Astronomy

Antibiotics can reduce diversity in the gut microbiome, raising the risk of infections that cause diarrhoea - and the effects may last years

Leading climate scientists ring alarm bell on key Atlantic Ocean current collapse in open letter.

Recent research shows that anti-inflammatory diets are not as faddish as they might sound, with the power to reduce the risk of heart attacks and some cancers

Recent research shows that anti-inflammatory diets are not as faddish as they might sound, with the power to reduce the risk of heart attacks and some cancers

An ancient temple made by Arabian immigrants from the Nabataean culture has finally been found off the Italian coast

The crew were revealed less than a day ahead of launch.

A specialised algorithm could help autonomous vehicles track hidden objects, such as a pedestrian, a bicycle or another vehicle concealed behind a parked car

A specialised algorithm could help autonomous vehicles track hidden objects, such as a pedestrian, a bicycle or another vehicle concealed behind a parked car

Scientific American columnist Martin Gardner started a long mathematical conversation that continues today

A new image from the Hubble Space Telescope captures the galaxy IC 3225 with a comet-like tail of gas streaming from its central disk as it moves through the Virgo Cluster.

A banker, an athlete and an astronaut walk onto a stage... No, that is not the setup for a joke, but rather the premise behind a new commercial starring a veteran NASA space traveler.

To heal political division, start with common moral ground, a study suggests

Peaks in appetite and metabolism driven by our body's inbuilt clocks mean that eating at the wrong time can have consequences for our health and waistline

Peaks in appetite and metabolism driven by our body's inbuilt clocks mean that eating at the wrong time can have consequences for our health and waistline

In time for Halloween, we present seven terrifying cosmic monsters — and to meet your thirst for scares, we've added must-watch horror movies to this witches brew.

A self-building sponge that efficiently collects gold could eliminate some harsh methods used to process e-waste

Anti-intellectualism is a prevalent and pernicious force in American public life. Stimulating interest in science may combat its influence

Harris recently proposed a Medicare plan that would cover at-home health aides and other long-term care services, which could provide much needed relief to older adults and caregivers

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has expressed concerns over reports that SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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The construction phase of ESA’s Ariel mission has started at Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse (France) with the assembly of the spacecraft’s structural model. This marks a significant step forward for this mission designed to meticulously inspect the atmospheres of a thousand exoplanets and uncover their nature.

In the image we see Ariel’s structural model coming together at the Airbus facilities. This model replicates the mechanical framework of the spacecraft and the mass of its various units for a first round of tough testing.

The Ariel’s structural model consists of two main components: a flight-like replica of the service module (bottom right) and a simplified mechanical mock-up of the payload module (top right). This assembly mimics the structure of the flight spacecraft, where the science instruments make up the payload while the service module houses the essential components for the functioning of the spacecraft, such as the propulsion, and the power and communication systems.

The goal for the end of the year is to complete the mechanical test campaign of the spacecraft’s structural model. This will ensure that Ariel’s design is up-to-spec and can withstand the mechanical strains expected during launch.

The testing phase will include vibration and acoustic test campaigns. During vibration tests the model will be progressively shaken at different strengths on a vibrating table, or 'the shaker'. During acoustic tests, it will be placed in a reverberating chamber and ‘bombarded’ with very intense noise, like it will encounter during launch.

This model will also be used to assess how the loads are distributed and to perform a first ‘separation and shock’ test using the same mounting system as will be used to mount the spacecraft on the Ariane 6.

When ready, Ariel will be launched by an Ariane 6.2 rocket and journey to the second Lagrangian Point from where it will carry out its uniquely detailed studies of remote worlds.

Image description: A collage of three photographs that show the assembly of the model of a spacecraft in a large white hall. The first image on the left shows the entire model, with a person next to it who is nearly equal in height. The second image on the upper right zooms in on the top part of the mock science instrument: a circular fan-like structure with a big rectangular silver box on top. The third image on the lower right focuses on the bottom of the model, which looks like a large round silver box.