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December 24, 2018

In Search Of Missing Worlds, Hubble Finds A Fast Evaporating Exoplanet

Rare Find Of A Neptune-Sized Planet Orbiting Near Its Star

Fishermen would be puzzled if they netted only big and little fish, but few medium-sized fish. Astronomers likewise have been perplexed in conducting a census of star-hugging extrasolar planets. They have found hot Jupiter-sized planets and hot super-Earths (planets no more than 1.5 times Earth's diameter). These planets are scorching hot because they orbit very close to their star. But so-called "hot Neptunes," whose atmospheres are heated to more than 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, have been much harder to find. In fact, only about a handful of hot Neptunes have been found so far.

Three Autonomous Vehicles Tested Over A Two-Week Period

Robots invaded the Sahara Desert for Europe’s largest rover field test, taking place in a Mars-like part of Morocco. For two weeks three rovers and more than 40 engineers tested automated navigation systems at up to five different sites.

New High-Power Thruster Increases Power, Flexibility, Performance For Commercial And Government Missions

SSL, a Maxar Technologies company recently demonstrated its next generation solar-electric propulsion system on two commercial missions to geostationary orbit (GEO). SSL continues to develop commercially sustained high power spacecraft propulsion systems that provide increased power, flexibility and performance for future missions, backed by a long heritage of electric propulsion success.