NASA’s OSIRIS-REx to bring samples of asteroid Bennu to Earth: What to know
NASA is receiving its first long-awaited sample from an asteroid. OSIRIS-REx visited and collected samples from 101955 Bennu, a carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid. The sample’s return yesterday concludes a seven-year mission, and the contents will be studied by scientists worldwide. SSL research scientist Zack Gainsforth, interviewed by Al Jazeera English for this video, compares the magnitude […]
New SSL Undergraduate Engagement Group and Recent Activities/Achievements
New SSL Undergraduate Engagement Group and Recent Activities/Achievements — “The University’s fundamental missions are teaching, research and public service” (source: UCOP). Although SSL excels at research, and through those discoveries, public service to a large degree, SSL’s role in and greater potential for contributing to the mission of teaching has been somewhat underappreciated on campus […]
Nature: “Are telescopes on the moon doomed before they’ve even been built?”
The dark side of the Moon is a unique and precious location for radio astronomers. Noise from Earth is blocked, allowing cosmology research to take place without electromagnetic interference. Nature magazine asks in recent article, “Are telescopes on the moon doomed before they’ve even been built?” Currently the dark side of the Moon is the […]
Applications for Lin Fellowship now open
As usual, we will be accepting applications for the Lin Fellowship this year. This is an opportunity for UCB grad students (including incoming students) to work on SSL projects over the summer. The fellowship provides student salary support. More information can be found on the Lin Fellowship page and on this flyer. Please pass this information […]
Panel urges small satellite makers to prepare for big changes
A panel of experts at the SmallSat Symposium on Feb. 7 2023—including SSL’s Abhi Tripathi—issued a heads-up to small satellite manufacturers, cautioning them to be ready for the increasing availability of rideshare flights on SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy Launch vehicle. Abhi stated, “If you are not preparing for how you’re going to launch […]
Blue Origin to provide launch services for ESCAPADE
When ESCAPADE launches in late 2024, Blue Origin of Kent, WA will provide launch services, NASA has announced, as part of its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract. Blue Origin is one of a dozen-plus companies NASA selected for VADR contracts in 2022, part of an effort by the agency to secure new […]
Dr. George Fisher awarded the Hale Prize
Our very own Dr. George Fisher was awarded the George Ellery Hale Prize by the Solar Physics Division (SPD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for his pioneering work on modeling the effect of solar and stellar flares on the lower atmosphere, as well as other important contributions to the studies of magnetic fields in […]
OTD – November 18, 2013 MAVEN Launched from the Kennedy Space Center LC-41 on its trip to Mars
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (MAVEN) launched on November 18, 2013, and entered orbit around Mars on September 21, 2014. The mission’s goal is to explore the planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind. Scientists will use MAVEN data to explore the loss of volatile compounds—such as CO2, […]
Lin Fellows Seminar
The three 2022 Lin Fellows gave talks on their research on Friday, October 21. Orlando Romeo spoke about, “Electron Distribution Evolution near the Sun Observed by Parker Solar Probe.” Aidi Zhang spoke about, “Studying the gravity signature of the Great Red Spot with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model.” And Christian Bye’s talk was entitled, “Observing the […]
OTD, October 10, 2019 ICON was launched to Study the Ionoshphere
#OTD 3 years ago, we launched the Ionospheric Connection Explorer! The mission studies an area where Earth’s weather meets space weather. Changes in this dynamic region — known as the ionosphere — can disrupt our radio communications and GPS signals. Read more about ICON
