Things Are Looking Up for Asteroid Mining
Asteroids are rich with the metals used in clean energy technologies. As demand soars, advocates argue that mining them in space might be better than mining them on Earth......»»
Against all odds, an asteroid mining company appears to be making headway
"It's not easy to ever raise for an asteroid mining company, right?" Enlarge / The Odin spacecraft passed vibration testing. (credit: Astro Forge) When I first spoke with space entrepreneurs Jose Acain and Matt Gialich a.....»»
Mining the microbiome: Uncovering new antibiotics inside the human gut
The average human gut contains roughly 100 trillion microbes, many of which are constantly competing for limited resources. "It's such a harsh environment," says César de la Fuente, Presidential Assistant Professor in Bioengineering and in Chemical.....»»
An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, not a comet, new study finds
Analysis of ruthenium isotopes showed the impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid. Enlarge / Artist impression of a large asteroid impacting on Earth, such as the Chicxulub event that caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction 6.....»»
NASA shuts down asteroid-hunting telescope, but a better one is on the way
The NEOWISE spacecraft is on a course to fall out of orbit in the next few months. Enlarge / Artist's illustration of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft. (credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) Last week, NASA deco.....»»
Research team finds evidence of hydration on the asteroid Psyche
Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, a Southwest Research Institute-led team has confirmed hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history for Psyche, impor.....»»
Australian gold mining company hit with ransomware
Australian gold mining firm Evolution Mining has announced on Monday that it became aware on 8 August 2024 of a ransomware attack impacting its IT systems, and has been working with its external cyber forensic experts to investigate the incident. .....»»
NASA says goodbye to our planetary protector, the asteroid-spotting NEOWISE mission
Fifteen years after a launch that was intended to begin just a seven month mission, NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft has finally shut down......»»
Gaia spots possible moons around hundreds of asteroids
ESA's star-surveying Gaia mission has again proven to be a formidable asteroid explorer, spotting potential moons around more than 350 asteroids not known to have a companion......»»
NASA Retires Asteroid-Hunting Telescope
NASA’s NEOWISE telescope has searched for asteroids, brown dwarfs and luminous galaxies. The spacecraft will soon burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.....»»
Deep sea mining opponents suffer major setback
Opponents of deep sea mining suffered a serious setback Friday when they failed to take a first step toward an international moratorium on the controversial practice......»»
Mass extinction 66 million years ago triggered rapid evolution of bird genomes, study finds
Shortly after an asteroid slammed into Earth 66 million years ago, life for non-avian dinosaurs ended, but the evolutionary story for the early ancestors of birds began......»»
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......»»
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.....»»
Plants" hidden allies: Root microbiota fight back against leaf-mining flies
Plants encounter various biotic stresses, with insect herbivory being particularly destructive. Traditional chemical insecticides used to combat these pests pose environmental and health risks......»»
Armada to Apophis—scientists recycle old ideas for rare asteroid encounter
Armada to Apophis—scientists recycle old ideas for rare asteroid encounter.....»»
Introducing Ramses, ESA"s 2029 mission to asteroid Apophis
Thirty years ago, on 16 July 1994, astronomers watched in awe as the first of many pieces of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet slammed into Jupiter with incredible force. The event sparked intense interest in the field of planetary defense as people asked:.....»»
Results from Juukan Gorge show 47,000 years of Aboriginal heritage was destroyed in mining blast
In May 2020, as part of a legally permitted expansion of an iron ore mine, Rio Tinto destroyed an ancient rockshelter at Juukan Gorge in Puutu Kunti Kurrama Country in the Pilbara region of Western Australia......»»
Satellite to follow Empire State Building-sized asteroid as it zips by Earth
There’s a huge asteroid coming our way in 2029 and the European Space Agency (ESA) wants to track it every step of the way. Don’t worry, you can look up with confidence, as the 1,230-feet-long (about 375 meters) Apophis asteroid is not on a colli.....»»
Bennu asteroid samples unveiled
In a discreet vacuumed-packed container inside a FedEx box lies a piece of ancient history; extremely ancient history......»»
Foreign direct investments may fuel tropical deforestation
Foreign direct investments (FDI) in tropical countries in extractive industries like mining, logging and fossil fuels have a long, environmentally destructive track record in tropical countries. Are FDI in food systems another extractive industry?.....»»