Articles tagged with Astrodynamics
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory will build the TEMPO instrument, which will monitor major air pollutants across the North American continent hourly. This will enable scientists to improve emission inventories and evaluate effective emission-control strategies.
The New Horizons team has discovered a high risk of collisions with debris orbiting Pluto due to its fast speed. To mitigate this risk, the team is plotting alternative courses that would preserve most of the science mission while avoiding deadly encounters.
The first of three third-generation TDRS satellites is set to launch in December, providing critical communication support for NASA's human spaceflight endeavors and science missions. The new satellite will increase bandwidth and ensure operational continuity for NASA's Space Network.
Researchers used computer simulations to explore the mergers of supersized black holes, revealing a 'funnel-like structure' that could drive particle jets. The study sheds light on the universe's most extreme phenomena, including gravitational waves, black holes, and the death of stars.
Astronomers have discovered the first multi-planet system orbiting a binary star, characterized by the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. The system, Kepler-47, features an outer planet within the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist.
Typhoons Tembin and Bolaven continue to churn in the Philippine Sea, with Tembin showing a wide area of very high cloud top temperatures and Bolaven strengthening into a typhoon. Bolaven is expected to intensify further, moving northwest and posing a significant threat to the region.
A new thruster design, developed by MIT, uses 500 microscopic tips to create a small puff of charged particles that can help propel small satellites forward. The microthrusters have the potential to enable CubeSats to change orbits and reduce space clutter by propelling them down to lower orbits where they can burn up.
NASA's GOES Project provides a complete view of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean basins. As of August 13, the Atlantic tropics are quieter, with fewer low-pressure areas than the previous week. Tropical Storm Hector in the east Pacific is weakening due to wind shear.
The CINEMA CubeSat will monitor electrical currents in the atmosphere that can affect power grids. The satellite will also measure changes in Earth's magnetic field caused by magnetic storms.
Researchers have successfully measured the motion of exoplanet Tau Bootis b, revealing its mass to be six times that of Jupiter. The team used an innovative technique to unravel direct light from the planet itself, overcoming previous attempts to measure its atmosphere.
A new method has been developed to measure the mass of non-transiting planets using carbon monoxide signatures in their atmospheres. This breakthrough technique allows for precise mass determination, opening a new path to study exoplanet properties and potentially detect molecules associated with life.
The newly discovered two-planet system of Kepler-36 features a rocky planet Kepler-36b and a gas giant Kepler-36c that experience close encounters every 97 days. Researchers are struggling to understand how these worlds ended up in such tight orbits, but the discovery has significant implications for the search for exoplanets.
Tropical storm Talim brought almost 600 mm of rainfall to southern Taiwan, with intense rainfall rates reaching 50mm/hr in the Strait of Taiwan. The TRMM satellite captured powerful storms near Talim's center, indicating heights of up to 16km.
The KELT telescope has discovered two unusual planets, including a massive, puffed-up planet dubbed KELT-1b that may challenge our understanding of solar system evolution. The other planet, KELT-2Ab, is a Jupiter-like world with a bright star that will allow astronomers to study its atmosphere.
A University of Tennessee professor has helped reveal a rare orbital shift and the density of an asteroid that will pass close to Earth. The asteroid, 1999 RQ36, has a low density and its orbit has drifted roughly 100 miles in the last 12 years due to the Yarkovsky effect.
Scientists have directly measured the Yarkovsky effect on asteroid 1999 RQ36, a subtle force causing it to drift from its gravity-ruled orbit. The measurements show the asteroid has deviated by roughly 100 miles over 12 years, revealing its low density and making it an ideal target for the OSIRIS-REx mission.
Scientists with the OSIRIS-REx mission have measured the orbit of asteroid 1999 RQ36 with great accuracy, directly determining the drift resulting from the Yarkovsky effect. The asteroid has deviated from its gravity-ruled orbit by roughly 100 miles in the last 12 years due to this subtle force.
The TDRS-4 satellite completed its nearly 23-year operational life support and successfully executed end-of-mission de-orbit and decommissioning activities. The satellite's retirement was necessitated by the loss of a battery and reduced storage capacity.
Caltech researchers found that the man in the moon's face is not just a coincidence, but rather a result of the moon's slowed-down rotation rate. The side with the man facing Earth had about two-to-one odds of being visible due to the dissipation rate of the moon's rotational energy.
The THEMIS mission has significantly advanced our understanding of the magnetosphere, mapping the topology and structure of the Earth's magnetic field. The satellites have also detected critical mechanisms driving substorms, including dipolarization fronts and chorus waves, which influence aurora formation.
Astronomers at Vanderbilt University and Caltech discovered three smallest planets yet orbiting a distant star, KOI-961, connected to Barnard's star. The planets range in size from Mars to three-quarters the size of Earth, with short orbits making liquid water impossible.
Two new transiting circumbinary planet systems have been discovered using data from NASA's Kepler Mission. The planets, Kepler-34 b and Kepler-35 b, orbit two stars in the constellation Cygnus, with climates that could experience dramatic temperature changes due to the variable distance between the planet and its stars.
Scientists have discovered two new circumbinary planets, Kepler-34b and Kepler-35b, orbiting two stars in the constellation Cygnus. The discovery suggests that planets with two suns are common, potentially existing in millions in the Galaxy. This finding sheds light on the formation of these unique planetary systems.
The MESSENGER spacecraft has shown that Mercury's surface material composition differs significantly from other terrestrial planets, with higher abundances of sulfur and potassium. The planet's surface also features a unique magnetic field and extensive volcanic plains covering over 6% of its surface.
Astronomers detect a double sunset on the newly discovered Kepler-16b, a planet similar to Saturn in size and mass. The planet orbits two smaller, cooler stars and is estimated to be around -100°C due to its distance from its parent bodies.
Astronomers have discovered a planet that orbits around a pair of stars, providing direct evidence for the existence of circumbinary planets. The discovery was made using data from the NASA Kepler space telescope and confirms long-speculated theories about these systems.
TrES-2b's extremely dark surface is attributed to its high temperature and the presence of light-absorbing chemicals. The planet emits a faint red glow due to its heat, revealing it's not pitch black despite its low reflectivity.
A new study suggests that a collision between the moon and a smaller companion moon could have formed the lunar farside highlands. The model proposes that the impact did not form a crater, but instead piled material onto one side, creating a mountainous region.
The Juno Mission aims to study the origin and evolution of Jupiter, helping scientists understand planetary formation and the solar system. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times, measuring magnetic activity and water content in its atmosphere.
Two NASA probes, part of the THEMIS mission, will map the lunar surface and its magnetic field. The ARTEMIS mission aims to acquire a full 3D view of the moon's magnetic fields and surrounding environment.
The ARTEMIS P1 spacecraft has entered lunar orbit after a two-year journey that relied on gravity boosts and minimal fuel. Engineers closely monitor the spacecraft's position, preparing for further adjustments.
A team of researchers has developed a method to track the movement of geostationary objects in space using the position of stars. This technique can be used with small telescopes and in places that are not very dark, allowing for precise location and orbit determination of GEO satellites.
Kepler's first four months of data reveal evidence for over 1,200 planetary candidates, with 408 residing in systems containing two or more planets. These multi-planet systems are characterized by flat orbits, tilted less than 1 degree, and lack Jupiter-sized gas giants.
Dr. William R. Ward has made fundamental contributions to understanding how planets and satellites form and dynamically evolve, including the giant impact theory of lunar formation and Mars' polar axis oscillations
CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics designed an $8.7 million instrument onboard MESSENGER, which will help solve mysteries about Mercury's hot surface and atmosphere. The mission aims to better understand planetary systems and formation, with dozens of students involved in analyzing data.
A NASA team led by University of Florida astronomers has discovered six new planets in a distant solar system resembling our own. The planets, orbiting Kepler-11, are rocky or ice-combined and have densities lower than water but higher than Earth.
The Kepler-11 system features five inner planets with masses between 2.3 and 13.5 times that of Earth, orbiting within 50 days, and a sixth planet with an orbital period of 118 days. The planets' densities suggest they may be mostly water or hydrogen-helium gases, defying expectations for small hot planets.
Two Cluster satellites encounter a natural particle accelerator above the northern hemisphere, mapping its electrical landscape. This discovery sheds light on the generation of auroras and provides new insights into space plasma.
A team of researchers, including Washington University professor William B. McKinnon and associate professor Andrew Dombard, propose that Iapetus had a sub-satellite created by a giant impact, which eventually broke apart and formed the ridge. The study suggests that tidal forces played a crucial role in shaping the moon's unique feature.
Astronomers have discovered a fourth giant planet in the HR8799 system, which is approximately seven times the mass of Jupiter. The system, consisting of four giant planets and two asteroid belts, is young compared to our solar system and may be on the verge of falling apart due to gravitational interactions.
The newly discovered fourth planet (HR 8799e) orbits a bright star called HR 8799, which lies some 129 light years from Earth and is faintly visible to the naked eye. The mass of the HR 8799 planetary system is much greater than our own.
The discovery of the fourth giant planet in the HR 8799 system strengthens the resemblance between this exoplanetary system and our own, with all four planets being similar in size. Detailed study of HR 8799e will be challenging due to its relative faintness and proximity to its star.
The ARTEMIS mission involves two micro-satellites orbiting the moon, providing a three-dimensional perspective on energetic particle acceleration near the moon's orbit. The mission will also explore the space environment of the moon and its interaction with the solar wind.
Astronomers have discovered a neutron star with twice the mass of our Sun, ruling out certain theoretical models for its internal composition. The discovery has significant implications for astrophysics, nuclear physics, and our understanding of matter at extreme densities.
Researchers create model of M33 X-7's evolutionary history and formation to explain its observational characteristics. The model sheds light on massive star evolution and black hole formation physics.
Researchers pinpointed the exact date of a February 2009 asteroid collision using computer simulations and OSIRIS camera system images. The debris trail's three-dimensional shape, visible from a unique Rosetta space probe viewpoint, helped reconstruct the collision in detail.
New supercomputer simulations show what the solar system might look like to alien astronomers searching for planets. The models also provide a glimpse of how this view might have changed as our planetary system matured.
The discovery of two planets, Kepler 9b and 9c, confirms the first planetary system with more than one planet transiting the same star. The planets, both Saturn-sized gas giants, exhibit orbital resonance and gravitational interaction.
Asteroid 2008 LC18 is found in the L5 stability region of Neptune, with an estimated diameter of 100 kilometers. The discovery suggests a population of similar asteroids at L5, outnumbering those in the main asteroid belt.
The Gossamer Orbit Lowering Device (GOLD) uses a thin balloon envelope to increase drag, causing space junk to burn up and reducing natural orbit decay. This method is cost-effective, weighs less than propellant, and doesn't create new debris.
Asteroid '(101955) 1999 RQ36' has a 0.00054 chance of colliding with Earth in 2182, according to researchers who used the Monte Carlo Method and line of variations sampling models. The asteroid's orbit is influenced by the Yarkovsky effect, which slightly modifies its path.
Tropical Storm Conson has been downgraded to a typhoon after interacting with the northern Philippines' land surface, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. The storm is now expected to continue weakening due to increased wind shear and interact with southern China.
The discovery of exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, located 60 light-years from Earth, confirms that giant planets can form in time-spans as short as a few million years. The planet has a massive nine-Jupiter-mass orbit, challenging previous theories on planetary formation.
NASA's Distress Alerting Satellite System (DASS) uses mid-Earth orbit GPS to rapidly detect and locate distress signals, greatly enhancing international rescue efforts. The system overcomes current limitations by providing continuous visibility and precision location capabilities.
A team of Rensselaer researchers is sending an army of microorganisms into space to investigate the effects of microgravity on biofilm formation and development. The goal is to better understand how gravity affects human-bacteria relationships, aiming to develop new ways to prevent biofilms from posing a health threat to astronauts.
GOES-13 replaces GOES-12, providing coverage for the eastern US, including the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The satellite helps predict weather and storms, supporting fast and accurate weather forecasts and warnings.
Researchers have taken the first close-up pictures of Epsilon Aurigae's mysterious dark companion, revealing a geometrically thin, dark, dense, but partially translucent cloud. The images show that the basic paradigm was right despite slim probability, and provide new insights into the system's shape and surface characteristics.
The latest weather satellite, GOES-15, reached its proper orbit after a flawless launch and will undergo checkout in mid-August 2010. The satellite is expected to capture the first visible image on April 5 and provide weather observations covering over 50% of the Earth's surface.
A team of researchers led by Bruce Macintosh has won the AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize for their groundbreaking discovery of multiple planets orbiting a distant star. The study, published in Science, provides new insights into the detection and characterization of exoplanets.
The GOES-P spacecraft has been fueled and prepared for its 14-year orbit around the Earth. Engineers conducted propulsion system pressurization and leak checks to prevent fuel leaks. The launch vehicle is currently processing on stand, with a March 1 target date.