A new batch of images from the recent Ingenuity flight is helping NASA scientists to refine science goals for the Perseverance rover as it searches for signs of life on the Red Planet.
Space News & Blog Articles
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ESA and NASA join forces to understand climate change
Climate change is, arguably, the biggest environmental challenge the global population faces today. To address this major issue, decision-makers not only need accurate information on how our world is changing now, but also predictions on what may happen in the future. A sound knowledge of how Earth behaves as one system is the foundation to all of this – and the pieces of this complex puzzle come largely from satellites orbiting our planet. To ensure that data from Earth-observing satellites are used to their best advantage, further science and, ultimately, bring the most benefit to humankind, ESA and NASA have formed a strategic partnership for Earth science and climate change.
The hunt for wormholes: How scientists look for space-time tunnels
Usually confined to the pages of science fiction, astronomers are starting to think wormholes through space-time might be real after all.
Start-up Spiral Blue hopes computers in space could revolutionize access to Earth-observation data
Australian start-up Spiral Blue has launched two computers on small satellites to test in-orbit processing of Earth-observation images in hopes of making insights from space more accessible.
China wants to launch asteroid-deflecting rockets to save Earth from Armageddon
Although the asteroid, Bennu, only has a 1-in-2700 chance of hitting Earth, scientists are taking the risk seriously.
Media briefing: Eutelsat Quantum to be launched
Video: 00:41:36
The reconfigurable satellite will launch this summer from the European Space Port in French Guiana. Eutelsat Quantum will be capable of being reprogrammed after launch. It will provide data, communications and entertainment exactly where and when it is wanted. Watch the replay of this Q&A with the media to learn more and hear from the key players behind its development.
NASA’s Kepler Finds Outcast Earths
Astronomers uncovered four new Earth-mass rogue planet candidates by searching for microlensing events observed with Kepler.
Ariane 6 targets new missions with Astris kick stage
ESA will enhance the versatility of Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket with a kick stage called Astris in a €90 m development contract with prime contractor, ArianeGroup. This is part of ESA’s strategy to extend Ariane 6’s capabilities to serve a wider range of space transportation requirements.
Antarctic noon
Image:
A fortnight after the 21 June winter solstice in Antarctica, the crew at Concordia Research Station are slowly welcoming the return of sunlight. This photo was taken by ESA-sponsored medical doctor Nick Smith on 1 July at noon.
The private Inspiration4 crew launching with SpaceX experience zero gravity for 1st time
The first all-civilian orbital flight crew, Inspiration4, flew in zero gravity for the first time this weekend as part of preparations to launch in September.
First spacewalk for Matthias Maurer
Space may be pretty, but it’s dangerous. Astronauts face a much higher dose of ionizing radiation than us Earth-bound folks, and a new report says that NASA’s current guidelines and risk assessment methods are in serious need of an update.
'Star Trek: Discovery' actor Doug Jones on conquering fear and stepping up screentime
Video: 00:04:12
Soon Eutelsat Quantum will be launched into a geostationary orbit on board an Ariane 5 from Kourou. This advanced telecommunications satellite is revolutionary as it offers its users the ability to reconfigure the satellite while in orbit. This offers a previously unknown degree of flexibility during its 15-year lifetime. It allows for satellites of this type to be mass-produced, making them extremely interesting for commercial parties and industry. The satellite was developed as an ESA partnership project with operator Eutelsat and prime contractor Airbus working together with ESA to share the risk of developing this innovative piece of technology.
The Sun Hammered Earth With Megaflares in its Youth
Planetary formation theory has been undergoing a lot of changes recently, with an ever expanding litany of events that can potentially impact it. Everything from gravity to magnetic fields seems to impact this complex process. Now scientists want to add another confounding factor – massive solar flares thousands of times more powerful than the most powerful we have ever observed from the Sun.
A lander on Jupiter's icy moon Europa may have to dig at least 1 foot down to find signs of life
Robots may have to dig relatively deep on Jupiter's ocean moon Europa to have a shot of finding signs of alien life, a new study suggests.
Blue Origin will launch billionaire Jeff Bezos into space on July 20. Here's how to watch.
New Shepard is set to go to space July 20 carrying a crew including Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, and you can watch the whole thing live.
A 'wobble' in the moon's orbit could result in record flooding in the 2030s, new study finds
Coastal flooding could quadruple in the US in the 2030s, a new study of the lunar cycle and sea level rise finds.
NASA is mapping out plans for bigger, more capable Mars helicopters
Given the highly successful and ongoing flights of NASA's Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, engineers are turning their attention to future aerial craft for the Red Planet.
The best space board games of 2021
A gift guide for space fans who love game nights
A Nearby White Dwarf Might be About to Collapse Into a Neutron Star
About 97% of all stars in our Universe are destined to end their lives as white dwarf stars, which represents the final stage in their evolution. Like neutron stars, white dwarfs form after stars have exhausted their nuclear fuel and undergo gravitational collapse, shedding their outer layers to become super-compact stellar remnants. This will be the fate of our Sun billions of years from now, which will swell up to become a red giant before losing its outer layers.
The best Star Trek gifts and deals for 2021
Drones, books, games, toys and more dominate the multispecies Federation universe
Using Saturn’s Rings to Figure out What’s Inside the Planet
It’s tough to see inside of Saturn, because the atmosphere is opaque to all wavelengths of radiation. We have to rely on computer simulations and physics-based guesswork to try to understand the interior of that giant world. But researchers are becoming more adept at a different technique: looking for the slightest motions in the rings of Saturn.
