SpaceX and NASA have scrubbed the planned Aug. 25 launch of the Crew-7 astronaut mission to the ISS. Liftoff is now targeted for Aug. 26 at 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT).
Space News & Blog Articles
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IceCube-Gen2: 8 Cubic Kilometers of Ice, 5 Times the Sensitivity
The IceCube Neutrino Detector is an observatory unlike any other. Using sensors embedded inside a square kilometer chuck of Antarctic ice, it detects tiny particles called neutrinos, which rarely interact with ordinary matter and are incredibly hard to capture. IceCube has had several major successes in the last few years, including this summer’s announcement of a neutrino map of the Milky Way galaxy. But scientists are pushing up against the limits of IceCube’s capabilities, and plans are in the works for IceCube-Gen2: a detector 5 times as sensitive and 8 times as large, with a radio antenna array across four hundred square kilometers. IceCube Gen2 will increase the number of neutrino detections by an order of magnitude, and will be able to better pinpoint the sources from which the neutrinos are emitted.
One of Neptune's Dark Spots Finally Seen From Earth
There’s no getting around it: our Solar System’s gas giants all have big, conspicuous spots on their faces. These include Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, Saturn’s Great White Spot, Uranus’ Great Dark Spot, and Neptune’s Great Dark Spot. Far from blemishes or features that tarnish the planets’ natural beauty, these “spots” are caused by massive storms or other processes in the planets’ atmospheres. While they are extremely large by Earth standards, they are difficult to study by anything other than robotic probes that can get close to the planet.
Wreckage of Russian warlord's plane spotted from space (satellite photo)
A satellite has spotted the wreckage of the plane that went down in northwestern Russia on Aug. 23, apparently with Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on board.
SpaceX's Crew-6 astronauts readying to wrap up their record-breaking flight
SpaceX's Crew-6 astronauts spoke with journalists Aug. 23 ahead of their coming return to Earth and also discussed the expected Aug. 25 launch of the Crew-7 mission.
'I get the UFO question?' New Jersey's Chris Christie promises honesty on aliens in 1st Republican presidential debate
Chris Christie was asked about UFOs during the 1st Republican Presidential Primary Debate held on Aug. 23, 2023.
0 for 2: North Korea suffers 2nd satellite launch failure this year
North Korea's second attempt to launch a spy satellite this year ended in failure, after the rocket carrying the satellite encountered a stage-separation issue on Aug. 23.
The Olbers' Paradox
The Olbers' Paradox is a famous problem in astronomy and cosmology that addresses the question of why the night sky is dark if the universe is infinite and filled with an infinite number of stars. The paradox is named after the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers, who discussed it in the early 19th century, although the problem was considered by earlier astronomers as well.
Watch Russian cargo spacecraft arrive at ISS tonight
A robotic Russian Progress cargo spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station late tonight (Aug. 24), and you can watch the action live.
Neptune's Cloud Cover is Linked to the Solar Cycle
Whenever Neptune reaches its closest point in the sky to Earth, its portrait is taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and other ground-based observatories. Watching the planet from 1994 to 2020, astronomers have made puzzling discovery.
'Failed star' with radiation belts could be a big deal for astronomy. Here's why
A brown dwarf just 18.5 light-years from Earth has been found to host radiation belts. But why are scientists are so excited about this?
Solar Orbiter observes rapid, tiny jets on sun that may be the solar wind's power source
The Solar Orbiter has spotted tiny short-lived "picojets" for the first time. In just one minute, these tiny jets emit enough energy to power 10,000 households for a year.
Solar Orbiter discovers tiny jets that could power the solar wind
The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft has discovered a multitude of tiny jets of material escaping from the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Each jet lasts between 20 and 100 seconds, and expels plasma at around 100 km/s. These jets could be the long-sought-after source of the solar wind.
TESS Has Found Thousands of Possible Exoplanets. Which Ones Should JWST Study?
There are more than 5,000 confirmed exoplanets in our galaxy. That number is going to rise significantly in the next decade. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has already cataloged more than 4,000 candidate exoplanets, and the PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) is scheduled to launch in 2026. We will soon have more than 10,000 worlds where life might be able to survive. It’s an amazing idea, but with so many exoplanets we don’t have the resources to search for life on all of them. So how do we prioritize our search?
ISS fires thrusters to avoid oncoming space junk
The International Space Station fired its engines for 21 seconds to move out of the way of space debris on Aug. 24, Russia's space agency Roscosmos said through state media.
What's next for India's Chandrayaan-3 mission on the moon?
India's Chandrayaan-3 mission landed near the moon's south pole on Wednesday (Aug. 23). Its expected lifetime is one lunar day, or two Earth weeks, until the sun sets on the moon.
'Star Wars: Dark Droids' writer breaks down Marvel Comics' spooky new series (exclusive)
An interview with writer Charles Soule about the new Marvel Comics miniseries event, 'Star Wars: Dark Droids.'
Live Coverage: NASA and SpaceX to launch international Crew 7 to the space station
SFN Coverage
Launch Pad Live
Our live broadcast of the Crew 7 launch starts at 10:45 p.m. EDT (0245 UTC). Watch live views of the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon at the Kennedy Space Center in our 24-7 Launch Pad Live stream.
Mission Status Center
Who is Sabine Wren?
There's a new Mandalorian warrior in town and her name is Sabine Wren. Learn more about her role in Star Wars Rebels, the Ahsoka series, and more.
Solar Cycle May Trigger Clouds on Neptune
Nearly 30 years of observations indicate that Neptune’s clouds and brightness vary with the Sun’s activity.
Satellites reveal catastrophic year for emperor penguins amid climate crisis in Antarctica (photos)
Satellite images reveal mass destruction of emperor penguin colonies in climate change-stricken Antarctica as sea ice melts underneath the birds' feet.
