South Korea’s new space agency outlines plans
Original Publication Date: 2024-07-21 02:19
South Korea's new space agency lays out ambitious goals in spaceflight. KASA has long-term goals of sending a robotic lander to the moon in 2032. KASA plans both the lunar and Martian landers as well as a spacecraft. KASA will be responsible for South Korea’s space policy development.
UPDATE Rocket Lab delays launch of ‘A Sky Full Of SARs’ per Capella’s request – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-07-20 00:00
Rocket Lab’s next Electron launch will move to a later date at the request of mission partner Capella Space so that they can complete additional testing for their mission. The ‘A Sky Full Of SARs’ mission is scheduled to launch during a 14-day window that opens on July 21 NZST / July 20 UTC. The mission will deploy Capella’s Acadia-3 SAR satellite, a synthetic aperture radar satellite for Earth imagery and observation.
Moon Daily: LRO Mini-RF data reveals extensive cave network beneath lunar surface – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-07-20 00:00
An international team of scientists has uncovered new evidence of caves beneath the Moon’s surface using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) The re-analysis of radar data from LRO’s Mini-RF (Miniature Radio-Frequency) instrument, collected in 2010, revealed a cave extending over 200 feet from the base of a pit. This pit is situated 230 miles northeast of the historic Apollo landing site in Mare Tranquillitatis.
Astrobotic’s LunaGrid’s Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) enters TVAC – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-07-20 00:00
Astrobotic’s Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) is a key technology that will be used to harness solar energy for the company’s commercial, lunar power grid. This follows recent testing of the Astrobotic rover for VOLT (VSAT Optimized for Lunar Traverse), at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.
NASA-Funded Studies Explain How Climate Is Changing Earth’s Rotation
Researchers use machine-learning algorithms to dissect 120-year record. 90% of recurring fluctuations between 1900 and 2018 could be explained by changes in groundwater, ice sheets, glaciers, and sea level. The remainder mostly resulted from Earth’s interior dynamics, like the wobble from the tilt of the inner core with respect to the bulk of the planet.
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Discovers a Surprise in a Martian Rock
NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring a region of Mars rich with sulfates. The red planet is rich with sulfates, a kind of salt that contains sulfur and forms as water evaporates. The rock Curiosity recently cracked open is made of elemental sulfur. It isn't clear what relationship, if any, the elemental sulfur has to other sulfur-based minerals in the area.