A bizarre object called "the Cow" is the flattest explosion ever detected, and the first example of a rare phenomenon called a fast blue optical transient (FBOT).
Space News & Blog Articles
Why will NASA's Artemis 2 only fly around the moon, not orbit or land?
NASA landed 12 astronauts on the moon during the Apollo program more than half a century ago. So why is the upcoming Artemis 2 mission just doing a lunary fly-around?
JWST Reveals Trappist-1 Data, Earth-Sized Rogue Planet, Vulcan Delay
We finally got JWST data about TRAPPIST-1. An Earth-sized rogue planet was found. More information about China’s plans for the Moon.
U.S. military begins launching satellites to counter hypersonic missile threat
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Credit: SpaceX
The first 10 spacecraft for a planned U.S. military mega-constellation launched from California Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, setting in place the keystone for a multibillion-dollar network of hundreds of small satellites to improve defenses against hypersonic missiles and other emerging threats.
Netflix’s 'Gears of War' film gains traction with 'Dune' and 'Prometheus' screenwriter Jon Spaihts
"Dune" and "Prometheus" screenwriter Jon Spaihts signs on to Netflix’s "Gears of War" movie.
Former NASA astronaut Doug Hurley joins Busch Light's Earth Month campaign to save the planet for beer
Former NASA astronaut Doug Hurley aims to help save Earth for beer in a lighthearted new video for Busch Light's Earth Month campaign.
Colliding Taffy Galaxies create a sweet 'cosmic butterfly' (video)
A collision of two galaxies appears like a vast cosmic butterfly, or a giant piece of candy, to the eyes of one of the world's most powerful telescopes.
The eyes have it! Focus on microgravity's impact on astronaut vision
Scientists and space agencies are working to develop ways to mitigate the microgravity-induced changes to the human eye that astronauts experience while in space.
Pale Blue Successfully Operates its Water-Based Propulsion System in Orbit
New in-space propulsion techniques seem to be popping out of the woodwork. The level of innovation behind moving things around in space is astounding, and now a company from Japan has just hit a significant milestone. Pale Blue, which I assumed was named as a nod to a beloved Carl Sagan book, recently successfully tested their in-orbit water-based propulsion system, adding yet another safe, affordable propulsion system to satellite designers’ repertoires.
Don’t Just Grow Potatoes on Mars, Use them for Concrete
A while back, we reported on a research group that was using an interesting mix of materials to create concrete on Mars. The University of Manchester researchers used blood and urine to create concrete bricks using Martian regolith stronger than concrete used on Earth. However, there was an obvious downside of literally requiring blood to make them, let alone the side effects of having astronauts potentially live in a building built partially out of their own bodily fluids. So the researchers thought up a different material whose usefulness in space will be familiar to anyone who has read Andy Weir’s most famous novel – potatoes.
Who is Bo-Katan Kryze?
The fearless Mandalorian warrior Bo-Katan Kryze is playing a huge role in The Mandalorian season 3, but what’s her full history? Here’s everything you should know.
Building the space age: Acknowledging skilled workers
Only rarely do we see or hear about skilled tradespeople receiving the accolades they so rightfully deserve within the space community, and we feel that this is an injustice that must be rectified.
April delights: Mercury, Venus and the Pleiades put on a sky show this month
From now through mid-April, Venus will help you to identify the normally hard-to-find planet Mercury. And along the way, Venus will have a striking interaction with the Pleiades star cluster.
Best space pranks: From space apes to smuggled sandwiches
Explore some of the best pranks carried out in space. From rogue gorillas to smuggled sandwiches, we discover the lighter side of space exploration.
Artemis 2's Canadian astronaut got their moon mission seat with 'potato salad'
It took four years of negotiations for Canada to get a seat aboard Artemis 2, the mission that will send four astronauts around the moon in 2024. Here's how it happened.
Son's design for astronaut dad's mission patch put into production 40 years later
A sketch that NASA astronaut Mike Mullane's son drew as a possible patch design for his 1984 space shuttle mission has been made into a new embroidered emblem.
April: Mercury & Venus at Their Best
This month’s episode offers an easy-to-follow guide to finding the solar system’s two innermost planets after sunset. And then it takes you on a guided tour of the rest of the key stars and planets that you’ll see on April evenings — a fun and informative way to introduce yourself to the nighttime sky!
ESA detects four-leaf clovers from space
ESA is excited to announce a revolutionary new technology that could bring luck to people all over the world: four-leaf clover detection from space.