TEHRAN (Iran News)The first group of Guowang internet satellites was launched on Monday aboard a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province, southern China.

The satellites are part of a larger plan to deploy 13,000 satellites over the next decade to deliver low-latency, high-speed internet worldwide, mirroring SpaceX’s Starlink network.

The Long March 5B rocket lifted off at 5 a.m. local time, successfully placing the satellites into orbit after separating from its boosters and main stage.

According to publicly released data, the satellites entered an orbit 1,100 kilometers above Earth, with an inclination of 86.5 degrees to the equator.

China has so far provided few details about the satellites’ design or capabilities.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and its subsidiary, the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), developed the Guowang satellites.

The project, named “Guowang” or “National Network,” is overseen by China SatNet, a state-run company established in 2021.

Analysts believe the initiative is aimed at competing with Starlink, which, in addition to providing internet services, has demonstrated military utility.

U.S. officials have expressed concerns over China’s growing space capabilities.

“This is part of China’s efforts to develop space-based capabilities and achieve military superiority,” said Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command.

“Such satellite constellations are hard to disable and can provide a significant strategic advantage,” he added.

The International Telecommunication Union has set a deadline for China to launch 6,496 satellites—half of the Guowang constellation—by 2032.

However, the rapid increase in satellites orbiting Earth raises concerns over space safety and the risk of collisions.

“We are closely monitoring China’s launches and working to ensure space safety standards are upheld,” Whiting said.

While China has yet to share detailed plans for Guowang, its development signals the country’s determination to establish a competitive presence in the space-based internet sector.

TEHRAN (Iran News) An international team of scientists has observed a dramatic collision between two galaxies 290 million light-years away, offering a glimpse into the dynamics of such cataclysmic events.

The collision involved galaxy NGC 7318b barreling toward another at a staggering 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h), driven by immense gravitational forces.

“This high-speed collision is causing havoc in NGC 7318b, particularly with respect to its reserves of hydrogen gas, which are being stripped off,” researchers noted.

Hydrogen, crucial for star formation, is being disrupted, likely slowing the galaxy’s ability to generate new stars.

The event was detected using cutting-edge equipment, including the £16.7 million William Herschel Telescope Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer (WEAVE) in Spain and the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope in the Netherlands.

The collision unfolded within Stephan’s Quintet, a group of five galaxies: NGC 7317, NGC 7318a, NGC 7318b, NGC 7319, and NGC 7320.

“NGC 7318b is coming into the galaxy group from behind and colliding with NGC 7318a,” explained Professor Gavin Dalton of the University of Oxford, who leads the WEAVE project.

The light from this cosmic crash has traveled 285 million years to reach Earth, meaning astronomers are observing events from that period.

The violent encounter, which likely lasted about 10,000 years, released immense energy, creating a powerful shockwave similar to a sonic boom.

“The shock is powerful enough to rip electrons from atoms, leaving a glowing trail of charged gas,” said lead researcher Dr. Marina Arnaudova of the University of Hertfordshire.

However, when the shockwave moves through surrounding hot gas, it weakens, compressing the gas and emitting radio waves detectable by telescopes like LOFAR.

The findings, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, provide a preview of what might happen if the Milky Way collides with the Andromeda galaxy in about 10 billion years.

While astronomers estimate a 50% chance of such a collision, the event would likely reshape both galaxies into a new superstructure dubbed “Milkdromeda.”

Planets and stars could be flung into new orbits, with a small possibility of Earth facing catastrophic changes.

“Even a close pass with another star could alter Earth’s orbit, which might lead to freezing or intense heating,” said Eric Bell, professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan.

Despite these theoretical risks, astronomers emphasize that Earth’s greater threats lie in the sun’s evolution, which will destabilize long before any galactic collision.

The WEAVE project, funded by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council and contributions from other European nations, has opened new frontiers in mapping the universe.

“The details of this collision and the insights from Stephan’s Quintet are just a taste of what’s to come,” said Professor Dalton.

TEHRAN (Iran News) Iranian satellites Kowsar and Hodhod were sent into space as part of a payload carried by the Russian Soyuz launcher, which delivered 53 satellites to orbit.

This launch represents a significant advancement for Iran, highlighting the first satellite manufacturing and launching attempt from its private space sector.

The Kowsar satellite, weighing 30 kilograms, is a high-resolution sensing satellite designed for applications in agriculture, natural resource management, environmental monitoring, and disaster response.

With a resolution capability of 3.45 meters, Kowsar surpasses Iran’s goal of producing satellites with 10-meter ground sample distance (GSD) cameras by 2025.

Kowsar has a lifespan of 3.5 years in orbit, positioned at an altitude of 500 kilometers, and is capable of capturing six frames per second over a 15-kilometer range.

Its imaging is achieved using an RGB camera with 3.45-meter resolution and an NIR camera with 5.5-meter resolution, supported by a maximum platform weight of 35 kilograms.

The satellite’s orbital period is 5,677 seconds, with pointing and stability accuracies of 1 degree and 0.05 degrees per second, respectively.

Power is sustained by its 44 watt-hour production capacity, and it consumes 29 watt-hours to operate its payloads.

Meanwhile, Hodhod serves as a small communications satellite intended to create satellite-based communication networks and enhance Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.

Targeted at regions with limited terrestrial communication access, Hodhod offers communication solutions in remote and inaccessible areas.

Built to the CubeSat standard, the satellite operates in a 500-kilometer orbit and supports precision agriculture, transportation, logistics, and environmental monitoring. Its primary mission focuses on expanding IoT capabilities.

TEHRAN (Iran News) The drug’s development process, which took around five years and included over 400 formulation trials, was showcased at the 15th International Nano and Micro Exhibition.

Unlike traditional addiction medications injected directly into the bloodstream, this microdrug utilizes polymer-based microspheres to encapsulate the drug, allowing it to be slowly released over 30 days.

In an interview with national television, a representative explained that “a month after injection, the addiction-related brain receptors are blocked, so even if a patient uses drugs or alcohol, they don’t experience euphoria,” which reduces their desire to use substances.

This innovative microdrug is not only aimed at treating addiction but has also been adapted for other treatments, such as extended pain relief for cancer patients.

While similar American drugs cost over $2,000, the Iranian version is priced under 3 million tomans, making it more accessible to local patients.

According to the Secretary of the Nanotechnology and Microtechnology Headquarters, sales of health-related nanoproducts have doubled compared to the previous year, with an economic impact exceeding direct sales due to reduced foreign currency outflow.

This year’s Nano Exhibition features over 230 organizations, including around 60 companies focused especially on micro-technology products.

TEHRAN (Iran News)  Researchers found that during sleep, the brain consolidates memories by repeating patterns of neuronal activity in the hippocampus, which are stored in the cortex.

The study, titled “A Hippocampal Circuit Mechanism to Balance Memory Reactivation During Sleep,” demonstrates that certain parts of the hippocampus go silent at specific times during deep sleep, allowing neurons to reset.

“This mechanism could allow the brain to reuse the same resources, the same neurons, for new learning the next day,” explained Azahara Oliva, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior and the study’s corresponding author.

The hippocampus, divided into three regions—CA1, CA2, and CA3—has been well studied in areas CA1 and CA3, which are involved in encoding memories related to time and space. However, the study highlights the less understood CA2 region, which appears to generate the silencing and resetting of the hippocampus during sleep.

Using implanted electrodes in the hippocampi of mice, researchers observed neuronal activity during learning and sleep. They found that during sleep, neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions reproduced the same patterns developed during learning. However, the researchers also noted periods when these regions became silent, allowing for memory reset.

“We realized there are other hippocampal states that happen during sleep where everything is silenced,” said Oliva. “The CA1 and CA3 regions that had been very active were suddenly quiet. It’s a reset of memory, and this state is generated by the middle region, CA2.”

The study also uncovered that the brain has parallel circuits regulated by two types of interneurons—one responsible for memory regulation and the other for memory resetting.

Researchers believe this understanding could lead to ways to enhance memory or even erase traumatic memories, which could benefit conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The findings provide insight into why sleep is essential for maintaining cognitive function and memory, with Oliva noting, “We show that memory is a dynamic process.”

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, a Sloan Fellowship, a Whitehall Research Grant, a Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship, and a New Frontiers Grant.

TEHRAN (Iran News)The image showcases the intricate structure of NGC 3430, with several nearby galaxies just beyond the frame.

One galaxy is close enough that gravitational interaction is triggering star formation in NGC 3430, visible as bright blue patches near but outside the galaxy’s main spiral structure, Phys.org reported.

This spiral galaxy features a bright core from which a pinwheel array of arms radiates outward.

Dark dust lanes and bright star-forming regions accentuate these spiral arms.

Astronomer Edwin Hubble used NGC 3430 to help define his classification of galaxies, which he outlined in a 1926 paper categorizing 400 galaxies by their appearance as either spiral, barred spiral, lenticular, elliptical, or irregular.

This classification system has had a lasting impact, with modern detailed schemes still based on Hubble’s work.

NGC 3430 is classified as an SAc galaxy, a spiral without a central bar, featuring open, clearly defined arms.

TEHRAN (Iran News) –Salariyeh announced on Saturday that the launches are scheduled to occur before July 21, as reported by the official IRNA news agency.

Salariyeh noted that the ISA is currently performing compatibility tests between the satellites and the launch rockets.

“The compatibility and joint tests between launches and carrying rockets are among important and sensitive issues which sometimes can face delays because of certain technical problems,” he stated.

He assured, however, that the satellite launches will proceed only after ensuring a 100% success rate in the compatibility tests.

On Tuesday, Iran’s Minister of Communications Issa Zarepour highlighted the significant advancements in the nation’s space and communication sectors in recent years.

“In less than two and a half years, 12 satellites have been successfully launched into space, and two more launches are planned by the end of the current administration to set a new record in Iran’s space history,” Zarepour noted.

He also mentioned efforts to stabilize the technology for injecting satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

“After a decade-long hiatus, the space life program has been revived, and two new biological capsules are under construction to take an important step towards sending humans into space,” Zarepour added.

Despite Western pressure and sanctions on its space sector, Iran has successfully conducted satellite launches in recent years.

Iran maintains that peaceful technological advancement in the aerospace field is the country’s legitimate right with authorities stating that the satellites are used for various scientific and development purposes in the country.

In January, Iran launched three satellites simultaneously for the first time using a modern satellite carrier developed by the Iranian Defense Ministry.

The ISA-built Mahda satellite was unveiled during these launches.

This event followed the launch of the Sorayya satellite into orbit with a rocket designed by Iran’s elite military force, the IRGC.

Additionally, in late February, an Iranian satellite was placed into a 500-kilometer orbit for the first time.

The Pars 1 research-sensing satellite was launched from Russia’s Vostochny spaceport using the Soyuz rocket.