Moon missions, meteors, a solar eclipse and more: Reasons to keep your eyes on the skies in 2024 

This year, outer space is going to be a busy place. We’ve got the launch of the Europa Clipper, which will orbit one of Jupiter’s enigmatic moons and investigate whether it could harbour conditions suitable for life; we could cheer on the first Canadian to orbit the moon; and we’re getting a total solar eclipse that … Read more

ISRO to usher in 2024 with launch of dedicated scientific satellite to study black holes

SRIHARIKOTA: ISRO is set to welcome the new year with the launch of its first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite that would offer insights into celestial objects like black holes, onboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket on Monday.The launch comes after the success of its Gaganyaan Test Vehicle D1 mission in October.The PSLV-C58 rocket, in its … Read more

This UBC grad has discovered thousands of likely planets across our cosmos

At 30 years old, Michelle Kunimoto already has more than 3,000 planet candidates under her belt. Inspired by science fiction and curiosity, the University of British Columbia astronomy graduate is passionate about searching for exoplanets — bodies orbiting stars outside our own solar system. She’s currently leading a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hunting for them. … Read more

US Military’s Secretive Spaceplane Launched on Possible Higher-Orbit Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida —  The U.S. military’s secretive X-37B robot spaceplane blasted off from Florida on Thursday night on its seventh mission, the first launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket capable of delivering it to a higher orbit than previous missions. The Falcon Heavy, composed of three rocket cores strapped together, roared off its … Read more

How the music business is putting a green spin on vinyl records

Vinyl records were once written off as relics. First, they were replaced by shiny compact discs that (supposedly) offered superior sound. Then streaming took over, allowing fans to carry vast music collections with them wherever they go. In recent years, vinyl sales have turned around. In 2022, vinyl outsold CDs in the U.S. for the first … Read more

After years of turbulence, small clothing designers struggle for a sustainable model

Amid high inflation, rising operating costs and shrinking Canadian demand, clothing designers in Nova Scotia say they’re struggling to find a sustainable business model. Designers say they’ve had to adjust to significant changes in consumer behaviour, supply chain disruptions and inflation as they’ve navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. “We’ve made a lot of hard decisions. … Read more

Bob picks 10 significant science stories for 2023

2023 was a busy year in science. Here are 10 stories worth revisiting as we wind up the year. 1. Canadian Jeremy Hansen chosen to fly to the moon A Canadian astronaut was selected as part of the crew for NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon. Jeremy Hansen and three crew mates will fly … Read more

NASA streamed its 1st video from deep space via laser. More important, it’s of a cat

It’s not every day that a video of a cat goes viral. OK, it’s not every day that a video of a cat goes viral and marks a historical milestone for space exploration. But that’s what happened when NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications experiment beamed an ultra-high definition streaming video back to Earth on Dec. 11 from 31 million kilometers … Read more

Tensions emerge in the Liberal caucus over Canada’s UN vote for a Gaza ceasefire

The federal government’s decision to back a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict without certain conditions has prompted a mix of reactions from Liberal MPs. Some say they hope it will bring about peace. Others say it amounts to Canada abandoning Israel while it’s at war with extremists. Some Liberal MPs take issue … Read more

30 years ago, astronauts completed the Hubble telescope’s first repair. Here’s how

Thirty years ago, an 11-day space shuttle mission involving seven veteran astronauts performed the first servicing mission to correct the Hubble Space Telescope’s blurred vision. The unprecedented flight involved five spacewalks and would not have been possible without the assistance of the shuttle’s robotic Canadarm. The multi-billion dollar Hubble Space Telescope was a crown jewel … Read more