Jul 14, 2021 | Blue Origin, Crewed Space, Daily Space, Earth, Jupiter, Our Solar System, Saturn, Space China, Spacecraft, Virgin Orbit
Over tens of millions of years, the surface of Europa has been churned by impacts down to an average depth of 30 centimeters. This churning means that the search for chemical biosignatures must look below that zone. Plus, methane and icequakes at Enceladus, predicting underwater eruptions, Virgin Galactic’s flight, and a Chinese spacewalk.
Jul 1, 2021 | Asteroids, Crewed Space, Daily Space, JAXA, OSIRIS-REx, Random Space Fact, Rockets, ROSCOSMOS, Soyuz, Space History, Spacecraft, SpaceX
On this week’s Rocket Roundup, a sounding rocket launches with student payloads, the Russian Space Force launches a classified satellite, and finally, a routine ISS resupply mission. Plus, this week in rocket history, we look back at STS-71 and the first Shuttle-Mir docking.
Jun 24, 2021 | Crewed Space, Daily Space, JAXA, Random Space Fact, Rockets, ROSCOSMOS, Space China, Space History, Spacecraft, SpaceX
On this week’s Rocket Roundup, the Chinese send a crewed mission to their new space station, SpaceX launches a new GPS satellite, China adds to their Yaogan satellite constellation, and Japan yeets a CubeSat from the International Space Station on behalf of Mauritius. Plus, this week in rocket history, we look back at the Soviet Salyut 3.
Jun 23, 2021 | Agencies, Comets, Daily Space, Earth, Jupiter, Milky Way, Our Solar System, Physics, Venus
Minor planet 2014 UN271, discovered in data collected by the Dark Energy Survey, is set to make a close pass to Saturn’s orbit at the end of the decade, giving astronomers a chance to observe a rare trans-Neptunian object from up close…ish. Plus, Venus, Jupiter, the Milky Way, and an invisible galactic structure discovered quite by accident.
Jun 17, 2021 | Crewed Space, Daily Space, Random Space Fact, Rockets, ROSCOSMOS, Space China, Space History, Space Policy, Spacecraft
This Rocket Roundup includes a Chinese launch and two launches from Northrop Grumman, including one for the National Reconnaissance Office. Plus, this week in rocket history, we look back at the first woman in space, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, and Vostok 6.
Jun 16, 2021 | Climate Change, Daily Space, Earth, ESA, Exoplanets, Guest Interview, Spacecraft, Stars, Supermassive Black Holes, Venus
Contrary to the destructive role supermassive black holes are thought to play in the lives of stars, it turns out that certain types of galaxies benefit from black holes clearing the way and keeping star formation going. Plus, lightning at the edge of space, a landslide in the Himalayas, and an interview with Dr. Darby Dyar and Dr. David Grinspoon about the recent selection of three different Venus missions.