NASA lays out how SpaceX will refuel Starships in low-Earth orbit
"The fundamental flow mechanism is the pressure delta across the umbilical." Enlarge / Artist's illustration of two Starships docked belly-to-belly in orbit. (credit: SpaceX) Some time next year, NASA believes SpaceX wi.....»»
Plans to stabilize Earth"s climate rely on emerging carbon removal technology—we need to get moving, say researchers
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels continue to rise and 2024 is likely to be the world's hottest year on record......»»
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.....»»
Jupiter will be at its biggest and brightest this weekend. Here’s how to see it
There's a special chance to see Jupiter in the sky this weekend as it comes closest to Earth......»»
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.....»»
Scientists urged to pull the plug on "bathtub modeling" of flood risk
Recent decades have seen a rapid surge in damages and disruptions caused by flooding. In a commentary article published in the journal Earth's Future, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Bristol in the United Kin.....»»
Record-low Antarctic sea ice can be explained and forecast months out by patterns in winds
Amid all the changes in Earth's climate, sea ice in the stormy Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica was, for a long time, an odd exception. The maximum winter sea ice cover remained steady or even increased slightly from the late 1970s through 2015,.....»»
Unlike other insects, desert ants may use polarity of geomagnetic field for navigation
Desert ants of the Cataglyphis nodus species use the Earth's magnetic field for spatial orientation, but these tiny insects rely on a different component of the field than other insects, a research team led by Dr. Pauline Fleischmann from the Univers.....»»
SpaceX satellite launch from Kennedy Space Center tops off three launches in 30 hours
SpaceX sent up a commercial satellite late Thursday morning from Kennedy Space Center, completing three launches in just under 30 hours among its three active pads in Florida and California......»»
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.....»»
3 sci-fi movies on Peacock you need to watch in December 2024
Extraterrestrial life, a comet plummeting toward Earth, and memory erasure are in three sci-fi movies on Peacock you need to watch in December 2024......»»
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.....»»
Iran launches heaviest space payload into orbit: media
Iran successfully launched on Friday its heaviest space payload, which includes a satellite and a space tug, using a domestically developed satellite carrier, official media reported......»»
Biodegradable polymers show promise for nutrient encapsulation and replacing microbeads in beauty products
Microplastics are an environmental hazard found nearly everywhere on Earth, released by the breakdown of tires, clothing, and plastic packaging. Another significant source of microplastics is tiny beads that are added to some cleansers, cosmetics, an.....»»
Europe"s Vega-C rocket launches satellite into orbit after delays
Europe's new Vega-C rocket launched Thursday from French Guiana and put a satellite into orbit in its first takeoff since a failed flight two years ago......»»
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.....»»
Two European satellites launch on mission to blot out the Sun—for science
This will all happen nearly 40,000 miles above the Earth, so you won't need your eclipse glasses. Two spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency launched on top of an India.....»»
3D scans of giant hailstones reveal surprising discoveries that could help predict future storms
Hailstones are formed during thunderstorms, when raindrops are propelled into very cold parts of a cloud, where they freeze. Once the particles are heavy enough, gravity pulls them back towards Earth. As they plummet, they grow into hailstones, which.....»»
A SpaceX droneship just hit a milestone for rocket landings
SpaceX couldn't function without its trusty droneships stationed in the Atlantic and Pacific, and on Thursday one of them reached a milestone......»»