Mapping the best route for a spacecraft traveling beyond the sun"s sphere of influence
The heliosphere—made of solar wind, solar transients, and the interplanetary magnetic field—acts as our solar system's personal shield, protecting the planets from galactic cosmic rays. These extremely energetic particles accelerated outwards fro.....»»
An Old Abstract Field of Math Is Unlocking the Deep Complexity of Spacecraft Orbits
Mathematicians think abstract tools from a field called symplectic geometry might help with planning missions to far-off moons and planets......»»
Boeing"s Starliner joins select club of crewed US spaceships
Throughout the annals of American space exploration, a select few spacecraft have had the distinction of carrying human beings beyond Earth......»»
NASA is helping protect tigers, jaguars, and elephants—here"s how
As human populations grow, habitat loss threatens many creatures. Mapping wildlife habitat using satellites is a rapidly expanding area of ecology, and NASA satellites play a crucial role in these efforts. Tigers, jaguars, and elephants are a few of.....»»
NASA’s Orion spacecraft has ‘critical issues’ with its heat shield, report finds
NASA intends to use its Orion capsule to send astronauts to the moon, but a report has found that issues with the capsule's heat shield could be a safety risk......»»
Tweaking isotopes sheds light on promising approach to engineer semiconductors
Research led by scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has demonstrated that small changes in the isotopic content of thin semiconductor materials can influence their optical and electronic properties, possibly opening.....»»
How mantle movements shape Earth"s surface
The movement of tectonic plates shapes the rocky features of Earth's surface. Plates' convergence can form mountain ranges or ocean trenches, and their divergence can form oceanic ridges. But it's not just the plates themselves that influence Earth's.....»»
Pulsed plasma rocket (PPR): Shielded, fast transits for humans to Mars
The future of a space-faring civilization will depend on the ability to move both cargo and humans efficiently and rapidly. Due to the extremely large distances that are involved in space travel, the spacecraft must reach high velocities for reasonab.....»»
Japanese aerospace company captures an actual picture of space debris
Space debris is a growing problem, so companies are working on ways to mitigate it. A new satellite called ADRAS-J was built and launched to demonstrate how a spacecraft could rendezvous with a piece of space junk, paving the path for future removal......»»
Aggressive? Homophobic? Stoic? Here"s what thousands of Australian men told us about modern masculinity
Most young adult men in Australia reject traditional ideas of masculinity that endorse aggression, stoicism and homophobia. Nonetheless, the ongoing influence of those ideas continues to harm men and the people around them. These are some of the find.....»»
NASA does Dragon shuffle prepping for Starliner launch
Parking is at a premium at the International Space Station, but NASA and SpaceX cleared out one spot as a cargo Dragon spacecraft completed its trip home with a splashdown off the Florida coast......»»
Watch SpaceX’s Crew Dragon take one of its shortest journeys on Thursday
SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft is about to take a very short journey at the International Space Station and you can watch a live stream of the maneuver......»»
New space company seeks to solve orbital mobility with high delta-v spacecraft
"If we’re going to have a true space economy, that means logistics and supply services." Enlarge / What a Supernova spacecraft might look like in orbit. (credit: Portal Space Systems) Over the course of the last seven.....»»
New research reveals terahertz waves" impact on dynamics of nanoconfined water molecules
In a new discovery, researchers have revealed novel insights into the behavior of water molecules confined within nanostructures. Their study, published in Science Advances on April 24, delves into how terahertz (THz) waves influence the dynamics of.....»»
Adaptation of photosynthetic mechanism in air plants occurs through gene duplication, study finds
Researchers at the University of Vienna, along with collaborators from France, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S., have achieved a breakthrough in understanding how genetic drivers influence the evolution of a specific photosynthesis mechanism in Till.....»»
How to watch the first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft
NASA has just released the targeted flight schedule for the first crewed test mission involving Boeing's Starliner spacecraft......»»
Climate change reveals intricate dynamics of reproductive barriers in marine species
Monash University scientists have uncovered insights into how rising temperatures influence the reproductive interactions and species boundaries of marine organisms......»»
NASA scientists gear up for solar storms at Mars
In the months ahead, two of NASA's Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares—giant explosions on the sun's surface—could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet......»»
Tesla clears key self-driving hurdles after Musk"s trip to China, report says
Tesla will partner with Baidu for mapping and navigation functions to deploy what it calls Full-Self Driving, according to people familiar with the matter......»»
Probing the effects of interplanetary space on asteroid Ryugu
Analyzing samples retrieved from the asteroid Ryugu by the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has revealed new insights into the magnetic and physical bombardment environment of interplanetary space. The results of the study, carried out by.....»»
Mapping the Milky Way"s magnetic field in 3D
We are all very familiar with the concept of the Earth's magnetic field. It turns out that most objects in space have magnetic fields but it's quite tricky to measure them. Astronomers have developed an ingenious way to measure the magnetic field of.....»»