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Recent Observations Challenge our Understanding of Giant Black Holes

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Black holes are among the most mysterious and powerful objects in the Universe. These behemoths form when sufficiently massive stars reach the end of their life cycle and experience gravitational collapse, shedding their outer layers in a supernova. Their existence was illustrated by the work of German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild and Indian-American physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar …

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The Gaia Mission’s Science Operations are Over

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The ESA has announced that Gaia’s primary mission is coming to an end. The spacecraft’s fuel is running low, and the sky-scanning phase of its mission is over. The ground-breaking mission has taken more than three trillion observations of two billion objects, mostly stars. The ESA launched Gaia in December 2013. It’s an astrometry mission …

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Nelson: Decision on Mars Sample Return expected before new administration takes office

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This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rocks and soil being collected from the Martian surface by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover.Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech One of the biggest decision points for the space community, how to redesign the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, may be weeks …

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India to launch Eurpope’s Proba-3 spacecraft pair to study the Sun, demonstrate tandem maneuvering in orbit

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Artist’s view of Proba-3 on an ISRO PSLV-XL launch vehicle. Graphic: P. Carril/ESA The European Space Agency is preparing to launch two missions on Wednesday, half a world and half a day apart: Proba-3 from India and Sentinel-1C from French Guiana. Because ESA and the European aerospace industry are still working towards restoring home-grown launch …

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Vega-C return to flight launch slips a day to allow for ‘further precautionary checks’

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Copernicus Sentinel-1C standing proud on its payload adapter between the two fairing halves that will protect the spacecraft on the launch pad and on its ascent towards space. Sentinel-1C, the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, is set to launch in December 2024 on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Image: …

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Live coverage: ESA’s Hera spacecraft aims to launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida

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An artist’s rendering of the Hera spacecraft along with CubeSats Milani and Juventas around the asteroid, Dimorphous. Graphic: ESA The European Space Agency and SpaceX are hoping for good enough weather as they prepare to launch a mission to a binary asteroid Monday morning. The Hera mission is a follow-on operation, which will examine Didymos …

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ESA’s Hera mission progresses towards launch pending Falcon 9 readiness

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An artist’s rendering of the Hera spacecraft alongside the CubeSats, Juventas and Milani. Graphic: ESA The European Space Agency is on the cusp of launching its first planetary defense mission, a complement to NASA’s 2022 Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The goal of these missions is to understand how Earth can be protected from …

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ESA prepares to launch swan song mission for its Vega rocket

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Sentinel-2 in the Vega launch tower. Image: ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–T. Leduc The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to complete its transition to its Vega-C rocket with the final launch of its first-generation Vega rocket. The mission, dubbed VV24, will carry an Earth-imaging satellite to a sun-synchronous orbit. Liftoff of the 22nd and final …

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European Space Agency makes final preparations for inaugural Ariane 6 launch

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The Ariane 6 rocket stands at the launch pad at the Europe Spaceport in French Guiana following the removal of the mobile launch gantry. Image: M. Pédoussaut/ESA To quote the title track of Swedish rock band Europe’s third album, “It’s the final countdown” for the long awaited Ariane 6 to finally take flight. After running …

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Live coverage: SpaceX to launch ESA’s EarthCARE on a Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base

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A rendering of the Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) spacecraft onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage as the payload fairings deploy. Graphic: ESA The European Space Agency is preparing to launch its latest Earth observing satellite, designed to better understand the climate. The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) has four …

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