Updates:

Enough heat to power hydrothermal activity inside Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus for billions of years could be generated through tidal friction if the moon has a highly porous core, a new study finds, working in favour of the moon as a potentially habitable world.

A paper published in Nature Astronomy today presents the first concept that explains the key characteristics of 500 km-diameter Enceladus as observed by the international Cassini spacecraft over the course of its mission, which concluded in September.

http://m.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Cassini-Huygens/Heating_ocean_moon_Enceladus_for_billions_of_years

Updates:

Surprising Results from October’s Triton Cover-Up

By watching a star disappear behind Triton, one of Saturn's moons, astronomers learned about the state of its ultrathin atmosphere ...

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/surprising-results-from-octobers-triton-occultation/

NASA’s Orion spacecraft aims to send humans further into space than ever before, and ESA’s European Service Module (ESM) will provide the essentials for keeping the astronauts alive and on course.

A review of the programme by NASA to assess progress is now showing a launch date from December 2019 to June 2020!

In Bremen, Germany, integration of the service module is well under way, with work already starting on the second.

More than 11 km of cables are being laid and connected to send the megabytes of information from the solar panels, fuel systems, engines, and air and water supplies to the module’s central computers ...

http://m.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Orion/The_road_to_Orion_s_launch

2nd Autumn Meeting of the Study Group "Space Science, Technology and Techniques"

Agenda
Progress Meeting No. 1: The sub-groups' first work-packages (1st projects' phases)

1 - Orbital Mechanics and Astrodynamics; Techniques and Tools for Space Missions: Simulation software development for LEO (Low Earth Orbits) satellites,

2 - Radio-Space Techniques: To build a small radio telescope, an interferometer (via twin small radio antennas), detection of radio signals and developing proper filters (signal processing software package).

Place: Adib Astronomy Center
Time: Thursday 25 Aban, 17:00

The draft version of the proposals are available at the group portal at: https://t.me/joinchat/CqjjQA7XinB720J5S20Bjw

Updates:

NASA has selected a science instrument for an upcoming Japan-led sample return mission to the moons of Mars planned for launch in 2024. The instrument, a sophisticated neutron and gamma-ray spectrograph, will help scientists resolve one of the most enduring mysteries of the Red Planet -- when and how the small moons formed ...

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-instrument-for-future-international-mission-to-martian-moons

Updates:
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The Orion module sits directly below the capsule and provides propulsion, power, thermal control, and water and air for four astronauts. The solar array spans 19 m and provides enough to power two households.⠀
A little over 5 m in diameter and 4 m high, it weighs 13.5 tonnes. The 8.6 tonnes of propellant will power one main engine and 32 smaller thrusters!

Photo: An artist’s impression of the Orion crew capsule with ESA service module!⠀
@europeanspaceagency

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbrzcN0hRLz/

Video:

What can be done about space debris?

http://www.euronews.com/2017/11/23/how-to-clean-up-space-junk

Updates:
Lifting off from Thales's stand at the Airshow for a trip into space http://thls.co/3WWm30gzAT1

Updates:
Thales Alenia Space’s radar sounder chosen for Juice mission to explore Jupiter’s icy moons http://thls.co/47VH30gAI5h

Updates:

The power of the quantum!
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A prototype atom interferometer chip in a vacuum chamber, harnessing the quantum behaviour of atoms to perform ultra-precise measurements of gravity.⠀
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Follow the link in our bio to learn more about this piece of technology. ⠀

RAL Space/IQO Hannover, Germany

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcFi3NoBBNr/

Video:
Gravitational Waves with Fun!

Oxford's "Very Short Introductions" Series

Updates:
A heat-generating gravitational 'dance' of orbiting moons could extend the lifetimes of subsurface liquid water oceans of distant, large icy worlds: http://go.nasa.gov/2BBqbVH

Video:
At Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, Ariane 6 is now a reality with the launch zone taking shape ...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcP6HOEBEPk/

Updates:

Animation:
On Friday, the first images of satellite Sentinel5P were published. They show the atmospheric carbon monoxide around the the world. The mission has a swath width of 2600 km, which allows the whole planet to be mapped every 24 hours.

Credit: SRON/@ESA

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcRv6tkDn1Y/

Updates:

Animation:
The animation shows daily average global soil moisture, based on nearly 40 years of data from multiple satellite sensors. Blue depicts areas with high soil moisture, while brown shows low moisture – such as in deserts. Rainforests are green while frozen soil is white ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcUJuzxh7ow/

Video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BclA_s5BGsW/

Atmospheric carbon dioxide is the most important human-made greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Oceans assist in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere: phytoplankton accumulate carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and their chlorophyll colours the ocean’s waters. Satellites use this colour to measure chlorophyll, which helps scientists to calculate how much carbon dioxide is absorbed or emitted!

Copyright: Planetary Visions (credit: ESA/CCI Ocean Colour/Climate Monitoring User Group/Planetary Visions)
http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2017/12/Carbon_dioxide_ocean_atmosphere_exchange

Updates:

A new technique combining #Galileo and other #satnav constellations to rapidly deliver smaller than hand-sized positioning accuracy has been proven using signals from all over Earth.

Developed by a Spanish research team with ESA, this Fast Precise Point Positioning, or Fast-PPP, technique could in future deliver precise 10–20 cm positioning more quickly than ever before to a wide variety of users, from surveyors to driverless cars ...

http://m.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Rapid_satnav_accuracy_down_to_the_palm_of_your_hand

Updates:

While total solar eclipses are pretty common, the unique August U.S. eclipse provided scientists with a rare opportunity. See how: http://go.nasa.gov/2jNB0gk

Updates:
Artificial Intelligence, NASA Data Used to Discover Eighth Planet Circling Distant Star

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/artificial-intelligence-nasa-data-used-to-discover-eighth-planet-circling-distant-star