Readying spacecraft to surf Venus" atmosphere
ESA's EnVision mission to Venus will perform optical, spectral and radar mapping of Earth's sister planet. But before getting down to work the van-sized spacecraft needs to "aerobrake"—lowering its orbit with thousands of passages through the plane.....»»
NASA says it is “evaluating all options” for the safe return of Starliner crew
SpaceX is actively working on a plan to fly Starliner's crew home. Enlarge / Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is seen docked at the International Space Station on June 13. (credit: NASA) It has now been eight weeks since Bo.....»»
Predicting solar storms before they leave the sun
When giant solar storms hit Earth, they trigger beautiful auroral displays high in Earth's atmosphere. There's a dark side to this solar activity, though. The "space weather" it sets off also threatens our technology. The potential for damage is why.....»»
Starliner clears routine preflight checks, but still has no return date
The mission was supposed to last a week, but it's been almost two months since the Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station......»»
Boeing’s Starliner has cost at least twice as much as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon
"Risk remains that we may record additional losses in future periods." Enlarge / A Starliner spacecraft departs Boeing's spacecraft processing facility before the program's first orbital test flight in 2019. Boeing anno.....»»
Starliner clears routine pre-flight checks but still has no return date
The mission was supposed to last a week but it's been almost two months since the Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station......»»
After debris concerns, SpaceX to shift Dragon capsule landings from Florida to California
Evidence of debris stemming from return trips of SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has prompted the company to shift future landing operations from Florida to California......»»
Spacecraft travels to metal object orbiting Earth, snaps stunning views
Spacecraft travels to metal object orbiting Earth, snaps stunning views.....»»
NASA smacked a spacecraft into an asteroid—and learned details about its 12-million-year history
NASA's DART mission—Double Asteroid Redirection Test—was humanity's first real-world planetary defense mission......»»
Ammonia-free gallium nitride semiconductor production found to improve crystal quality, reduce environmental impact
Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors can now be grown without ammonia, a toxic chemical that needs a sophisticated detoxifying system before it can be released into the atmosphere. The new technique is not only more environmentally friendly but also.....»»
DART mission sheds new light on target binary asteroid system
In studying data collected from NASA's DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, which in 2022 sent a spacecraft to intentionally collide with the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, the mission's science team has discovered new information on the ori.....»»
The New Gods of Weather Can Make Rain on Demand—or So They Want You to Believe
In a gold-trimmed command center on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, scientists are seeking to wring moisture from desert skies. But will all their extravagant cloud-seeding tech—planes that sprinkle nanomaterials, lasers that scramble the atmosphere—.....»»
Boeing says Starliner hot fire test on ISS went well with return date decision coming up
As Boeing's Starliner nears two months in space, teams performed a hot fire test of thruster performance and helium leaks on the spacecraft over the weekend to help inform the decision of when the spacecraft will come home and if its two NASA astrona.....»»
SpaceX shares dramatic Starship engine test footage ahead of 5th flight
SpaceX has shared dramatic slow-motion footage of a ground-based engine test involving the Starship spacecraft ahead of its fifth test flight......»»
Scientists untangle interactions between the Earth"s early life forms and the environment over 500 million years
The atmosphere, the ocean and life on Earth have interacted over the past 500-plus million years in ways that improved conditions for early organisms to thrive. Now, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has produced a perspective article on this c.....»»
SpaceX moving Dragon splashdowns to Pacific to solve falling debris problem
"We've decided to shift Dragon recovery operations back to the West Coast." Enlarge / A Crew Dragon spacecraft is seen docked at the International Space Station in 2022. The section of the spacecraft on the left is the pressurize.....»»
Spacecraft to swing by Earth, moon on path to Jupiter
A spacecraft launched last year will slingshot back around Earth and the moon next month in a high-stakes, world-first maneuver as it pinballs its way through the solar system to Jupiter......»»
NASA nears decision on what to do with Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft
Boeing won't start flying operational crew missions with Starliner until a year from now. Enlarge / Boeing's Strainer spacecraft is seen docked at the International Space Station in this picture taken July 3. (credit: NASA).....»»
Nvidia may be working on a surprising new budget GPU
Nvidia is reportedly readying a new version of an RTX 30-series graphics card, and the chip inside it is quite unexpected......»»
Trees reveal climate surprise: Microbes living in bark remove methane from the atmosphere
Tree bark surfaces play an important role in removing methane gas from the atmosphere, according to a study published 24 July in Nature......»»
New research proposes better carbon storage with stacked geology
The overarching goal of all carbon capture and storage projects is the same: Keep carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions out of the atmosphere by storing them in the subsurface for good......»»