One last orbit: how and why NASA kills its own spacecraft
Every mission has an ending, and when NASA spacecraft meet theirs, many will go out in a carefully choreographed blaze of glory......»»
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......»»
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......»»
Solar Sails and Comet Tails: How Sunlight Pushes Stuff Around
It seems crazy, but light actually exerts a physical force on objects. It could power a new generation of spacecraft for deep-space missions......»»
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.....»»
NASA prepares for Lunar Terrain Vehicle testing
When astronauts return to the moon as part of NASA's Artemis campaign, they will benefit from having a human-rated unpressurized LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) that will allow them to explore more of the lunar surface, enabling diverse scientific discov.....»»
Surprising amount and variety of gamma radiation is produced in large tropical thunderstorms, observations reveal
In the 1990s, NASA satellites built to spot high-energy particles coming from supernovas and other celestial-sized objects discovered a surprise—high energy gamma radiation bursts coming from right here on Earth......»»
The politically incorrect guide to saving NASA’s floundering Artemis Program
To get somewhere, Artemis must avoid going nowhere. Regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, the United States will have a new president in a few months. Although ther.....»»
Watch how astronauts drink coffee in space
NASA has shared a short video showing how astronauts aboard the International Space Station get their daily coffee fix......»»
NASA"s instruments capture sharpest image of Earth"s radiation belts
From Aug. 19–20, ESA's (European Space Agency's) Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission made history with a daring lunar-Earth flyby and double gravity assist maneuver, a spaceflight first. As the spacecraft zipped past our moon and home planet.....»»
Webb researchers discover lensed supernova, confirm Hubble tension
Measuring the Hubble constant, the rate at which the universe is expanding, is an active area of research among astronomers around the world who analyze data from both ground- and space- based observatories. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has alre.....»»
The politically incorrect guide to saving NASA’s floundering Artemis Program
To get somewhere, Artemis must avoid going nowhere. Enlarge / A rendering of NASA's Lunar Gateway. (credit: NASA) Regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, the United States will have a new president in a few.....»»
Watch the Crew Dragon hurtling through space at 17,500 mph
Watch this footage showing a Crew Dragon spacecraft zipping through space, high above the Pacific Ocean, as it travels to the space station......»»
Hubble captures stellar nurseries in majestic spiral galaxy IC 1954
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the spiral galaxy IC 1954, located 45 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Horologium. It sports a glowing bar in its core, majestically winding spiral arms, and clouds of da.....»»
Engineers investigate another malfunction on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX probably won't be grounded for long, but this could affect the launch of Europa Clipper. Enlarge / The Merlin vacuum engine on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fired for six minutes to place the Crew-9 mission into low-Earth orbit.....»»
New mission to create total solar eclipses in space
A UK team of researchers including UCL's Professor Lucie Green are working on the launch of a spacecraft mission that will allow us to view the sun's atmosphere in more detail than ever before......»»