areas that emit sol
Keywords: esa image orbiter solar sun
Find related items on AmazonPublished on: 2025-08-22 15:10:13
Satellite imagery collected for Google Earth has revealed some strange things in the past—from phantom islands to mysterious shipwrecks—but zooming in on a rural area in northern Texas recently showed a satellite in orbit and exhibiting a colorful apparition. Reddit users pointed out an image of a satellite flying over the Hagerman Wildlife Refuge near Gainesville, Texas, in the GoogleEarthFinds subreddit. We rarely get to see satellites in action, so this glimpse of the orbital flight is a rar
Keywords: earth image images orbit satellite
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