NASA and JPL are working hard to develop more autonomy for their Mars rovers. Both of their current rovers on Mars—MSL Curiosity and Perseverance—are partly autonomous, with Perseverance being a little more advanced. In fact, developing more autonomous navigation was an explicit part of Perseverance's mission.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Researchers Examine How We Could Achieve Sustainable Water Systems for Space
If humans ever want to work and live in space, whether in habitats on the Moon or Mars or in stations far from Earth, a reliable source of clean drinking water is essential. This presents many challenges in space, where resources are limited, and resupply missions are costly, time-consuming, or both. For starters, humans cannot survive for more than three days without water. Water is also essential for oxygen generation, irrigating edible plants, and hygiene. Meeting these requirements requires a closed-loop system that can provide clean water for months to years without replenishment.
NASA X-ray spacecraft stares into the 'eye of the storm' swirling around supermassive black holes
The NASA/JAXA X-ray spacecraft has allowed astronomers to dive into the metaphorical "eye of the storm" swirling around supermassive black holes.
Solar Photography: Catch the Sun
The solar cycle has ramped up, and it's a great time to photograph this captivating target.
Telescopes: To Build or Buy?
A purely pragmatic look at the cost of doing it yourself.
Trump says US government will declassify its UFO files. Will we actually learn anything this time, or is this a distraction?
President Donald Trump has issued a statement that he will instruct the federal government to begin releasing all of its files related to UFOs.
Pushing Glass: How to Grind Mirrors
Grinding your own mirror can be great fun - and result in an excellent telescope.
Science with Astrophotography
Your pretty pictures can contain valuable information.
The Future of Deep-Sky Astrophotography
Deep-sky astrophotography is rapidly evolving, and in some ways, the future is already here.
Star Power: Stellar Images with PixInsight
Taking special care of the stars in your astrophoto will make the entire image shine.
'This is really getting real.' NASA's Artemis 2 moon rocket fueling test went so well, astronauts could launch March 6
NASA announced today (Feb. 20) that it’s targeting March 6 for the liftoff of Artemis 2, which will be the first crewed mission to go beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 back in 1972.
Scientists successfully mine meteorites on International Space Station — using microbes
Can we use fungus to mine precious metals from asteroids?
What Makes a Good Planetary Telescope
The best optic for resolving fine planetary detail has changed over time.
Building an Ultra-portable Dobsonian
Here's a lightweight reflector that fits in your carry-on luggage.
Sewing Up Nightscapes
Panoramic mosaics can show far more than a single image ever can.
A Planetary System That Breaks the Rules
The unexpected arrangement of exoplanets around a star more than 100 light-years from Earth might change how we think about planet formation.
Firefly Aerospace prepares Alpha rocket for 1st launch since explosive mishaps last year
Firefly Aerospace is gearing up for the seventh liftoff of its Alpha rocket on Feb. 27, after two explosive events in 2025 stalled development of the launch vehicle.
The Optical Engineering Required to Photograph an Earth Twin
More and more papers are coming out about the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). As the telescope moves from theory to practice (and physical manifestation), various working groups are discovering, defining, and designing their way to the world’s next major exoplanet observatory. A new paper from researchers at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center adds another layer of analysis - we even just reported on its immediate predecessor two weeks ago. In this one, the researchers compared the ability of the telescope to distinguish between carbon dioxide and methane/water, to come up with a specific wavelength the engineers should design for.
Blazing ring of fire' eclipse seen from space | Space photo of the day for Feb. 20, 2026
ESA's Proba-2 satellite captured a stunning 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse from orbit — a view few on Earth could see.
A mini 'planetary parade' is visible tonight. Can you spot them all?
Uranus and Neptune will also be on the scene, too dim to see with the naked eye.
