17 January 2020
SpaceX's last critical test before crewed flights begin
... spacecraft will separate and the eight SuperDraco thrusters, which burn a high-pressure mix of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants, will burn to completion. The spacecraft is planned to splash down under its upgraded Mark 3 parachutes...
24 January 2020
New study suggests Enceladus' oceans more habitable than previously thought
... for life, but last year, a new analysis of data collected by the mission revealed the presence of silica, nitrogen and oxygen in the plumes – the latter two being organic compounds that play a key role in producing...
06 March 2020
Life in the Universe could be common, but not near us says study
... of monomers called nucleotides and each nucleotide is made up of three components: a pentose (five-carbon) sugar called ribose, a nitrogenous base and a phosphate group. To get life kick-started, some researchers believe that RNA needs at least...
27 March 2020
Mercury's crust could have had episodic habitable conditions, new study says
... of volatile materials escaping Mercury’s subsurface. These volatiles, or volatile-rich compounds, include chemicals such as nitrogen, water, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and sulphates, stretched as far down as at least 2.5 kilometres, if not further...
15 April 2020
Successful test clears the way for Virgin Orbit's first-ever launch
...°F) warmer. For the final development test carried out on Sunday, the tanks were filled with liquid nitrogen; a compound very similar to that which will be carried on operational flights - super cold liquid oxygen. Founded by Richard...
27 April 2020
SpaceX's first full-scale Starship passes key test
.... The cryogenic proof involves filling some or all of the Starship SN4 prototype with ultra-cold liquid nitrogen (LN2) to verify that its tanks can withstand flight pressures therefore proving the vehicle is flight-worthy...
