Van Allen Probe A was formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probe A.

Van Allen Probe A was deactivated in October 2019 after exhausting its fuel.

Van Allen Probe A was initially projected to remain in orbit until at least 2034.

The descent of Van Allen Probe A was accelerated by nearly eight years due to intensified solar activity.

NASA and the U.S. Space Force estimate a 1 in 4,200 risk of debris from Van Allen Probe A hitting anyone on the ground.

OP 313 belongs to the class of blazars, galaxies that host a supermassive black hole and launch two particle jets at nearly the speed of light.

Elisabetta Bissaldi is a professor at the Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica of the Università and Politecnico di Bari and a researcher at INFN who contributed to the study.

Collisions between new portions of matter in OP 313’s jet accelerate particles and convert light into gamma rays.

Multiple-telescope observations enabled the first clear reconstruction of the jet-collision gamma-ray production process for OP 313.

The team reconstructed an exceptional activity phase of OP 313 observed between 2023 and 2024.

The team found that gamma-ray flares in OP 313 originate when newly ejected portions of matter from the region around the central black hole collide inside the collimated jet.

Chiara Bartolini is the first author of the study and is a PhD student in the National Doctorate in Space Sciences and Technologies, a student at the University of Trento, and affiliated with the INFN section of Bari.

An international team of astrophysicists with a central role played by the Dipartimento Interuniversitario di Fisica of the Università and Politecnico di Bari and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) di Bari identified the physical mechanism triggering violent gamma-ray explosions from the quasar OP 313.

OP 313 is a quasar located nearly 8 billion light-years from Earth.

The study was published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The researchers analyzed 15 years of data from ground-based radio telescopes and NASA’s Fermi and Swift space telescopes to study OP 313.

In one of the most intense events, the researchers observed a new structure appear in OP 313’s jet shortly before a gamma-ray explosion, providing direct evidence linking matter ejection to extreme energy production.

Elizabeth Sanchez Chang completed internships at Vast and Blue Origin.

The American Space Law Foundation aims to give students an easier on-ramp to a career in space law and to break down silos between law, engineering, and policy.

Three teams are participating in this year’s moot court case Interra LLC vs. FCC.

Michelle Hanlon is executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law.

The Manfred Lachs moot court typically addresses disputes between countries and the application of international space law.

Elizabeth Sanchez Chang established the American Space Law Foundation in August.

After launch, one of Interra’s Phase II satellites failed to make an autonomous maneuver and entered a collision course with an Italian spacecraft, creating 8,000 pieces of trackable debris.

Interra invested in AI software for its Phase II satellites that would enable the satellites to autonomously perform orbital evasive maneuvers.

Interra is a fictional satellite company that launched 5,000 satellites licensed by the FCC as Phase I of its megaconstellation.

The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition holds its finals at the International Astronautical Congress each year.

The FCC denied a license for Interra’s Phase II autonomous satellites, prohibited the launch of additional Phase II satellites, and required the Phase II satellites already in space to safely deorbit.

The American Space Law Foundation will hold its first moot court on March 20 to 21.

Elizabeth Sanchez Chang experienced difficulty finding law school resources focused on orbital legal priorities.

The American Space Law Foundation’s two-day moot court gives students an opportunity to argue a hypothetical commercial space law case in front of a panel of judges representing government and industry.

Elizabeth Sanchez Chang is in her last year at American University Washington College of Law.

Viasat and Space42 shared details that Equatys will be supported by up to 2,800 satellites.

Space42 has partnerships to explore Equatys-enabled direct-to-device connectivity with e& UAE.

Viasat and Space42 designed the Equatys system so satellites can be added as the business scales without redesigning the system.

Viasat and Space42 provided an update on Equatys at Mobile World Congress and released additional details on March 10.

Equatys is expected to operate initially in globally harmonized L- and S-band mobile satellite service (MSS) spectrum.

Viasat and Space42 have moved to form the Equatys joint venture and have made progress with engineering development and initial commercial engagement with mobile network operators.

Space42 has a partnership to explore Equatys-enabled direct-to-device connectivity with PT Telkom Satelit Indonesia (Telkomsat).

The Equatys joint venture has not yet been officially formed.

Viasat plans to build a platform to extend secure, affordable, 3GPP-aligned satellite connectivity to billions and to lower barriers to entry, expand supplier diversity, and create economies of scale across the value chain.

The Equatys satellite architecture calls for up to 2,800 satellites distributed across 60 orbital planes and three altitude layers.

Equatys is being pitched as applying a tower-company infrastructure model to satellite services where multiple tenants share the infrastructure of satellites in orbit.

Viasat and Space42 introduced Equatys in September last year with a goal of delivering services within three years.

Space42 positions Equatys as a way to modernize legacy mobile satellite services, augment terrestrial networks in lacking areas, and unlock new services across markets.

Selected technical presentations will be limited to 10 minutes in length.

Participants on the U.S. delegation will not receive compensation for their time or travel expenses, if applicable.

UNCOPUOS reviews international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space and studies legal issues arising from the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

The U.S. delegation is seeking a single individual to potentially deliver a technical presentation on space resource utilization or another relevant topic during the Legal Subcommittee.

Technical presentations should focus on the role of the private sector, discuss potential benefits of international cooperation, and may highlight relevant space law issues.