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Science and Technology at space.com

Thursday, May 2

23

Curious asteroid Selam, spotted by NASA's Lucy spacecraft, is a cosmic toddler

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NASA's Lucy spacecraft serendipitously found a small moonlet orbiting the mission's asteroid target Dinkinesh. Scientists named it Selam, and have now learned that Selam is a cosmic toddler.

20

Watch ULA assemble Atlas V rocket ahead of Boeing Starliner astronaut test flight (video)

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United Launch Alliance's new video highlight's how the Atlas V launch vehicle for Boeing's Starliner was stacked and mated to the spacecraft.

19

NASA's Hubble Telescope is back in action — but its TESS exoplanet hunter may now be in trouble

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Both the Hubble Telescope and TESS exoplanet hunter went into safe mode on April 23. Hubble is back on, but TESS remains off.

NASA selects Rocket Lab for back-to-back climate change research launches

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NASA's PREFIRE mission will deploy a pair of satellites from twin launches aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rockets that will contribute to climate change studies in the Arctic and Antarctica.

18

SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites in 2nd half of spaceflight doubleheader

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SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites on Thursday (May 2), on the second half of a planned spaceflight doubleheader.

Some planets 'death spiral' into their stars and scientists may now know why

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WASP-12b is a planet on a date with a fiery destiny, doomed to plunge into its sun-like star. Scientists may finally know why some hot Jupiters eventually death spiral into their stars.

17

Restored Atlas rocket erected on display as Mercury astronaut's ride to orbit

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Sixty-one years after it stood ready to send NASA's last one-man mission into orbit, the Mercury-Atlas 9 rocket is standing again. A replica is on display at the National Museum of the US Air Force.

NASA picks 9 companies to develop Mars 'commercial services' ideas

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NASA has selected nine companies to develop concepts that could agency science missions to Mars down the road.

16

AI discovers over 27,000 overlooked asteroids in old telescope images

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A new AI software has helped identify more than 27,000 asteroids in our solar system that had been overlooked in telescope images.

15

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching 2 satellites on record-tying 20th flight today

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to launch two Maxar Earth-observation satellites today (May 2). It will be the record-tying 20th mission for this rocket's first stage.

16 best places to see the annular 'ring of fire' solar eclipse 2024

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Explore the top 16 places to witness the breathtaking annular 'ring of fire' solar eclipse on Oct. 2, 2024. Plan an unforgettable eclipse experience with these expert recommendations.

13

Here's what to expect during Boeing Starliner's 1st astronaut test flight on May 6

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Boeing Starliner will launch its 1st mission to the ISS with NASA astronauts on May 6. Here are the milestones to watch for, from launch to docking to landing.

01

SpaceX's Crew-8 astronauts move Dragon at the ISS to make way for Boeing's Starliner

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The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-8 mission moved their Dragon capsule to a different port at the ISS on Thursday morning (May 2).

Wednesday, May 1

23

'It almost feels unreal': NASA astronauts excited for 1st crewed Boeing Starliner launch May 6

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Two experienced NASA astronauts will take Boeing Starliner on its first human excursion on May 6. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams bring test pilot and spaceflight experience to bear.

22

NASA prepares for intense sun storms on Mars during 'solar maximum'

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As the sun reaches solar maximum, Mars spacecraft are preparing to study the effects of increased radiation bombardment and how solar storms may impact future crewed missions to the Red Planet.

21

A Switzerland-size hole opened in Antarctica's sea ice in 2016-17. Now we know why

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During the winters of 2016 and 2017, a hole the size of Switzerland opened in the middle of Antarctica's sea ice. And scientists just figured out how it came to be.

20

Solar maximum: What is it and when will it occur?

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Want to know more about solar maximum and how it affects us? Read our complete guide on what solar maximum is and when it might occur.

18

Astronomers close in on the mystery of the erupting Orion star system (video)

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An erupting star system in Orion has finally provided an answer to the mystery of how stars fed for over 100 years, something that has puzzled astronomers for almost as long.

16

Sun unleashes near X-class solar flare: M9.5 eruption sparks radio blackouts across the Pacific (video)

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Explore the impact of a near X-class solar flare, registering M9.5, as it disrupts radio signals across the Pacific. The eruption was sunspot AR3654's most powerful yet.

Asteroid Ryugu holds secrets of our solar system's past, present and future

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Samples of asteroid Ryugu, collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft, have revealed the impact solar winds and tiny space rocks have had on the asteroid itself.

15

2 astronaut taxis: Why NASA wants both Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Dragon

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Boeing's Starliner will make its first crewed launch as soon as May 6, about four years after SpaceX's. Having two private astronaut taxis will provide redundancy for ISS operations and more.

13

How to watch Boeing's 1st Starliner astronaut launch webcasts live online

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Boeing's Starliner capsule is scheduled to launch astronauts for the first time ever on May 6. Here's how to watch that historic liftoff, as well as key events before and after it.

Tuesday, Apr 30

00

Einstein Probe X-ray telescope releases 1st images taken with 'lobster vision'

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Einstein Probe, which is the new Chinese–European X-ray mission, has revealed its first widescreen views of the universe.

'We are ready:' New NASA documentary looks ahead to Artemis 2 moon mission (video)

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A new NASA video reflects on the successful Artemis 1 moon mission and looks ahead to next year's crewed effort, Artemis 2.

21

China unveils video of its moon base plans, which weirdly includes a NASA space shuttle

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A video outlining China's moon base plans depicts a wide number of concepts, including surface sample return operations, a lander and rover, and supporting orbital satellites.

20

NASA's TESS exoplanet hunter may have spotted its 1st rogue planet

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NASA's exoplanet hunter TESS may have detected its first free-floating planet with a little help from Einstein.

19

This spacecraft is headed to NASA's asteroid-crash aftermath — but first, it'll stop by Mars

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During a gravity assist with Mars, Hera will study the moon Deimos.

18

China's Shenzhou 17 astronauts return to Earth after 6 months in space (video)

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China's Shenzhou 17 astronauts touched down safely this morning (April 30), bringing their six-month mission to a successful close.

16

SpaceX vet's startup Portal Space Systems comes out of stealth mode

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Portal has developed a new satellite bus called Supernova that the company says will allow unprecedented mobility in Earth orbit and beyond.

14

Scientists unravel mysteries of gamma-ray bursts — the universe's most powerful explosions

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Gamma-ray bursts are the universe's most powerful explosions, generating more energy in seconds than the sun will in billions of years — and scientists are slowly learning more about these eruptions.