This week in space: A possible biomarker in Venus' clouds, an experimental rocket crash, and the space between Earth and Moon is becoming a new an arena for space superiority...

Learn the ins and outs of pseudoscience, and debunking it: Read 'Escaping The Rabbit Hole' here.

Want to support the future of science and engineering? You can do so through one of these charities:

Black and British Professionals in STEM

Skeptoid media

The Association for Science Education

The Smallpiece Trust

SATRO

Arkwright Engineering Scholarships

LabAid

The Space Foundation

 

Pick o' the podcasts

Weekly Space Hangout: September 16, 2020 – Dr. Merav Opher Discusses the Shape of the Sun’s Heliosphere

Planetary Radio double header:

From the video store

Phosphine on Venus - a potential sign of life...

SpaceX's upcoming milestones 

Astra rocket's first orbital attempt crashes (but they may be making a second attempt soon) 

Deep Space 9 original cast star in an online Star Trek play (it's really good):

Reading material

Private launcher firm Rocketlabs aims to reach Venus in 2023

US satellites may get defensive escorts

Earth-moon space is may be the new arena for military space superiority: Expert opinions:

...and here's the full U.S. government report

Northrup Grumman to develop jam-resistant military satellite

Smoke from wildfires stretching across the U.S.

Amazon river from space

Artemis 3 mission may land near Apollo landing site

Dynetics to use in-space refuelling for lunar lander

This week in space: Humans to Mars conference, ride with a SpaceX rocket, NASA to buy Lunar soil, and loads more...

Learn the ins and outs of pseudoscience, and debunking it: Read 'Escaping The Rabbit Hole' here.

Want to support the future of science and engineering? You can do so through one of these charities:

Black and British Professionals in STEM

Skeptoid media

The Association for Science Education

The Smallpiece Trust

SATRO

Arkwright Engineering Scholarships

LabAid

The Space Foundation

Pick o' the podcasts

We Martians: Humans to Mars 2020 conference

From the video store

Ride up to space with a re-useable booster

Trailer for the new Dune adaptation

Take a trip around the Earth

.... and around the Moon:

Earth from space: Gulf of Kutch

Reading material:

NASA to buy Lunar soil mines by private companies

Satellite with robotic arm to launch in 2022

How do Jupiter's geometric storms form?

Osiris-Rex tracks unusual activity on asteroid Bennu

Space Force outreach emphasises protecting the space economy

ISS activates cross band FM repeater for ham radio 

Experimental Chinese re-useable spacecraft released an object before it landed

Sunspots resonate like musical instruments

Juno and the case of Jupiter's missing ammonia

U.S. to launch self-reconfiguring satellites

This week in space: China looks to longer range space weapons and launches a secretive re-useable spacecraft, a big week for SpaceX, and for SpaceLabs, AND Arianespace launches a space tug-boat on its maiden flight.....

Learn the ins and outs of pseudoscience, and debunking it: Read 'Escaping The Rabbit Hole' here.

Want to support the future of science and engineering? You can do so through one of these charities:

Black and British Professionals in STEM

Skeptoid media

The Association for Science Education

The Smallpiece Trust

SATRO

Arkwright Engineering Scholarships

LabAid

The Space Foundation 

 Pick o' the podcasts

Time Eat The Dogs podcast: The argument against human colonies in space

From the video store

Vega rocket launches maiden flight of a small satellite tug-boat 

SpaceX launches latest batch of Starlink satellites...

...and its SN6 prototype takes flight (video courtesy of NASAspaceflight.com.

New solid fuel booster gets a ground test:

Ignition! SLS booster static fire test. Two minute test.

Earth's rotation about to get a boost. pic.twitter.com/dig2WbVHPu

— Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) September 2, 2020

SpaceLab's Electron rocket returns to flight

A non-toxic fuel that works in chemical engines and ion drives the start of all-in-one rockets?

Reading material:

China looking at advanced, long range ASAT weapons to dominate space...

...fuelling Pentagon interest in similar weapons

...and China also launches a secretive reusable space vehicle

A vehicle for moving other satellites into new orbits

Extraterrestrial amino acids found in meteorite

Upgraded telescope shows the Sun's magnetic field structure in incredible detail

Survey finds the wealthy (and not just the super-duper-wealthy) are interested in taking Virgin Galactic flights

LIGO and Virgo detectors pick up massive gravitational wave source

People getting away from pandemic worries with microgravity flights!

Hematite found on the Moon's polar regions

When a 300 meter tsunami hit Norway

This week in space: SpaceX test fires it's newest prototype, star-sails made of foamy carbon, and did a supernova cause an extinction level event?

Learn the ins and outs of pseudoscience, and debunking it: Read 'Escaping The Rabbit Hole' here.

Want to support the future of science and engineering? You can do so through one of these charities:

Black and British Professionals in STEM

Skeptoid media

The Association for Science Education

The Smallpiece Trust

SATRO

Arkwright Engineering Scholarships

LabAid

The Space Foundation 

Pick o' the podcasts:

Spacepod: Getting curious with Dr Fraeman

From the video store:

SpaceX prototype SN6 test fires

First launch to polar orbit from Florida since the 1960's:

....and from a different viewpoint:

Reading material:

White dwarf matter created in the lab

Could carbon foam let us build starships powered by sunlight?

Did a supernova cause a mass extinction?

China orbits new Earth monitoring satellite

Carrington event still stands as a warning of the Sun's power

Tropical storms tracked from space:

Terra Environment monitoring satellite sees california swathed in smoke

This week in space: U.S. military takes an interest in lunar resources race, some solar systems may have several habitable worlds, a second satellite servicing 'tow truck' launches to orbit, and loads more....

Learn the ins and outs of pseudoscience, and debunking it: Read 'Escaping The Rabbit Hole' here.

Want to support the future of science and engineering? You can do so through one of these charities:

Black and British Professionals in STEM

Skeptoid media

The Association for Science Education

The Smallpiece Trust

SATRO

Arkwright Engineering Scholarships

LabAid

The Space Foundation

 Pick o' the podcasts

Main Engine cutoff: Small commercial launcher updates

Off nominal:

Planetary Radio:

From the video store

Northrup-Grumman's second 'space tow truck', MEV-2, launches along side two communications satellites. 

SpaceX does another Starlink internet satellite launch...

...and it's drone-boat catches the rocket's nosecone covering ('fairing') for re-use: 

Scotland's highland spaceport gets approval:

Reading material

Blacksky satellites return images only 2 days after launch

Arecibo radio telescope damaged by snapping cable

A private mission to Venus

Rocket Labs to attempt recovery of one of its boosters, a big step towards re-use

Russia's new space station science lab is readied for its mission

Tropical storm Isaiha tracked in visible light and water vapour emission

Cape Cod bay from orbit

Aguas Zarcas meteor may contain building blocks of life

SNC grows tomatoes in test of space garden

Altius Space Machines to support Artemis

White house memo makes LEO research a priority

Scotland's spaceport plan gets approved

Satellite images capture struggle to move stricken ship

Skysat constellation complete

US military eyes role in international competition for lunar resources