The U.S. Department of Defense has intensified its surveillance efforts following a close encounter between NASA’s Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Mission (TIMED) spacecraft and the Russian Cosmos 2221 satellite, as revealed in a recent blog post by NASA. While the likelihood of a collision is low, the potential consequences of such an event, … Read more
NASA’s Juno spacecraft, on a close flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa in 2022, has provided intriguing hints of potential present-day surface activity. The Stellar Reference Unit (SRU) aboard Juno captured a high-resolution image of an unusual region on Europa, resembling a platypus, sparking interest in the scientific community. The Platypus Image: The SRU image reveals … Read more
In a groundbreaking achievement, NASA scientists have triumphantly opened the sample-return capsule from the OSIRIS-REx mission, revealing the first-ever chunks of a space rock collected by a NASA mission. The capsule, containing approximately 8.8 ounces (250 grams) of rocky material snatched from the potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu, was carefully disassembled at NASA’s Johnson Space Center … Read more
Astrobotic’s ambitious Peregrine lunar lander faced an unexpected propulsion anomaly during its debut mission, resulting in a premature end to its journey. Launched on January 8 aboard United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket, the Peregrine lander encountered a valve issue that led to a propellant leak, preventing it from reaching the moon. Despite this … Read more
In a joint announcement, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have validated that the average global temperature on land and the oceans’ surface reached an all-time high in 2023. The confirmed data, released on Friday, indicates a significant rise, emphasizing the escalating threat of climate change. According to NOAA records, the average … Read more
A Recap of the Year’s Extraterrestrial Endeavors and Discoveries In a year marked by challenges on Earth, the world of space exploration saw significant strides in 2023. NPR’s science correspondent, Geoff Brumfiel, takes us through the highlights, from asteroid revelations to lunar missions and the launch of a groundbreaking rocket. Asteroid Discoveries: Unlocking the Secrets … Read more
Falcon 9 Booster, which Catapulted US Astronauts to Orbit, Lost During Return to Cape Canaveral In a bittersweet conclusion to its illustrious career, the Falcon 9 rocket, renowned for restoring NASA crew launches to US soil, faced an unfortunate demise just before Christmas. The historic booster, known by the tail number B1058, launched and landed … Read more
Tenacity Prepares for April 2024 Maiden Flight after Environmental Testing at Neil Armstrong Test Facility Sierra Nevada Corporation’s revolutionary Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane, named Tenacity, is making significant strides as it undergoes crucial environmental testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility. Anticipating its maiden flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2024, the … Read more
Hubble’s Redemption: A Tale of Precision, Blunders, and Unprecedented Space Repairs In a daring and historic mission, NASA astronauts rescued the Hubble Space Telescope from an optical crisis nearly 30 years ago, allowing it to become the iconic and groundbreaking observatory we know today. Back in 1990, Hubble was launched with faulty optics, resulting in … Read more
Ingenuity’s Discoveries Highlight the Price of Space Exploration In a startling revelation, images captured by NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars have brought attention to the unintended consequence of human exploration—the accumulation of debris on the Martian surface. While the photos may initially appear as evidence of extraterrestrial activity, they, in fact, showcase remnants of the … Read more