New NASA astronauts graduate, eying moon—and Mars
After two years of rigorous training, ten Americans officially became astronauts on Tuesday, and are now eligible for planned NASA missions to the International Space Station, the moon, and—if all goes well—to Mars......»»
How to watch the Europa Clipper mission launch on Monday
The launch of NASA's Europa Clipper mission to the icy moon of Jupiter was delayed due to Hurricane Milton. Now, the launch could go ahead on Monday......»»
Europa Clipper mission to investigate potential habitability of Jupiter"s moon
A NASA spacecraft is ready to set sail for Jupiter and its moon Europa, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth......»»
Full moon hazard: 50% rise in wildlife vehicle collisions during moonlit nights
The moon's impact on our planet, culture, and society goes beyond just affecting tides. Recent research by Texas A&M University, published in the journal Transportation Research Part D, indicates a 45.8% increase in wildlife vehicle collisions during.....»»
Mars analog stations investigate lichen biodiversity during simulated missions
Once you know where to look for them, lichens are everywhere. These composite organisms—fungal and photosynthetic partners joined into a greater whole—can survive on a vast array of surfaces, from rocks and trees to bare ground and buildings. The.....»»
The Hunt for Life on Europa Is About to Kick Up a Gear
NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is set for launch, finally revealing if this icy moon of Jupiter is habitable or not......»»
"Inside-out" galaxy growth observed in the early universe
Astronomers have used the NASA/ESA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe the 'inside-out' growth of a galaxy in the early universe, only 700 million years after the Big Bang......»»
First greenhouse gas plumes detected with NASA-designed instrument
The imaging spectrometer aboard the Carbon Mapper Coalition's Tanager-1 satellite has identified methane and carbon dioxide plumes in the United States and internationally......»»
How did magma oceans evolve on early Earth and Mars? Iron chemistry and primordial atmospheres offer clues
Before Earth became the blue planet, it was engulfed by a very different kind of ocean: a vast, deep magma ocean reaching down hundreds or perhaps even thousands of kilometers......»»
How to watch Crew-8 depart the space station on Sunday
Three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut are preparing to depart the International Space Station about 250 miles above Earth......»»
Jupiter"s Great Red Spot shows unexpected size changes
Astronomers have observed Jupiter's legendary Great Red Spot (GRS), an anticyclone large enough to swallow Earth, for at least 150 years. But there are always new surprises—especially when NASA's Hubble Space Telescope takes a close-up look at it......»»
NASA terminal transmits first laser communications uplink to space
NASA's LCOT (Low-Cost Optical Terminal), a ground station made of modified commercial hardware, has transmitted its first laser communications uplink to the TBIRD (TeraByte Infrared Delivery), a tissue box-sized payload formerly in low Earth orbit......»»
Hubble and New Horizons offer dual perspectives on Uranus to inform exoplanet research
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and New Horizons spacecraft simultaneously set their sights on Uranus recently, allowing scientists to make a direct comparison of the planet from two very different viewpoints. The results inform future plans to study l.....»»
NASA announces a new class of space missions: Probe explorers
NASA has sent a whole host of spacecraft across the solar system and even beyond. They range from crewed ships to orbit and to the moon to robotic explorers. Among them are a range of mission classes from Flagships to Discovery Class programs. Now a.....»»
Scientists long urged NASA to search for signs of life near Jupiter; now it"s happening
In 2015, Bill Nye was on Marine One with President Obama......»»
Polar jet stream could reveal Saturn"s rotational period
A hexagon-shaped atmospheric phenomenon first spotted on Saturn by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 has intrigued scientists since the 1980s. More recently, NASA's Cassini mission has periodically observed the hexagon and its embedded strong eastward jet that.....»»
NASA"s Roman space telescope"s "exoskeleton" whirls through major test
A major component of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope just took a spin on the centrifuge at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Called the Outer Barrel Assembly, this piece of the observatory is designed to keep the tel.....»»
How accessible is titanium on the moon?
Mining the moon to extract its resources is a critical step on humanity's path into the solar system. One of the most common resources on the moon is considered relatively valuable here on Earth—titanium......»»
Anti-glitches detected in gamma-ray pulsar PSR J1522-5735
By analyzing the data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, Russian astronomers have detected anti-glitches in a gamma-ray pulsar designated PSR J1522-5735. The discovery, published September 28 on the pre-print server arXiv, makes PSR J1522-5.....»»
SpaceX launches Hera asteroid mission, but delays Europa Clipper because of Hurricane Milton
SpaceX returned to flight with its Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, sending up the Hera probe for the European Space Agency on its way to a pair of asteroids, but SpaceX and NASA have called off plans to launch the Falcon Heavy later this week on NASA's Eu.....»»
Perseverance team revives SHERLOC instrument to help with Jezero crater discovery
In January 2024, the SHERLOC instrument aboard NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover encountered a significant issue. A fault in the instrument's motor caused the dust cover and autofocus mechanism to become inoperative, putting the rover's SHERLOC Ram.....»»