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SpaceX Successfully launches 57 more Starlink Internet satellites, lands rocket at sea

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The internet megaconstellation keeps on developing.

SpaceX effectively launched many Starlink internet satellites and two little Earth-imaging satellites into space Friday (Aug. 7) in the second of what’s required to be a progression of Starlink rideshare missions.

A two-phase Falcon 9 rocket conveying 57 SpaceX Starlink satellites, alongside two BlackSky Global Earth-perception satellites, lifted off at 1:12 a.m. EDT (0512 GMT) from Pad 39A here at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

It was the fifth dispatch for this Falcon 9’s first stage. What’s more, the promoter pulled off one more handling at the beginning of today, settling delicately onto the deck of SpaceX’s “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean around eight minutes after liftoff.

This is SpaceX’s tenth Starlink strategic 2019, and the organization’s twelfth by and large crucial 2020. SpaceX has been depending on its armada of utilized, flight-demonstrated sponsors to support a quick dispatch rhythm. The organization has had a heavenly summer, with the dispatch and arriving of two NASA space travelers on the Demo-2 strategic the International Space Station — a first for a privately owned business — and isn’t easing back down at any point in the near future.

The third time was the appeal for SpaceX as its Falcon 9 rocket thundered to life and lit up the night sky over Florida’s Space Coast. Evening time dispatches are consistently a staggering exhibition, and this one didn’t baffle. The thunder from the rocket’s nine motors appeared to be particularly noisy today around evening time could in any case be heard considerably after the rocket vanished from see.

Hitchhiking satellites

Tucked inside the Falcon 9’s nose cone early today was a heap of 57 web radiating satellites. Some portion of SpaceX’s Starlink megaconstellation, the satellites will join hundreds as of now in circle. Until this point in time, the organization has propelled 595 Starlink satellites as it attempts to finish the tremendous heavenly body.

SpaceX author and CEO Elon Musk has said that SpaceX needs somewhere in the range of 400 and 800 Starlink satellites in circle to start to turn out negligible inclusion. As that objective moves closer, SpaceX has been prodding the appearance of a beta program, which will enable the organization to test the administration for inevitable overall utilization.

SpaceX is likewise finding a way to make Starlink administration a reality. For instance, the organization has picked up endorsement from the U.S. Government Communications Commission for up to one million client terminals.

Musk has said that he needs the terminals to be anything but difficult to work. Taking after a “UFO on a stick,” as Musk calls it, every terminal is furnished with actuators to guarantee that it focuses at the sky consistently. Every one of the a client needs to do is plug it in and point it at the sky.

Hitching a ride with the Starlink stack today were two little, Earth-watching satellites for BlackSky. The rideshare was orchestrated by another organization called Spaceflight, which discovers rides to space for littler satellites. SpaceX additionally has its own rideshare program, which books little satellites straightforwardly as opposed to experiencing an outsider assistance. (Three little Earth-watching satellites worked by San Francisco-put together organization Planet flew with respect to the past Starlink crucial month, in an arrangement booked straightforwardly through SpaceX.)

Satellite sunshades

The Starlink satellites on this strategic somewhat unique in relation to the ones that have propelled beforehand. That is on the grounds that they’re equipped with an uncommon visor that will help diminish their obvious brilliance.

The awning, as SpaceX is calling it, is a deployable visor intended to keep daylight from reflecting off the shiniest pieces of the satellites, for example, the radio wires. The organization — just as space experts and dim sky advocates far and wide — are wanting to diminish the Starlink armada’s general brilliance. This will empower them to show up as dull as conceivable in the night sky, in this manner limiting their effect on night sky perceptions.

At the point when the absolute originally set of Starlink satellites propelled, it found the cosmology network napping as the satellites seemed more splendid in the sky than SpaceX planned. Researchers around the world voiced their objection, worried that the brilliant satellites would hinder logical perceptions.

A past Starlink dispatch back in June included one satellite furnished with the trial visor; the present crucial the first where each of the 57 game it.

Rocket reuse

The primary phase of the Falcon 9 included in the present strategic now a five-time flier, as it recently propelled the Demo-1 crucial 2019, which sent an uncrewed Crew Dragon rocket to the International Space Station; a trio of Earth-watching satellites for Canada; and two Starlink missions this year.

It is the third Falcon 9 supporter to dispatch multiple times, and the second to dispatch and land effectively multiple times. The principal promoter to dispatch multiple times, assigned B1048 by SpaceX, encountered an inflight irregularity. There was some remaining cleaner caught inside a motor part, which brought about the supporter missing its planned arriving on the automaton transport. (The sponsor delivered the payload to circle without any issues, in any case.)

SpaceX consequently changed its restoration procedures and has now propelled and recuperated two distinct supporters multiple times. Each of these should fly again soon, particularly if SpaceX is going to keep up its quick dispatch rhythm.

The Falcon 9’s first stage effectively arrived on SpaceX’s automaton transport “Of Course I Still Love You” around eight minutes after liftoff. To do as such, the promoter isolated from its upper stage and directed a progression of orbital artful dance moves, reorienting itself for landing. The rocket directed a progression of three motor consumes to ease back itself enough to tenderly land on the deck of a coasting stage.

The huge automaton transport, positioned out in the Atlantic Ocean, is one of two vessels that SpaceX uses to find its bringing boosters back. Until this point, the organization has effectively recouped 56 first-stage sponsors. When they’re back in Florida’s Port Canaveral, the sponsors are shipped back to SpaceX offices, where they’re deliberately assessed and repurposed to fly once more.

The current cycle of the Falcon 9 was finished in 2018. Known as the Block 5, it highlights 1.7 million pounds of push just as some different redesigns that make it equipped for fast reuse. SpaceX brags that each these supporters can fly upwards of multiple times with minor restorations in the middle of, and upwards of multiple times before retirement. (Until this point in time, SpaceX has propelled and handled a similar supporter a limit of multiple times.)

Fast reuse, combined with the reality the organization currently has two automaton boats to recoup its first-stage sponsors, implies that the organization can dispatch all the more much of the time. SpaceX propelled an aggregate of multiple times between the finish of May and the finish of June, and it intends to lead various dispatches through the finish of 2020.

Falling fairings

In front of the present dispatch, SpaceX conveyed its twin fairing catchers, GO Ms. Tree and GO Miss Chief. These two vessels go about as monster, versatile catcher’s gloves, catching payload fairings in their appended nets as they fall down to Earth. Regardless of whether they’re ready to make a catch relies upon numerous variables, including the climate.

To encourage reuse, SpaceX has prepared its payload fairings (otherwise called the rocket nose cones) with parachutes and programming that guides them to the recuperation zone. On the off chance that Ms. Tree or Ms. Boss can’t get the fairings, which return to Earth in two pieces, the pontoons can scoop them up out of the water and convey them back to port.

Once back in Port Canaveral, the fairings (alongside the supporter) are repaired and reused, insofar as they’re unblemished. SpaceX has reflown fairings a few times, the majority of which were recovered from the sea and repaired. Be that as it may, on an ongoing crucial, powerful vessel team made its first twofold catch, catching both falling fairings.

SpaceX endeavored to get the fairings today however didn’t succeed, organization dispatch reporters said around 48 minutes after liftoff.

The present dispatch was the third endeavor at getting this specific strategic the ground. The dispatch was initially booked to launch in mid-June, however was postponed because of the requirement for additional rocket checks. Another endeavor on July 8 was canceled because of helpless climate at the dispatch site.

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China’s Tianwen-2 Set for Launch to Asteroid and Comet

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China’s Tianwen-2 Set for Launch to Asteroid and Comet

China has taken a major step forward in its deep-space exploration efforts as the Tianwen-2 spacecraft arrived at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province for final launch preparations. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed the development on February 20, 2025, signaling that the mission is on track for its scheduled launch in the first half of the year.

A Dual-Purpose Mission

The Tianwen-2 mission is a combined near-Earth asteroid sample return and comet rendezvous mission, marking another ambitious endeavor for China’s space program. The mission is set to launch aboard a Long March 3B rocket, with a tentative liftoff expected around May 2025.

The primary target of Tianwen-2 is the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3), a small celestial body with a diameter estimated between 40 to 100 meters. The asteroid is considered a quasi-satellite of Earth, meaning it follows a co-orbital path with our planet. Scientists believe Kamoʻoalewa might be a fragment of the Moon, ejected into space after an ancient impact event.

After collecting samples from Kamoʻoalewa, the main spacecraft will continue its journey to comet 311P/PANSTARRS, a celestial body that exhibits both asteroid-like and comet-like characteristics. By studying these two objects, scientists aim to gain valuable insights into the composition, evolution, and history of the solar system, including the distribution of water and organic molecules.

Launch Preparations Underway

CNSA stated that the launch site facilities are fully prepared, and pre-launch tests are proceeding as planned. Engineers and scientists are meticulously working to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its complex mission, which will involve multiple orbital maneuvers, sample collection, and deep-space travel over nearly a decade.

Sampling Kamoʻoalewa: Two Innovative Techniques

To collect material from Kamoʻoalewa, Tianwen-2 will employ two advanced sampling methods:

  1. Touch-and-Go (TAG) Method – This technique, used by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx and JAXA’s Hayabusa2 missions, involves briefly touching the asteroid’s surface to gather samples.
  2. Anchor-and-Attach System – This approach uses drills attached to the spacecraft’s landing legs, allowing for a more stable and secure extraction of subsurface material.

Early mission concepts, when Tianwen-2 was initially known as Zheng He, indicated that China aimed to collect between 200 and 1,000 grams of asteroid samples. These samples will help scientists analyze Kamoʻoalewa’s mineral composition, origin, and potential similarities with lunar material.

Challenges in Sample Return

Although China has successfully executed two lunar sample return missions—Chang’e-5 (2020) and Chang’e-6 (2024)—returning asteroid samples presents unique challenges. Unlike the Moon, Kamoʻoalewa has negligible gravity, requiring specialized landing and sampling techniques. Additionally, the reentry module carrying the samples will experience higher velocities, demanding advanced thermal protection and parachute deployment systems.

To address these challenges, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) conducted high-altitude parachute tests in 2023, ensuring the safe return of asteroid samples to Earth around 2027.

Comet Rendezvous: Studying 311P/PANSTARRS

Returning samples from Kamoʻoalewa will not mark the end of Tianwen-2’s mission. The spacecraft will execute a gravitational slingshot maneuver around Earth, propelling it toward comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the main asteroid belt. The rendezvous is expected around 2034.

311P/PANSTARRS is considered a transitional object between asteroids and comets, making it an ideal candidate for studying the origins of cometary activity within the asteroid belt. Scientists hope to analyze its orbit, rotation, surface composition, volatile elements, and dust emissions, shedding light on the evolution of comets in the inner solar system.

Scientific Instruments on Board

The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is equipped with a suite of cutting-edge instruments to study its targets, including:

  • Multispectral and infrared spectrometers – To analyze surface composition.
  • High-resolution cameras – To map geological features in detail.
  • Radar sounder – To probe subsurface structures.
  • Magnetometer – To search for residual magnetic fields.
  • Dust and gas analyzers – To examine cometary activity.
  • Charged particle detectors – To study interactions with the solar wind (developed in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences).

China’s Expanding Deep-Space Ambitions

Tianwen-2 follows the highly successful Tianwen-1 Mars mission, which saw China land the Zhurong rover on Mars in 2021. The Tianwen series is a key part of China’s growing presence in deep-space exploration:

  • Tianwen-3 – A Mars sample return mission, scheduled for 2028–2030.
  • Tianwen-4 – A Jupiter system exploration mission, launching around 2030, featuring a solar-powered orbiter for Callisto and a radioisotope-powered spacecraft for a Uranus flyby.

Chinese researchers have emphasized the importance of asteroid sample return missions, citing their potential for groundbreaking scientific discoveries and the development of new space technologies.

With Tianwen-2, China is taking a bold step into the future of deep-space exploration. By returning samples from an asteroid and studying a comet, the mission will provide crucial insights into the origins of the solar system and planetary evolution. As launch preparations continue, the world eagerly anticipates another milestone in China’s space program.

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SpaceX to Launch 21 Starlink Satellites from Florida on February 4

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SpaceX to Launch 21 Starlink Satellites from Florida on February 4

SpaceX plans to launch another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida’s Space Coast on February 4, 2025. The mission will deploy 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 equipped with direct-to-cell communications capabilities, marking another major step in SpaceX’s ambitious plan to provide global high-speed internet coverage.

The Falcon 9 rocket flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled to take place during a roughly three-hour launch window that opens at 3:37 a.m. (0837 GMT). SpaceX will livestream the event on its X account (formerly Twitter), with coverage beginning about five minutes before liftoff.

The mission will use the experienced Falcon 9 first-stage rocket, which will be making its 21st launch and landing. According to SpaceX, this rocket has already flown on 20 missions, 16 of which were dedicated Starlink launches. If all goes as planned, the rocket will return to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff, landing on the unmanned “Just Read the Instructions” craft in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Falcon 9 upper stage will continue its journey to deploy 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) about 65 minutes after liftoff. This will be SpaceX’s 15th Falcon 9 mission in 2025, with nine flights dedicated to expanding the Starlink constellation.

Direct-to-cell capabilities


A notable feature of this mission is the inclusion of 13 Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability. These advanced satellites are designed to enable seamless connectivity for standard mobile phones, eliminating the need for specialized hardware. This technology has the potential to revolutionize communications in remote and underserved areas, providing reliable internet and cellular services directly to users’ devices.

The growing Starlink constellation


SpaceX is rapidly expanding its Starlink network, which is already the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. In 2024 alone, the company launched more than 130 Falcon 9 missions, about two-thirds of which were dedicated to Starlink deployments. According to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, SpaceX currently operates nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites in LEO.

The Starlink network aims to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access to users around the world, especially in regions lacking traditional infrastructure. With this latest launch, SpaceX is expanding the network’s capacity and coverage, bringing its dream of global connectivity closer to reality.

Recyclability and sustainability


The Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster exemplifies SpaceX’s commitment to reusability, a key factor in reducing the cost of spaceflight. By successfully landing and reusing the rocket, SpaceX has revolutionized the aerospace industry and set a new standard for sustainable space operations.

However, the rapid expansion of the Starlink constellation has raised concerns among astronomers and environmentalists. The growing number of satellites in LEO has created problems such as light pollution, which can interfere with astronomical observations, and space debris, which poses a threat to other spacecraft. SpaceX is actively working to mitigate these issues by implementing measures such as blacking out satellite surfaces and responsibly deorbiting inactive satellites.

The February 4 launch is part of SpaceX’s broader strategy to achieve global internet coverage and support its growing customer base. With the addition of direct-to-cell-connect satellites, the company is poised to offer even more versatile and simple connectivity solutions.

As SpaceX pushes the boundaries of space technology, the world will be watching to see how the Starlink network evolves and addresses the challenges associated with large-scale satellite constellations. For now, the focus is on the upcoming launch, which will mark another milestone in SpaceX’s journey to connect the world.

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Scientists Trap Molecules for Quantum Tasks, Paving the Way for Ultra-Fast Tech Advancements

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Scientists Trap Molecules for Quantum Tasks, Paving the Way for Ultra-Fast Tech Advancements

In a groundbreaking milestone for quantum computing, researchers from Harvard University have successfully trapped molecules to perform quantum operations. This achievement marks a pivotal advancement in the field, potentially revolutionizing technology and enabling ultra-fast computations in medicine, science, and finance.

Molecules as Qubits: A New Frontier

Traditionally, quantum computing has focused on using smaller, less complex particles like ions and atoms as qubits—the fundamental units of quantum information. Molecules, despite their potential, were long considered unsuitable due to their intricate and delicate structures, which made them challenging to manipulate reliably.

However, the latest findings, published in the journal Nature, change this narrative. By utilizing ultra-cold polar molecules as qubits, the researchers have opened up new possibilities for performing quantum tasks with unprecedented precision.

A 20-Year Journey to Success

“This is a breakthrough we’ve been working toward for two decades,” said Kang-Kuen Ni, Theodore William Richards Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Harvard and senior co-author of the study.

Quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to perform calculations exponentially faster than classical computers. It has the potential to solve problems that were once deemed unsolvable.

“Our work represents the last critical piece needed to construct a molecular quantum computer,” added co-author and postdoctoral fellow Annie Park, highlighting the significance of this achievement.

How Molecular Quantum Gates Work

Quantum gates, the building blocks of quantum operations, manipulate qubits by taking advantage of quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement. Unlike classical logic gates that process binary bits (0s and 1s), quantum gates can process multiple states simultaneously, exponentially increasing computational power.

In this experiment, the researchers used the ISWAP gate, a crucial component that swaps the states of two qubits while applying a phase shift. This process is essential for creating entangled states—a cornerstone of quantum computing that allows qubits to remain correlated regardless of distance.

Overcoming Long-Standing Challenges

Earlier attempts to use molecules for quantum computing faced significant challenges. Molecules were often unstable, moving unpredictably and disrupting the coherence required for precise operations.

The Harvard team overcame these obstacles by trapping molecules in ultra-cold environments. By drastically reducing molecular motion, they achieved greater control over quantum states, paving the way for reliable quantum operations.

The breakthrough was a collaborative effort between Harvard researchers and physicists from the University of Colorado’s Center for Theory of Quantum Matter. The team meticulously measured two-qubit Bell states and minimized errors caused by residual motion, laying the groundwork for even more accurate future experiments.

Transforming the Quantum Landscape

“There’s immense potential in leveraging molecular platforms for quantum computing,” Ni noted. The team’s success is expected to inspire further innovations and ideas for utilizing the unique properties of molecules in quantum systems.

This advancement could significantly alter the quantum computing landscape, bringing researchers closer to developing a molecular quantum computer. Such a system would harness the unique capabilities of molecules, opening doors to unprecedented computational possibilities.

The Road Ahead

The implications of this achievement extend far beyond academia. By unlocking the potential of molecules as qubits, the researchers have taken a vital step toward creating powerful quantum computers capable of transforming industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to financial modeling.

As researchers continue to refine this technology, the dream of a molecular quantum computer—one that capitalizes on the complexities of molecular structures—moves closer to reality. This breakthrough represents not just a leap forward for quantum computing but a glimpse into the future of technology itself.

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