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......»»
Curiosity rover provides new insights into how Mars became uninhabitable
NASA's Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, is providing new details about how the ancient Martian climate went from potentially suitable for life—with evidence for widespread liquid water on the surface—to a surface that is.....»»
SpaceX launches Europe’s Hera asteroid mission ahead of Hurricane Milton
The launch of another important mission, NASA's Europa Clipper, is on hold due to Hurricane Milton. Two years ago, a NASA spacecraft smashed into a small asteroid millions of mile.....»»
An ace photographer is about to leave the ISS. Here are his best shots
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick has been sharing some awesome photos and videos taken during his first visit to the International Space Station......»»
NASA scrubs Thursday’s launch of Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter moon
An approaching hurricane has forced NASA and SpaceX to call off Thursday's planned launch of the highly anticipated Europa Clipper mission......»»
NASA"s Europa Clipper spacecraft will investigate whether an icy moon of Jupiter can support alien life
Discovering extraterrestrial life would be one of the most profound scientific and philosophical revelations that our species has ever made. But such a big discovery won't come easy. Our starting point is to first search other worlds for signs of hab.....»»
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time, but designing the reactors that would power them isn"t easy
NASA plans to send crewed missions to Mars over the next decade—but the 140 million-mile (225 million-kilometer) journey to the red planet could take several months to years round trip......»»
NASA can now talk to its spacecraft using lasers
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications test has completed its first phase, showing that laser communications in space are possible and faster than radio......»»
NASA can talk to its spacecraft using lasers now
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications test has completed its first phase, showing that laser communications in space are possible and faster than radio......»»
What"s the best material for a lunar tower?
Physical infrastructure on the moon will be critical to any long-term human presence there as both America and China gear up for a sustained human lunar presence. Increasingly, a self-deploying tower is one of the most essential parts of that physica.....»»
NASA turns off another of Voyager 2’s instruments to save power
The Voyager spacecraft, launched in the 1970s, has turned off its plasma science instrument to save power for exploring interstellar space......»»
A NASA Mars rover has a giant hole in one of its wheels
The wheels on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover are falling apart, but the plucky rover keeps on rolling......»»
NASA is working on a plan to replace its space station, but time is running out
"Initially, Congress almost treated the program as a joke." The next year is crucial for the future of NASA and its plans to extend human activity in low-Earth orbit. For the firs.....»»
NASA"s laser comms demo makes deep space record, completes first phase
The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars' farthest distance from Earth......»»
2-billion-year-old rock could help understand very early life on Earth and the hunt for evidence of life on Mars
Pockets of microbes have been found living within a sealed fracture in a 2-billion-year-old rock. The rock was excavated from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa, an area known for its rich ore deposits. This is the oldest example of living.....»»
New lunar distress system could safeguard future astronauts
A team of international scientists has taken a significant step towards making lunar exploration safer, proposing a distress monitoring and rescue system designed for the moon's unique and challenging environment......»»
Lunar mission data analysis finds widespread evidence of ice deposits
Deposits of ice in lunar dust and rock (regolith) are more extensive than previously thought, according to a new analysis of data from NASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) mission. Ice would be a valuable resource for future lunar expeditions. W.....»»
NASA’s skywatching tips for October include a comet and Europa
NASA is back with its monthly update of what to look out for in the night sky over the coming weeks. And there's plenty to enjoy in October......»»
NASA powers down Voyager 2 plasma instrument to extend mission
To save power, NASA has switched off another scientific instrument on its long-running Voyager 2 spacecraft......»»
An International Space Station Leak Is Getting Worse—and Keeping NASA Up at Night
A NASA inspector general report gives new details on a leak that has plagued the ISS for five years, and reveals that the agency considers it the highest-level risk......»»
Webb telescope detects unusual gas jets from Centaur 29P
Inspired by the half-human, half-horse creatures that are part of Ancient Greek mythology, the field of astronomy has its own kind of centaurs: distant objects orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has mapped.....»»