Possible organic compounds found in Mars crater rocks
A study published in Science analyses multiple rocks found at the bottom of Jezero Crater on Mars, where the Perseverance rover landed in 2020, revealing significant interaction between the rocks and liquid water. Those rocks also contain evidence co.....»»
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......»»
A clock in the rocks: What cosmic rays tell us about Earth"s changing surface and climate
How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt?.....»»
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.....»»
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......»»
In the Jersey suburbs, a search for rocks to help fight climate change
In early spring, George Okoko was perched on a ledge 15 feet up a crumbly cliff, trying to whack off a basketball-size piece of rock with a hammer and chisel. The locale was suburban Berkeley Heights, N.J. The rock was basalt, a common product of vol.....»»
Organic electrochemical transistors: Scientists solve chemical mystery at the interface of biology and technology
Researchers who want to bridge the divide between biology and technology spend a lot of time thinking about translating between the two different "languages" of those realms......»»
NASA scientists gear up for solar storms at Mars
In the months ahead, two of NASA's Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares—giant explosions on the sun's surface—could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet......»»
UV light treats beet disease and combats fungicide resistance
Germicidal ultraviolet light is effective at killing a damaging fungus that infects table beets, adding an important organic tool to fight the growing problem of fungicide resistance, according to a new Cornell study......»»
Researchers achieve electrosynthesis via superwetting organic-solid-water interfaces
Chinese scientists have recently achieved the direct synthesis of high-purity benzaldehyde chemicals from the selective electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol. The organic-solid-water (OSW) three-phase reaction system has shown particular advantages in r.....»»
When does a conductor not conduct? Switching a 2D metal-organic framework from an insulator to a metal
An Australian-led study has found unusual insulating behavior in a new atomically-thin material—and the ability to switch it on and off......»»
One-pot strategy to simultaneously achieve heterodehydrocoupling of hydrostannane and reduction of quinoline
Heteroatom tin compounds (SSn, OSn, NSn, PSn) composed of heteroatoms S, O, N, P and tin atoms have attracted intense attention due to their wide applications in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical fields. The current methods for synthesis of such c.....»»
Hera asteroid mission"s side-trip to Mars
ESA's Hera asteroid mission for planetary defense will make a swingby of Mars next March, borrowing speed to help reach its target Didymos binary asteroid system......»»
Barley plants fine-tune their root microbial communities through sugary secretions
Different types of barley recruit distinct communities of soil microbes to grow around their roots by releasing a custom mix of sugars and other compounds, according to a new study led by Jacob Malone of the John Innes Center, UK, published in the op.....»»
Scientists combine a spatially distributed sediment delivery model and biogeochemical model to estimate fluxes by water
Water erosion is the most active process controlling soil formation and evolution, which can affect the redistribution of carbon between terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric ecosystems. Erosion-induced organic carbon dynamic process should not be mi.....»»
Synthesis of two new carbides provides perspective on how complex carbon structures could exist on other planets
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have gained new insights in the field of high-pressure carbon chemistry: They synthesized two new carbides—compounds of carbon and another chemical element—with unique structures. The results may provide.....»»
Study shows the longer spilled oil lingers in freshwater, the more persistent compounds it produces
Oil is an important natural resource for many industries, but it can lead to serious environmental damage when accidentally spilled. While large oil spills are highly publicized, every year, there are many smaller-scale spills into lakes, rivers, and.....»»
The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup
A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this decade to 2040......»»
If Starship is real, we’re going to need big cargo movers on the Moon and Mars
"I left SpaceX knowing the width of the Starship door." Enlarge / The author tries not to crash a lunar rover. (credit: Eric Berger) As a SpaceX engineer working on the Starship program about five years ago, Jaret Matthe.....»»
Signs of "spider" phenomenon on Mars
ESA's Mars Express has snapped the telltale traces of "spiders" scattered across the southern polar region of Mars......»»
A NASA rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilized life on Mars
While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, NASA's Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to "search for potential evid.....»»