When spinning webs in the microgravity found in the International Space Station (ISS) in Earth’s orbit, spiders use light as a reference point, a study has found. In their natural habitat on the planet’s surface, our eight-legged friends weave webs that are slightly asymmetrical — with their centre slightly closer to the upper edge. The … Read more
Following months of delays, a mysterious and classified US spy satellite has been launched into orbit around the Earth on top of a massive Delta IV Heavy rocket. Blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, took place shortly after 8pm EST yesterday evening, carrying its payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office. Experts have speculated — based on … Read more
Now that’s a Space Oddity! Royal Mint launches coins celebrating David Bowie by sending one of them into orbit… and now you could win it in social media contest David Bowie coins are being sold as part of Royal Mint’s music legends collection One of the coins celebrating the Space Oddity singer was launched into … Read more
The world’s first satellite launching drone, developed by a US-based space startup, will will be able to carry a new payload into orbit every 180 minutes, the firm claims. Aevum says the massive 80ft long drone, named the Ravn X, is fully autonomous, 70 per cent reusable, and can take off and land on runways … Read more
A rocket booster flung into the abyss of space during a 1966 mission to the Moon has been caught by Earth’s gravity and will orbit our planet ‘for a few weeks’. NASA launched the Surveyor 2 mission to the Moon in 1966 but an issue mid-flight resulted in the spacecraft losing control and NASA eventually … Read more
Liftoff! SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lights up Florida’s night sky as it launches to orbit carrying an upgraded GPS satellite for the US Space Force SpaceX Falcon 9 marked its 20th launch this year with a mission Thurs evening The rocket took off at 6:24pm ET, carrying a US Space Force GPS into orbit This … Read more
The first astronauts arrived on the International Space Station 20 years ago today, marking the start of two decades of continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit. NASA‘s Bill Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev were the first on the station after arriving on a Soyuz capsule from Kazakhstan. Construction of the £75 … Read more
SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites into orbit – taking the total to almost 800 – as CEO Elon Musk reveals a test of the internet-beaming constellation is imminent Elon Musk’s firm had another successful launch of 60 satellites on October 18 SpaceX aims to have more than 1,000 satellites in orbit by the end … Read more
Dead Russian satellite and discarded Chinese rocket are at ‘very high risk’ of colliding in orbit this week and could release thousands of new space junk pieces A defunct Russian rocket and dead Chinese rocket are floating in orbit The two appear to be on separate paths that could meet Thursday evening Experts are concerned that … Read more
Venus is a hellish world with clouds of sulfuric acid, but new research suggests it was an Earth-like oasis billions of years ago – and it would still be habitable if not for Jupiter. Jupiter, which is more than 2.5 times the mass of all other planets in the solar system, may have disrupted Venus’s … Read more