How NASA Nearly Lost the Voyager 2 Spacecraft Forever
The space agency lost touch with the beloved spacecraft following a faulty command signal. Here’s how it happened—and how engineers worked to bring it back......»»
NASA scrubs Thursday’s launch of Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter moon
An approaching hurricane has forced NASA and SpaceX to call off Thursday's planned launch of the highly anticipated Europa Clipper mission......»»
NASA"s Europa Clipper spacecraft will investigate whether an icy moon of Jupiter can support alien life
Discovering extraterrestrial life would be one of the most profound scientific and philosophical revelations that our species has ever made. But such a big discovery won't come easy. Our starting point is to first search other worlds for signs of hab.....»»
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time, but designing the reactors that would power them isn"t easy
NASA plans to send crewed missions to Mars over the next decade—but the 140 million-mile (225 million-kilometer) journey to the red planet could take several months to years round trip......»»
NASA can now talk to its spacecraft using lasers
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications test has completed its first phase, showing that laser communications in space are possible and faster than radio......»»
NASA can talk to its spacecraft using lasers now
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications test has completed its first phase, showing that laser communications in space are possible and faster than radio......»»
Apple couldn’t tell fake iPhones from real ones, lost $2.5M to scammers
Repair scheme got Apple to replace 6K fake iPhones with real ones. Two men involved in an elaborate scheme duping Apple into replacing about 6,000 counterfeit iPhones with genuine.....»»
ULA’s second Vulcan rocket lost part of its booster and kept going
The US Space Force says this test flight was critical for certifying Vulcan for military missions. United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, under contract for dozens of flights for.....»»
NASA turns off another of Voyager 2’s instruments to save power
The Voyager spacecraft, launched in the 1970s, has turned off its plasma science instrument to save power for exploring interstellar space......»»
A NASA Mars rover has a giant hole in one of its wheels
The wheels on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover are falling apart, but the plucky rover keeps on rolling......»»
NASA is working on a plan to replace its space station, but time is running out
"Initially, Congress almost treated the program as a joke." The next year is crucial for the future of NASA and its plans to extend human activity in low-Earth orbit. For the firs.....»»
NASA"s laser comms demo makes deep space record, completes first phase
The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars' farthest distance from Earth......»»
Lunar mission data analysis finds widespread evidence of ice deposits
Deposits of ice in lunar dust and rock (regolith) are more extensive than previously thought, according to a new analysis of data from NASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) mission. Ice would be a valuable resource for future lunar expeditions. W.....»»
NASA’s skywatching tips for October include a comet and Europa
NASA is back with its monthly update of what to look out for in the night sky over the coming weeks. And there's plenty to enjoy in October......»»
NASA powers down Voyager 2 plasma instrument to extend mission
To save power, NASA has switched off another scientific instrument on its long-running Voyager 2 spacecraft......»»
Solar Sails and Comet Tails: How Sunlight Pushes Stuff Around
It seems crazy, but light actually exerts a physical force on objects. It could power a new generation of spacecraft for deep-space missions......»»
An International Space Station Leak Is Getting Worse—and Keeping NASA Up at Night
A NASA inspector general report gives new details on a leak that has plagued the ISS for five years, and reveals that the agency considers it the highest-level risk......»»
Webb telescope detects unusual gas jets from Centaur 29P
Inspired by the half-human, half-horse creatures that are part of Ancient Greek mythology, the field of astronomy has its own kind of centaurs: distant objects orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has mapped.....»»
NASA prepares for Lunar Terrain Vehicle testing
When astronauts return to the moon as part of NASA's Artemis campaign, they will benefit from having a human-rated unpressurized LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) that will allow them to explore more of the lunar surface, enabling diverse scientific discov.....»»
Surprising amount and variety of gamma radiation is produced in large tropical thunderstorms, observations reveal
In the 1990s, NASA satellites built to spot high-energy particles coming from supernovas and other celestial-sized objects discovered a surprise—high energy gamma radiation bursts coming from right here on Earth......»»
The politically incorrect guide to saving NASA’s floundering Artemis Program
To get somewhere, Artemis must avoid going nowhere. Regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, the United States will have a new president in a few months. Although ther.....»»