ESA Highlights: images and achievements from 2021
Space News & Blog Articles
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NASA Gives Axiom Space Another Opening to Fly Private Astronauts to Space Station
Even though Texas-based Axiom Space hasn’t yet sent its first crew of customers to the International Space Station, NASA is giving the company an opportunity to send a second crew, potentially just months later.
One Feature Mars has That we Don’t: Polar Megadunes
For fans of astrophotography, Kevin M. Gill needs no introduction. Even if you’re not up on the latest astronomical news and developments, chances are you’ve still seen some of his images over the years. From beautiful artist renditions to breathtaking photographs of far-off planets, Gill has covered it all. Among the latest images available on his official Flickr page are pictures of a unique feature on Mars: the Chasma Boreale Megadunes!
Russian Proton rocket launches two communications satellites to space
A reported 'deficiency' in the upper stage forced a nearly week-long delay in the successful launch.
Even Really Massive Stars Seem to Have Planets
Can planets form around massive, hot stars? Some astronomers think they can’t. According to the evidence, planets around stars exceeding three solar masses should be rare, or maybe even non-existent. But now astronomers have found one.
This Incredible Photo of the Sun is Made up of 150,000 Individual Photographs
You’re looking at a 300-megapixel photo of our Sun. Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy used a specially modified telescope, taking over 150,000 individual photos and combing them into this magnificent image.
Elon Musk named Time Magazine's person of the year
Musk's rise to fame is symbolic of the impact of billionaire technologists in American society, Time says.
New documentary 'Search for the Edge of Space' is free on Magellan TV until Dec. 16
The documentary "explores the prospect of humans visiting and settling Mars" and how we'll get there.
Moon facts: Fun information about the Earth's moon
Learn how Earth’s moon formed, how its orbit affects Earth’s tides, why solar and lunar eclipses happen and the history of lunar exploration.
Einstein's theory of general relativity passes one of its toughest tests yet
Scientists tested seven different predictions, in one of the most ambitious and involved challenges to general relativity ever undertaken — and the theory passed with flying colors.
The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight! Here's how to watch online.
The Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak tonight (Dec. 13), and you can watch the annual starry night display live online via NASA's Meteor Watch Facebook page.
How did the solar system form?
The solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists have developed three models of how it happened.
No Release for the Hubble Tension
New data and analysis show that a long-standing discrepancy in the measurement of the current expansion rate of the universe is real — even as the reason for it remains a mystery.
Stellar Remnant at the Core of Mysterious Flash Dubbed "The Cow"
Astronomers have identified the origin of a mysterious flash that occurred three years ago.
M87’s Supermassive Black Hole is Spewing out a Spiraling jet of Material
Patterns in nature often occur in more than one place. Spirals, symmetry, and chaos all impact natural phenomena, from the shape of a shell to the course of a river. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the most famous and fundamental shapes from biology also appears in astrophysics. Yes, scientists have found a double-helix structure in the magnetic field of M87. And it looks just like a super enlarged DNA strand.
Space law hasn’t been changed since 1967 – but the UN aims to update laws and keep space peaceful
On Nov. 15, 2021, Russia destroyed one of its own old satellites using a missile launched from the surface of Earth, creating a massive debris cloud that threatens many space assets, including the International Space Station.
'Bubble curtain' could reduce hurricane intensity in Gulf of Mexico
A technology that keeps Norway's fjords ice-free in winter could help prevent devastating hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in the future.
Hubble telescope shows the sparkling side of a spiral galaxy
The stunning image was produced during a search for supermassive black holes.
Curious Kids: How did crocodiles survive the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs?
There are two main reasons. First, crocodiles can live for a very long time without food. Second, they lived in places that were the least affected when the asteroid hit Earth.
Explore the Red Planet with ESA and PLAYMOBIL
We’re already exploring Mars, with two spacecraft in orbit and an ambitious rover mission planned for launch next year – but now you can join in these martian adventures with your own PLAYMOBIL Mars Expedition!
