NASA"s Mars fleet will still conduct science while lying low
NASA will hold off sending commands to its Mars fleet for two weeks, from Nov. 11 to 25, while Earth and the Red Planet are on opposite sides of the sun. Called Mars solar conjunction, this phenomenon happens every two years. The missions pause becau.....»»
Boeing"s Starliner set for first crewed mission to ISS
After years of delays, Boeing's Starliner capsule is set to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) Monday, a milestone for the US aerospace giant and NASA......»»
First crewed Starliner test needs good weather for launch. Here’s the forecast
NASA and Boeing Space are a short time away from conducting the first crewed launch of the Starliner spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida......»»
Saturday Citations: Parrots on the internet; a map of human wakefulness; the most useless rare-earth element
We field a torrent of science news updates every week and on Saturday morning, we highlight three or four of them based on the observed preferences of a panel of dogs as shown by the Paired-Stimulus Preference Assessment, a standardized evaluation of.....»»
NASA hasn’t landed on the Moon in decades—China just sent its third in six years
China is going. NASA is talking about going. What gives? Enlarge / A Long March 5 rocket carrying the Chang'e-6 lunar probe blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on May 3, 2024 in Wenchang, China. (credit: Li Zhenzhou/.....»»
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.....»»
Stony coral tissue loss disease is shifting the ecological balance of Caribbean reefs
The outbreak of a deadly disease called stony coral tissue loss disease is destroying susceptible species of coral in the Caribbean while helping other, "weedier" organisms thrive—at least for now—according to a new study published in Science Adv.....»»
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......»»
Earth from space: Namibian landforms
This image may resemble the surface of Mars, but it was actually captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, revealing the stunning terrain of northwest Namibia......»»
Chemist explores the real-world science of Star Wars
A professor at the University of Warwick is exploring the chemistry of the galaxy far, far away this Star Wars Day, May the 4th......»»
When scientists and K-12 teachers team up, the results can be spectacular or lackluster
The results of an in-depth review of published research on scientists conducting K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach suggest that increased collaboration with K-12 educators could improve such projects......»»
Citizen science project finds that respectful boat users are rewarded with magical dolphin encounters
A citizen science project reveals that most boat users along the North-East coast in the U.K. do not disturb dolphins and are often rewarded with close-up encounters......»»
NASA selects 9 companies to work on low-cost Mars projects
NASA is expanding its plans for Mars, looking at not only a mission to bring back a sample but also smaller, lower-cost missions to enable exploration......»»
FedEx adds 150 Shyft Group Blue Arc electric vans to its fleet
FedEx is expanding its fleet of zero-emissions vehicles with the addition of 150 Blue Arc battery powered vans. Built by Michigan's Shyft Group, the vans can travel as much as 225 miles between charges......»»
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.....»»
Two small NASA satellites will measure soil moisture, volcanic gases
Two NASA pathfinding missions were recently deployed into low-Earth orbit, where they are demonstrating novel technologies for observing atmospheric gases, measuring freshwater, and even detecting signs of potential volcanic eruptions......»»
A look at the past suggests atmospheric rivers inundating California could get worse
A team of paleoclimatologists with the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA Ames Research Park, has found that atmospheric rivers in the past have dumped far more rain on California than those that have occurred over the past two years......»»
Significant new discovery in teleportation research: Noise can improve the quality of quantum teleportation
Researchers have succeeded in conducting an almost perfect quantum teleportation despite the presence of noise that usually disrupts the transfer of quantum state. The results have been published in the journal Science Advances......»»
Webb telescope probably didn"t find life on an exoplanet—yet
Recent reports of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope finding signs of life on a distant planet understandably sparked excitement. A new study challenges this finding, but also outlines how the telescope might verify the presence of the life-produced g.....»»
Intercropping viable for optimizing vegetable production on Mars
A group of crop systems analysts at Wageningen University and Research, in the Netherlands, has found evidence that intercropping on Mars could be a viable option for optimizing vegetable production......»»
NASA says Artemis II report by its inspector general is unhelpful and redundant
"The redundancy in the above recommendations does not help." Enlarge / Orion, the Moon, and Earth in one photo in December 2022. (credit: NASA) NASA's acting inspector general, George A. Scott, released a report Wednesd.....»»