Mars: How Ingenuity helicopter made the first flight on another planet
Imagine that you are flying a model helicopter or a drone. You are there with the auto controls. You switch them on. The rotors start to turn, gradually increasing their spin. You watch, then push the control for lift. Your helicopter rises, hovers,.....»»
Life might be difficult to find on a single planet but may be obvious across many worlds
If we could detect a clear, unambiguous biosignature on just one of the thousands of exoplanets we know of, it would be a huge, game-changing moment for humanity. But it's extremely difficult. We simply aren't in a place where we can be certain that.....»»
The company building a rotating detonation engine is pushing the tech forward
"I'm convinced that this is going to be the engine that unlocks the hypersonic economy." Enlarge / A Venus Aerospace drone makes a powered flight. (credit: Venus Aerospace) Venus Aerospace conducted its first powered fli.....»»
Starliner’s first commander: Don’t expect perfection on crew test flight
Dave Calhoun, who has led Boeing since 2020, will step down as CEO at the end of the year. Enlarge / Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepare Boeing's Starliner spacecraft for fueling. (credit: Boeing).....»»
Watch SpaceX fire Starship’s Raptor engines ahead of 4th test flight
SpaceX performed a full-duration static fire of the Starship spacecraft's Raptor engines on Monday, and shared a video of the dramatic test on social media......»»
Watch SpaceX fire Starship’s Raptor engines ahead of fourth test flight
SpaceX performed a full-duration static fire of the Starship spacecraft's Raptor engines on Monday, and shared a video of the dramatic test on social media......»»
Flying coach? At least you’ll be able to watch movies on an in-seat OLED TV soon
Who needs legroom when you have 8.3 million individually emissive pixels? This is one of the Panasonic Avionics Astrova in-flight entertainment systems, set to debut in Iceland.....»»
Antarctic sea ice near historic lows: Arctic ice continues decline
Sea ice at both the top and bottom of the planet continued its decline in 2024. In the waters around Antarctica, ice coverage shrank to near-historic lows for the third year in a row. The recurring loss hints at a long-term shift in conditions in the.....»»
Planet cannibalism is common, says cosmic "twin study"
How stable are planetary systems? Will Earth and its seven siblings always continue in their steady celestial paths, or might we one day be randomly ejected from our cosmic home?.....»»
Water persisted in Mars" Gale crater for longer than previously thought, study finds
Billions of years ago, Mars was home to abundant water, and its Gale crater contained a lake. Gradually, the climate changed, drying the red planet and creating the dusty desert world we know today......»»
It’s a few years late, but a prototype supersonic airplane has taken flight
"This milestone will be invaluable to Boom’s revival of supersonic travel." Enlarge / XB-1 takes off on its inaugural flight. (credit: Boom Supersonic) A prototype jet independently developed by Boom Supersonic made it.....»»
Astronomers confirm a new "Trojan" asteroid that shares an orbit with Mars
Using observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) a study led from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) has confirmed that the asteroid 2023 FW14, discovered last year, is accom.....»»
Japan"s space agency says it hopes to forge a profitable launch business with its new H3 rocket
Japan's space agency and its prime contractor said Thursday they hope to be able to forge a profitable launch business with their new H3 rocket after its first successful flight last month in an increasingly competitive market dominated by Space X......»»
The Mars science helicopter could be an airborne geologist on Mars
After more than 70 successful flights, a broken rotor ended the remarkable and groundbreaking Ingenuity helicopter mission on Mars. Now, NASA is considering how a larger, more capable helicopter could be an airborne geologist on the Red Planet. For t.....»»
Key test drive of Orion on NASA"s Artemis II to aid future missions
Astronauts will test drive NASA's Orion spacecraft for the first time during the agency's Artemis II test flight next year. While many of the spacecraft's maneuvers like big propulsive burns are automated, a key test called the proximity operations d.....»»
One impact on Mars produced more than 2 billion secondary craters, finds study
There are plenty of craters on Mars, especially when compared to Earth. That is primarily thanks to the lack of weathering forces and strong plate tectonics that disrupt the formations of such impacts on our home planet. However, not all impact crate.....»»
Rising scourge of e-waste a "catastrophe" for environment: UN
The world threw away a record amount of smartphones, televisions and other electrical devices in 2022, the UN said Wednesday, warning this avalanche of dumped gadgets was polluting the planet......»»
How to Stay Cool Without Warming the Planet
The race is on to create climate-friendly air-con technology......»»
Life"s building blocks are surprisingly stable in Venus-like conditions: Study
If there is life in the solar system beyond Earth, it might be found in the clouds of Venus. In contrast to the planet's blisteringly inhospitable surface, Venus' cloud layer, which extends from 30 to 40 miles above the surface, hosts milder temperat.....»»
Webb finds hints of a third planet at PDS 70
The exoplanet census now stands at 5,599 confirmed discoveries in 4,163 star systems, with another 10,157 candidates awaiting confirmation. So far, the vast majority of these have been detected using indirect methods, including transit photometry (74.....»»
Planet "on the brink", with new heat records likely in 2024: UN
Global temperatures "smashed" heat records last year, as heat waves stalked oceans and glaciers suffered record ice loss, the United Nations said Tuesday—warning 2024 was likely to be even hotter......»»