NASA believes it understands why Ingenuity crashed on Mars
Engineers are already beginning to plan for possible follow-on missions. Eleven months after the Ingenuity helicopter made its final flight on Mars, engineers and scientists at NA.....»»
NASA learns how the Ingenuity helicopter ended up crashing on Mars
The Ingenuity helicopter flew on Mars for an incredible 72 flights. Now, NASA has shared findings of why the mission came to an end......»»
Warm Saturn-sized exoplanet discovered with TESS
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has detected a new exoplanet orbiting a distant star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-4994 b, is warm and slightly smaller than Saturn. The findi.....»»
NASA scientific balloon flights to lift off from Antarctica
NASA's Scientific Balloon Program has returned to Antarctica's icy expanse to kick off the annual Antarctic Long-Duration Balloon Campaign, where two balloon flights will carry a total of nine missions to near space. Launch operations will begin mid-.....»»
Religious people are not more generous than atheists—with one exception
Religious believers are no more generous than atheists—at least as long as they don't know what the recipient believes in. Finding this out increases generosity significantly, mainly because people give more to those who share their religion. This.....»»
Chandra sees black hole jet stumble into something in the dark
Even matter ejected by black holes can run into objects in the dark. Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found an unusual mark from a giant black hole's powerful jet striking an unidentified object in its path......»»
Pearl Young, the first woman to work in a technical role at NASA, overcame barriers and "raised hell"
Thirteen years before any other woman joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics—or the NACA, NASA's predecessor—in a technical role, a young lab assistant named Pearl Young was making waves in the agency. Her legacy as an outspoken a.....»»
NASA eyes launching SPHEREx sky-mapping mission in early 2025
NASA and SpaceX are targeting late February 2025 for the launch of the agency's next astrophysics observatory, SPHEREx. Short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, SPHEREx will launch aboard.....»»
NASA astronaut Don Pettit talks photography from the space station
NASA astronaut Don Pettit is an exceptional space photographer, and he's just been talking about his work......»»
Astronaut’s photos from ISS make clouds look otherworldly
NASA astronaut Don Pettit has posted another set of stunning shots, this time showing clouds as you’ve never seen them before......»»
Saturday citations: The "donut effect"; basically immortal batteries; Neanderthals and H. sapiens
This week, researchers studying data from NASA's Dawn mission reported the identification of 11 sites on Ceres that suggest an internal reservoir of organic materials. A multidisciplinary team published an analysis of the dazzle camouflage patterns d.....»»
After critics decry Orion heat shield decision, NASA reviewer says agency is correct
"If this isn’t raising red flags out there, I don’t know what will." Within hours of NASA announcing its decision to fly the Artemis II mission aboard an Orion spacecraft with.....»»
Former flight director who reviewed Orion heat shield data says there was no dissent
"If this isn’t raising red flags out there, I don’t know what will." Within hours of NASA announcing its decision to fly the Artemis II mission aboard an Orion spacecraft with.....»»
Bad weather led Dutch East India Company ship into Western Australian coast, archaeologists find
The Dutch East India Company ship, the Zuytdorp, likely crashed into the shore of Western Australia in 1712 due to a storm and not bad navigation, new research has found......»»
NASA flights map critical minerals from skies above western US
On a crystal-clear afternoon above a desert ghost town, a NASA aircraft scoured the ground for minerals. The plane, a high-altitude ER-2 research aircraft, had taken off early that morning from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Cali.....»»
MAUVE: An ultraviolet astrophysics probe mission concept
For the past 30 years, NASA's Great Observatories—the Hubble, Spitzer, Compton, and Chandra space telescopes—have revealed some amazing things about the universe. In addition to some of the deepest views of the universe provided by the Hubble Dee.....»»
Rocket Report: NASA delays Artemis again; SpinLaunch spins a little cash
A report in which we read some tea leaves. Welcome to Edition 7.22 of the Rocket Report! The big news is the Trump administration's announcement that commercial astronaut Jared Is.....»»
NASA says Orion’s heat shield is good to go for Artemis II—but does it matter?
The Artemis II mission, as NASA currently envisions it, won't launch until April 2026. Two years ago next week, NASA's Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean to wrap.....»»
NASA pushes back its Artemis moon missions due to heat shield issues
NASA is delaying its Artemis II and Artemis III missions to 2026 and 2027 respectively due to issues with the Orion capsule's heat shield......»»
How did the CEO of an online payments firm become the nominee to lead NASA?
Expect significant changes for America's space agency. President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday his intent to nominate entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman.....»»
Hubble takes closest-ever look at a quasar
Astronomers have used the unique capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to peer closer than ever into the throat of an energetic monster black hole powering a quasar. A quasar is a galactic center that glows brightly as the black hole consumes.....»»