Last weekend we talked a bit about a mysterious Chinese mission that put an unknown payload into space. Reports indicated at the time that the payload was a reusable spacecraft, but no one knew exactly what the mission of the spacecraft was. That spacecraft spent two days in orbit around the earth before reentry and landing.
Launching rockets is very difficult work, and while some companies, such as SpaceX, make it look very easy, it's not easy at all. A company called Astra, based in California, conducted its first orbital test flight last night. The intent was to send the two-stage Rocket 3.1 into orbit from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska.
All dog owners have had their pet smash their nose against their face or other body parts. Often dog noses are cold and slimy feeling, but other times they are warm and dry. Most pet owners have, at some point, wondered if their dog's nose should be wet or dry. Researchers have recently investigated the noses of animals and determined that it is normal for a dog's nose to be cold and wet, but it's also normal for a dog to have a warm and dry nose.
A team of researchers from Osaka City University worked with international partners to create a reliable and precise microscope-based thermometer using quantum technology. The thermometer is so accurate that it's able to measure the temperature of microscopic animals. The technology can detect temperature-dependent properties of quantum spins and fluorescent nanodiamonds.
Japan's previously announced Martian Moons eXploration mission will include capturing the Red Planet and its moons in 8K resolution, JAXA has announced. The mission, which is scheduled to go live the same year NASA will return humans to the Moon, is a joint effort between JAXA and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). Under their partnership, the two entities plan to develop the Super Hi-Vision Camera for snapping these images from orbit.
NASA's aging Hubble Space Telescope has snapped an image showing 'a pocketful of stars,' according to the space agency -- a cluster of the universe packed full of thousands of stars with different colors. The stars range in size from quite small to very large, painting a colorful picture of celestial bodies located so closely together that they've likely crowded out any hope of surrounding planet systems.
A high-fidelity record of variations in our planet's temperatures was created and revealed this week, spanning a cool 66 million years into the past. This timeline is the most complete record of its kind, showing global mean temperatures of our planet, showing four significantly different states. These states were named Hothouse, Warmhouse, Coolhouse, and Icehouse.
Observations made using the Hubble Space Telescope have helped scientists worldwide solve mysteries and gather data since it was placed in orbit many years ago. Recently, astronomers have used Hubble observations to discover a discrepancy between theoretical models of how dark matter should be distributed in galaxy clusters and observations of dark matter's grip on galaxy clusters.
One of the most hazardous conditions for drivers is dense fog. Researchers at Stanford have created a new device that can see through clouds and fog that could be extremely important for future autonomous vehicles. Stanford's technology uses technology similar to tech found on autonomous cars improved with a highly efficient algorithm developed by the researchers.
NASA has announced a new contract opportunity that will involve it purchasing Moon dust (called regolith) and rocks from a private space company. The intention was announced by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a post this week, with the official stating that utilizing private companies under its Artemis lunar program will help it save money and access new innovations developed by these companies. The new contract is part of this effort.
Researchers from UNSW Sydney have created a soft wearable device worn like a glove that can simulate the sense of touch. The wearable device has potential for use in medical, industrial, and entertainment applications. Researchers say that the wearable device could allow users to touch a loved one during a video call or pick up and handle a tool in a video game.
Researchers in charge of the OSIRIS-REx mission have reported detailed observations of asteroid Bennu shedding material regularly. The spacecraft has provided scientists with the ability to observe the asteroid's activity at close range for the first time. The surface of the asteroid is highly active and builds a picture of asteroids as being very dynamic.