SPACE/COSMOS
'Ariane 6 is a launcher for European sovereignty'
Issued on: 13/08/2025 FRANCE24
The Ariane 6 rocket on Wednesday blasted off carrying Europe's next generation satellite for warning against extreme weather events. As many European countries simmer in a deadly heatwave, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) said its MetOp-SGA1 satellite will give "earlier warnings to help protect lives and property from extreme weather". Oliver Farry welcomes Olivier Sanguy, Editor-in-Chief of Space News, joins us from Cité de l’Espace in Toulouse, France.It's a new kind of satellite
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Oliver FARRY
Auction of world’s largest Mars meteorite sparks ownership debate
By AFP
August 12, 2025
The 54-pound Martian meteorite NWA 16788, the largest known piece of Mars ever discovered on Earth, was sold for a record $5.3 million at Sotheby's New York - Copyright AFP Frederic DIDES
Charlotte CAUSIT
The recent auction of a Martian meteorite — for a record-grabbing $5.3 million at Sotheby’s New York — has sparked questions over its provenance and renewed debate over who gets to claim rocks fallen from the heavens.
The hefty 54-pound (25-kilogram) stone is the largest Martian meteorite ever discovered on Earth, according to its Sotheby’s listing, and was found in November 2023 in the vast Saharan desert in Niger.
The government of Niger has announced that it will open an investigation following the auction, saying it appears to “have all the characteristics of illicit international trafficking.”
On Friday, the government suspended exports of precious stones and meteorites until further notice.
Sotheby’s has rejected the accusations, insisting that the meteorite was “was exported from Niger and transported in line with all relevant international procedure.”
In light of the controversy, however, a review of the case is underway, a Sotheby’s spokesperson told AFP.
“The stone journeyed 140 million miles through space, and hurtled through Earth’s atmosphere before crashing in the Sahara Desert,” the Sotheby’s listing said.
Following its discovery, the jagged, ochre-colored stone was then sold to an international dealer, briefly exhibited in Italy, and eventually ended up in the auction catalog in New York.
For American paleontologist Paul Sereno, who has worked closely with Niger’s authorities for years, all signs suggest that the stone left the country “illicitly.”
“Everybody’s anonymous — from the person who found it, the dealers, the guy who bought it, everybody’s anonymous,” he told AFP, making no secret of his frustration.
“If they had put on baseball gloves and caught the meteorite as was hurtling towards Earth before it landed in any country, they could claim it… but I’m sorry, it landed there. It belongs to Niger,” he said.
– ‘We should respect it’ –
Laws governing the ownership of meteorites vary based on their point of impact.
In the United States, for example, if a rock falls on private land, the property owners have ownership rights.
In Niger, however, a law governs “national cultural patrimony,” which includes rare mineralogical specimens, according to Matthieu Gounelle, a professor at France’s National History Museum, and his father Max Gounelle, a French university professor.
Both are specialists in regulations governing the collection and sale of meteorites.
“In our opinion, there is no doubt that meteorites should be included among the rare mineralogical specimens” protected by Nigerien law, they told AFP.
Beyond the legal battle and the possible involvement of a trafficking network, the sale of the meteorite also raises science ethics questions.
The rock, named NWA 16788, has unique scientific research value.
Much larger than other Martian meteorites that have been recorded to date, it offers a unique insight into the geological history of the Red Planet.
Like other Martian meteorites, it is believed to have been ejected into space when an asteroid slammed into Mars.
“This is nature’s heritage. In many ways, it’s world heritage, and it’s telling us things about the cosmos. We should respect it,” Sereno said.
“It’s not something to my mind that should be auctioned up to potentially disappear into someone’s mantle.”
burs-cha/des/jgc
Early galaxies — or something else? Mizzou scientists uncover mysterious objects in the universe
Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, University of Missouri researchers identified 300 unusual early galaxy candidates
University of Missouri-Columbia
image:
Graphic showing the mysterious objects in the universe that the University of Missouri researchers identified.in their study.
view moreCredit: Bangzheng “Tom” Sun/University of Missouri
In a new study, scientists at the University of Missouri looked deep into the universe and found something unexpected. Using infrared images taken from NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), they identified 300 objects that were brighter than they should be.
“These mysterious objects are candidate galaxies in the early universe, meaning they could be very early galaxies,” said Haojing Yan, an astronomy professor in Mizzou’s College of Arts and Science and co-author on the study. “If even a few of these objects turn out to be what we think they are, our discovery could challenge current ideas about how galaxies formed in the early universe — the period when the first stars and galaxies began to take shape.”
But identifying objects in space doesn’t happen in an instant. It takes a careful step-by-step process to confirm their nature, combining advanced technology, detailed analysis and a bit of cosmic detective work.
Step 1: Spotting the first clues
Mizzou’s researchers started by using two of JWST’s powerful infrared cameras: the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-Infrared Instrument. Both are specifically designed to detect light from the most distant places in space, which is key when studying the early universe.
Why infrared? Because the farther away an object is, the longer its light has been traveling to reach us.
“As the light from these early galaxies travels through space, it stretches into longer wavelengths — shifting from visible light into infrared,” Yan said. “This stretching is called redshift, and it helps us figure out how far away these galaxies are. The higher the redshift, the farther away the galaxy is from us on Earth, and the closer it is to the beginning of the universe.”
Step 2: The ‘dropout’
To identify each of the 300 early galaxy candidates, Mizzou’s researchers used an established method called the dropout technique.
“It detects high-redshift galaxies by looking for objects that appear in redder wavelengths but vanish in bluer ones — a sign that their light has traveled across vast distances and time,” said Bangzheng “Tom” Sun, a Ph.D. student working with Yan and the lead author of the study. “This phenomenon is indicative of the ‘Lyman Break,’ a spectral feature caused by the absorption of ultraviolet light by neutral hydrogen. As redshift increases, this signature shifts to redder wavelengths.”
Step 3: Estimating the details
While the dropout technique identifies each of the galaxy candidates, the next step is to check whether they could be at “very” high redshifts, Yan said.
“Ideally this would be done using spectroscopy, a technique that spreads light across different wavelengths to identify signatures that would allow an accurate redshift determination,” he said.
But when full spectroscopic data is unavailable, researchers can use a technique called spectral energy distribution fitting. This method gave Sun and Yan a baseline to estimate the redshifts of their galaxy candidates — along with other properties such as age and mass.
In the past, scientists often thought these extremely bright objects weren’t early galaxies, but something else that mimicked them. However, based on their findings, Sun and Yan believe these objects deserve a closer look — and shouldn’t be so quickly ruled out.
“Even if only a few of these objects are confirmed to be in the early universe, they will force us to modify the existing theories of galaxy formation,” Yan said.
Step 4: The final answer
The final test will use spectroscopy — the gold standard — to confirm the team’s findings.
Spectroscopy breaks light into different wavelengths, like how a prism splits light into a rainbow of colors. Scientists use this technique to reveal a galaxy’s unique fingerprint, which can tell them how old the galaxy is, how it formed and what it’s made of.
“One of our objects is already confirmed by spectroscopy to be an early galaxy,” Sun said. “But this object alone is not enough. We will need to make additional confirmations to say for certain whether current theories are being challenged.’’
The study, “On the very bright dropouts selected using the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam instrument,” was published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Article Title
On the very bright dropouts selected using the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam instrument
Gaia’s variable stars: a new map of the stellar life cycle
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
One of the best places to study stars is inside “open clusters”, which are groups of stars that formed together from the same material and are bound together through gravity.
Open clusters act as laboratories, showing how stars of different masses and ages behave. At the same time, some stars known as “variable stars”, regularly change in brightness, and their flickers and pulses help scientists learn about the physics inside stars and about the wider galaxy.
Until now, astronomers studied clusters and variable stars separately, and usually one cluster at a time. But that approach missed the bigger picture, leaving gaps in our understanding of how the lives of stars unfold across the galaxy.
Now, Richard I. Anderson, head of the Standard Candles and Distances Laboratory at EPFL and Emily Hunt at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, have combined these two approaches for the first time. Using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, they mapped nearly 35,000 variable stars inside 1,200 open clusters across the Milky Way. This “bird’s eye view” gives researchers an unprecedented map of how stars live, age, and die as part of their communities.
The findings are published as a Letter to the Editor in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
New patterns in the stellar life cycle
“It is a scientific first in the way that large samples of star clusters and variable stars are analyzed together,” says Anderson. “This creates synergies because the two approaches provide complementary insights.”
The team built their map using the third data release from Gaia, a satellite that precisely measures the positions, brightness, and colors of more than a billion stars. They focused on clusters within 6,500 light-years away to make sure their results were reliable.
The researchers matched Gaia’s catalog of variable stars to the stars in these clusters and checked the ages, distances, and brightness of each one. By tracking where each type of variable star appears in a cluster and how their numbers change with cluster age, the team pieced together new patterns in the stellar life cycle.
The results show that at least one in five stars in these clusters changes brightness over time. Young clusters host the greatest variety of variable stars, while older clusters show more stars with slow, Sun-like cycles. The study also shows that certain types of variable stars serve as markers for a cluster’s age, providing a new tool for measuring how old a group of stars is without having to build complicated models.
“We are made of stardust”
The team made their catalog public, sharing the positions, types, and properties of all 35,000 variable stars in these clusters. The study also offers the cleanest diagram yet showing how different types of variable stars are distributed across the key map astronomers use to track stellar evolution (the Hertzsprung Russell Diagram).
The Gaia mission is now entering its most exciting scientific phase even though the satellite was recently turned off. Over the coming years, Gaia’s vast archive of observations, which cover nearly 2 billion stars, will be processed and analyzed by scientists across Europe.
“Our work is a teaser for what is to come with Gaia [data releases 4 and 5], which will revolutionize the study of stellar populations by their light variations,” says Anderson.
By showing how variable stars can be used as “clocks” and “markers” in stellar evolution, the team has opened up new ways to explore the story of the universe. “We are made of stardust,” says Anderson. “Understanding the lives of stars and the physics that govern stars is crucial to understanding our origins and place in the cosmos.”
Other contributors
Heidelberg University
Reference
Richard I. Anderson, Emily L. Hunt. A birds-eye view of stellar evolution through populations of variable stars in Galactic open clusters. Astronomy & Astrophysics 13 August 2025. DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/20255511110.1051/0004-6361/202555111
Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Article Title
A bird's eye view of stellar evolution through populations of variable stars in Galactic open clusters
Article Publication Date
13-Aug-2025
August 1, 2025
The Gilmour-built rocket will one day symbolize success, securing Australia as a competitive space power.
The race for space is on (again). This time, there are far more players than in the previous space race—and the stakes are higher than they were during the Cold War. Multiple countries have all gotten involved in this new space race. One such country, Australia, is rapidly trying to catch up to the other competitors in this dynamic race.
Gilmour Space Technologies is a leader in Australia’s indigenous space industry. The world was transfixed on Gilmour’s Eris Rocket launch on July 30 of this year. Australia’s first homegrown rocket, the Eris, was set to take off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Queensland, marking a significant milestone. Sadly, the rocket crashed after just 14 seconds.
Gilmour Space Technologies’ Journey to Australia’s First Orbital Launch
Founded in 2013 by brothers Adam and James Gilmour on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Gilmour Space Technologies has become a pioneer in Australia’s space industry. With over 200 employees and investments from firms like Blackbird Ventures, the company specializes in hybrid-propellant rockets for small satellites. Their motto is “All Orbits. All Planets.”
The Eris Rocket, named after the Greek goddess of discord, is a three-stage small-lift vehicle designed to carry up to 672 pounds into low-Earth orbit (LEO). It uses four Sirius hybrid engines on the first stage, one on the second, and a Phoenix liquid engine on the third. Hybrid propulsion combines solid fuel with liquid oxidizer, providing cost-efficiency and safety.
Future versions include Eris Block Two (2,204 pounds set for launch by 2026), and Eris Heavy (8,818 pounds), potentially even enabling human-rated flights.
What Happened in the Eris Rocket Launch Failure?
The maiden Eris rocket launch, TestFlight 1, occurred in the morning hours from Bowen Orbital Spaceport, Australia’s first commercial orbital facility. Attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, it was celebrated as Australia’s first sovereign orbital attempt in more than 50 years. Engine failures caused insufficient thrust, leading to the crash just after 14 seconds of flight and 23 seconds of engine burn.
No injuries or environmental damage occurred, and the infrastructure remained intact. None of this, however, is bad news for Australia’s nascent space program (unless they give up trying to launch rockets in response to this temporary setback). That’s because rocketry is learned by doing, not just by computer modeling. This is something that the most successful private rocket company in the world, SpaceX, understands fully.
Previous attempts at launching the rocket had been aborted. In May, the launch was scrubbed due to fairing issues, and earlier this month, Australia postponed the launch due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. CEO Adam Gilmour called it a “strong result,” focusing on data for improvements, with TestFlight 2 planned in another six to eight months.
The Importance of the Eris Rocket Project
Revitalized by the 2018 Australian Space Agency, Australia’s space efforts have depended on foreign launches. The Eris rocket failure addresses sovereignty needs in a tense geopolitical climate, enabling independent access for defense, communications, and Earth observation satellites.
Economically, this project drives job creation and much-needed industry growth. For example, a $52 million federal grant in 2022 for the Australian Space Manufacturing Network enhanced local supply chains. As a result, Queensland emerges as a space hub, drawing investments. Commercially, Eris rocket offers ridesharing and the ElaraSat platform.
Technologically, the project advances hybrid propulsion, 3D printing, and overall high-tech innovation indigenously. Aligning with the Australian Space Agency’s $12 billion goal by 2030, Gilmour Space Eris positions Australia with leaders like China and the United States.
Further, the Australians, once they get the kinks worked out with their rocket, will be able to augment America’s overall national defense in the strategic domain of space by burden-sharing with Washington in key areas where Australian space interests overlap with America’s.
From Crash to Success in Australian Space Launches
The Eris rocket by Gilmour Space Technologies embodies Australia’s space renaissance. The July 30 crash is but a temporary complication. Necessary lessons will be learned from it, allowing Australia to continue its march toward becoming a major space power.
As the inevitable refinements proceed to the Eris program, the Gilmour-built rocket will symbolize success, securing Australia as a competitive space power.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: DVIDS.
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