It turns out it’s tricky to troubleshoot a 1980s computer that’s dashing around Earth hundreds of miles over our heads. NASA has spent more than a week evaluating a computer issue that put the venerable Hubble Space Telescope out of commission on June 13 and that may force the spacecraft to turn to its backup computer. Now, ongoing tests suggest …
Citizen scientists discover 2 gas giants around a distant sun-like star, ,
A pair of gas-giant exoplanets was found orbiting a distant sun-like star, thanks to the help of citizen scientists around the world. Members of the NASA-funded Planet Hunters Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) project discovered the two planets around a distant star called HD 152843, which is located about 352 light-years from Earth. The star has a mass similar to …
On This Day in Space! June 23, 1949: XS-1 rocket plane takes 117th Flight, ,
On June 23, 1949, the XS-1 rocket plane flew for the 117th time. The XS-1, later called the Bell X-1, was a piloted, rocket engine-powered X-plane that could fly faster than the speed of sound. During this flight, pilot Robert Champine tested the aircraft’s stability, control and handling at transonic speeds. He even managed to pull a few stunts, like …
Hubble Space Telescope finds galaxy with weirdly little dark matter, ,
Astronomers may not know what dark matter is, but they do know that galaxies are supposed to contain a lot of the shadowy, invisible substance. Dark matter makes up the lion’s share of a galaxy’s mass, and it’s critical to hold a galaxy’s stars, gas and dust together. So, when scientists find evidence twice over that a certain galaxy seems …
Tide to develop first laundry detergent for astronauts’ clothing on space station, ,
Future astronauts may not need to worry about moon dust and Mars soil stains, thanks to an effort by Tide to develop a laundry detergent for use in space. The Procter & Gamble (P&G) laundry brand has partnered with NASA to explore how to clean astronauts’ clothes aboard the International Space Station (ISS), as well as on future crewed missions …
UK company to start sending secret quantum keys with satellites in 2023, ,
UK-based startup Arqit is on track to start delivering unbreakable quantum encryption keys all over the world using satellites in just two years. Arqit, which recently announced collaborations with U.S. defense giant Northrop Grumman and the U.K. telecommunications behemoth BT, aims to launch two quantum key distribution satellites in 2023 from Spaceport Cornwall in the U.K. aboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne. …
‘Strawberry Supermoon’ on Thursday will get its own Krispy Kreme doughnut, ,
Krispy Kreme will release a new space-themed doughnut celebrating the June 24 supermoon. The one-day event will feature a doughnut that has a strawberry theme, in line with June’s full moon — what some cultures call the “Strawberry Moon,” as it falls during the strawberry harvesting season in the northeastern U.S. “The super-cool limited-edition treat is made to look like …
See the Hubble Space Telescope’s iconic Pillars of Creation in Lego form, ,
One of the Hubble Space Telescope‘s most iconic pictures is now reimagined in Lego form. The famous “Pillars of Creation” image of 1995 showing epic clouds of gas in the Eagle Nebula is available now on the Lego’s website for fans to recreate in brick form, for free. A copy of the instructions is online on the “Go Beyond” website, …
These Star Trek Prime Day deals are a must to get your Trek on, ,
Set phasers to stunning deals this Amazon Prime Day. If you’re a Star Trek fan looking to score some sweet merch this Prime Day, these deals are for you. Especially with in-person conventions on pause last year with the COVID-19 pandemic, Whether you grew up idolizing Kirk and Spock, if Picard will always be your captain or if your love …
Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series is over 50% off for Prime Day!, ,
Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series” on Blu-ray is now on sale for Prime Day.