ESA

19 Jul

Why an ‘unexciting’ galaxy could provide clues about the universe’s evolution

stp2y0 CommentsNewsESA, gear, hubble, nasa, news, science, Space

NASA and the European Space Agency have released an image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope of a dwarf irregular galaxy that they admit looked "unexciting" at first glance. However, there's more going on than might initially meet the eye. The agencies say that a great deal of research is going into the "complicated structure" of NGC 5238, which is 14.5 million light-years away in the Canes Venatici constellation. In fact, astronomers believe the distribution of stars in NGC 5238 may have been distorted after it swallowed up another galaxy.They reckon that due to NGC 5238's star population (which Hubble…

07 Jul

ESA’s new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, is poised to launch for the first time on Tuesday

stp2y0 CommentsNewsariane 6, ESA, news, rocket, spaceflight, tomorrow

Ariane 6, the European Space Agency’s next-gen heavy-lift rocket, is expected to take its inaugural flight on July 9, ending a yearlong gap in Europe’s ability to access space on its own. The launch vehicle, made by ArianeGroup, replaces Ariane 5, which was retired last July following its 117th mission. The launch window opens at 2PM ET on Tuesday (8PM CEST).Ariane 5 was in operation from 1996 to 2023 and was ESA’s main launch system. Ariane 6 was supposed to take over right away after its predecessor’s retirement, but years of delays in its development meant it ultimately wasn’t ready…