There is a lot going on right now on the @Space_Station, but fortunately we are all safe and witnessed a spectacular southern aurora show yesterday thanks to a recent solar event.
Eta UMa is a hot, blue-white star approximately 104 light-years from Earth that shines brightly in ultraviolet light, making it an ideal calibration target for a UV observatory like Mauve.
Read the press release: https://t.co/HiITHY5hzw
We are thrilled to announce that Mauve has achieved ‘first light’, beginning a new era in astronomical data delivery from small, rapidly built space telescopes. 🛰️
Mauve was pointed at its first calibration target, eta UMa, a bright star in the constellation Ursa Major. 🌟
Any experiment in space quickly reminds you that gravity does a lot of unpaid work on Earth. Without it, even the simplest tasks turn into puzzles. Here, I was extracting samples from bags of microalgae I had been growing for the past two weeks.
The challenge: collecting samples without air bubbles. On Earth, you simply flip the syringe and let gravity usher the bubbles politely to the top. In microgravity, they refuse to cooperate—no rising, no settling, just floating wherever they please.
The solution: become the centrifuge. Lacking gravity, I provided my own by spinning, using motion to push the liquid toward the syringe tip and persuade the air to move elsewhere. It took a few tries (and a bit of trial-and-error choreography) before it worked.
Multiply that process by twelve bags, four samples each, and several spins per sample, and the math becomes clear. Let’s just say I logged an impressive number of rotations that day—proof that in space, science sometimes looks a lot like interpretive dance.
#shux #space #axiom4 #shubhanshushukla #india #iss
Our Chair and Co-founder, Prof. Jonathan Tennyson, talks to The Jodcast about the origins of Blue Skies Space, the ideas behind our model, and what Mauve is set to achieve. Thank you to the @officialjodcast team for having us!
🎧 Listen to the episode: https://t.co/Fgwrm7OJeC
Following its launch, Mauve is currently being commissioned by our suppliers to ensure it is ready to start science operations early next year.
In the meantime, the Mauve Science Team has identified the science themes for the first year of operations: https://t.co/JuA1c8FTeR
Falcon 9 is vertical at pad 4E in California ahead of today’s launch of the Transporter-15 rideshare mission. The 57-minute launch window opens at 10:19 a.m. PT → https://t.co/bvmAjXtV1E
Today's the day! 🚀
Our first satellite, Mauve, is set to launch aboard @SpaceX's Transporter-15 from California on 26 November. The 57-minute launch window opens at 18:18 GMT.
Watch the launch live here: https://t.co/vcJx4cR2Yq
HydroGNSS is one of SIX UK payloads launching on SpaceX's Transporter-15. 🛰️🇬🇧
Including:
@blueskiesspace Mauve satellite – will provide new insights into stellar activity and its impact on surrounding planetary systems. 🪐
Read more 👉 https://t.co/fw2ViFaZ2j
@SpaceX is targeting 20 November for the launch of Transporter-15, with a backup opportunity available the following day.
For more details, please check: https://t.co/3HULmzu098
SpaceX is targeting no earlier than Wednesday, November 19, for the launch of Transporter-15.
For launch updates, please check: https://t.co/vcJx4cQv8S
Countdown begins! ⏳
Mauve launches on Transporter-15 from California on 11 November. The 57-minute launch window opens at 18:18 GMT.
Let’s go to space! 🚀
UK company @blueskiesspace is set to launch its first science satellite, Mauve, soon. 🚀
Designed for a 3-year mission, Mauve aims to demonstrate that small satellites can deliver high-impact science at low cost. 🛰️🌌
Read more 👉 https://t.co/fw2ViFarcL