In July 2017, a giant iceberg, named A-68, snapped off Antarctica’s Larsen-C ice shelf and began an epic journey across the Southern Ocean. Three and a half years later, the main part of iceberg, A-68A, drifted worryingly close to South Georgia. Concerns were that the berg would run aground in the shallow waters offshore. This would not only cause damage to the seafloor ecosystem but also make it difficult for island wildlife, such as penguins, to make their way to the sea to feed. Using measurements from satellites, scientists have charted how A-68A shrunk towards the end of its voyage, which fortunately prevented it from getting stuck. However, the downside is that it released a colossal 152 billion tonnes of freshwater close to the island, potentially having a profound effect on the island’s marine life.
Space News & Blog Articles
Ice Peeks out of a Cliffside on Mars
The HiRISE (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured another beauty. This time the image shows water ice peeking out from a cliffside on Mars. A layer of sediment obscures most of the ice, but fingers of it are visible.
NASA wants your ideas to reuse trash and waste on a Mars mission
You have until March 15 to submit your Red Planet innovations.
Spacewalking cosmonauts activate space station’s newest Russian module
Cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov work outside the Prichal module Wednesday. Credit: NASA/Mark Vande Hei
Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov completed a 7-hour, 11-minute spacewalk Wednesday outside the International Space Station, preparing Russia’s new Prichal module for the arrival of the next Soyuz crew spacecraft in March.
James Webb Space Telescope marks deployment of all mirrors
NASA's massive new observatory has notched another milestone.
Cosmonauts on spacewalk ready new Russian docking port for future space station arrivals
Russia's new multi-port docking module at the International Space Station is ready to receive its first spacecraft after the work of two cosmonauts on a seven-hour spacewalk.
A new Kind of Supernova has Been Discovered
We often think of supernova explosions as inevitable for large stars. Big star runs out of fuel, gravity collapses its core and BOOM! But astronomers have long thought at least one type of large star didn’t end with a supernova. Known as Wolf-Rayet stars, they were thought to end with a quiet collapse of their core into a black hole. But a new discovery finds they might become supernovae after all.
Moon's crust may have formed from 'slushy' magma ocean long ago
The moon's crust might have formed from an unevenly layered "slush" of magma that once covered the entire body, a new study reports.
China sends classified satellite into space during first launch of 2022
China executed its first launch of 2022 with a classified mission, the Shiyan 13 test satellite.
Set Your Sights on this Lunar Bull's-Eye
Go ahead, live on the edge: Grab your chance this month to see Mare Orientale, one of the most spectacular lunar seas most people have never seen.
'The Book of Boba Fett' episode 3 offers colorful new additions to Tatooine culture
There's a new Rancor in town, so don't distress the daimyo, or you might end up as dinner
SpaceX's Starlink satellites leave streaks in asteroid-hunting telescope's images
An Earth-based telescope that looks for exploding stars and dangerous near-Earth asteroids is struggling with streaks from SpaceX's Starlink internet-beaming constellation.
NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission readies for 'wet dress rehearsal'
The first moonbound rocket and spacecraft of NASA's Artemis program are poised for a "wet dress rehearsal" in February.
Voyager 1: Earth's farthest spacecraft
Voyager 1, which launched in 1977, is farther from Earth than any other spacecraft.
Guardians of the Galaxy ships: Exploring the Milano and the Benatar
The Guardians of the Galaxy ships pack quite a bit of history and interesting trivia, and have quickly become Hollywood icons thanks to the MCU.
Wanted: recycling methods to keep astronauts alive
It took a crop of potatoes to keep Matt Damon alive on the red planet in The Martian. And in future, real life astronauts on the Moon and Mars will have to be gardeners, farmers and expert recyclers as well as explorers. Do you have promising ideas that might help them to get by in space on next to no resources?
Watch: Matthias Maurer in-flight call to World Economic Forum
Join ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer on Thursday, 20 January, in a live call from the International Space Station, from 14:00 GMT/15:00 CET, talking with prominent experts and industry leaders, to explore how space research can improve life on our planet.
Space Flight Destroys Your Red Blood Cells
It’s really true: space wants to kill us. And this time, space is trying to kill us from the inside out.
Nerf DinoSquad Rex-Rampage blaster review
While the Nerf DinoSquad Rex-Rampage blaster looks the part, it’s far from the most reliable Nerf gun out there.
The Mars rover Perseverance has pebbles stuck in its drill. NASA has a plan to fix it.
NASA's Perseverance rover will dump its latest Mars sample to unclog pebbles from its drill.
Watch two Russian cosmonauts take a spacewalk outside the International Space Station today
They're going to get a new docking module ready for spacecraft.
