The Zhurong rover has operated on the surface of Mars for over a year since it deployed on May 22nd, 2021. Before the rover suspended operations on May 20th, 2022, due to the onset of winter and the approach of seasonal sandstorms, Zhurong managed to traverse a total distance of 1.921 km (1.194 mi). During the first kilometer of this trek, the rover obtained vital data on Mars’ extremely weak magnetic fields. According to a new study by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), these readings indicate that the magnetic field is extremely weak beneath the rover’s landing site.
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Germany is Building a Tiny Rover That Will Roam the Surface of Phobos
At this very moment, eleven robotic missions are operating in orbit or on the surface of Mars, more than at any point during the past sixty years. These include the many orbiters surveying the Red Planet from orbit, the handful of landers and rovers, and one helicopter (Ingenuity) studying the surface. In the coming years, many more are expected, reflecting the growing number of nations participating in the exploration process. Once there, they will join in the ongoing search for clues about the planet’s formation, evolution, and possible evidence that life once existed there.
Private space tug spins out of control after recent SpaceX launch
An onboard anomaly sent space startup Launcher's Orbital SN3 vehicle into an uncontrollable spin following SpaceX's Transporter-8 launch June 12.
New laser communications system arrives at NASA for Artemis 2 moon mission
The Orion capsule that will fly NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission recently received an essential piece of mission hardware — a novel laser-communication module.
60-Second Astro News: No Air on Venus Twin, Young Jupiter Discovery
Astronomers have discovered Jupiter's younger sibling in a system 88 light-years away. Meanwhile, only 40 light-years away, a Venus-size world turns out to be airless (or nearly so).
A Nearby Supernova Almost Destroyed the Solar System Before it Could Form
Way back in time, about 4.6 billion years ago, our Sun and planets were busily forming nestled inside a cloud of gas and dust. Not far away, a supernova exploded, threatening to tear everything apart. Luckily, a filament of molecular gas protected the infant Solar System from imminent destruction.
Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City' is a love letter to UFO culture
Space.com's review of director Wes Anderson's latest feature film, "Asteroid City," a heavily stylized tale of a close encounter during a high school science competition.
Watching the Watchers With Nancy Grace Roman
Astronomers are getting better at gathering data about exoplanets. We have discovered thousands of them, measuring their mass, size, and orbital parameters, and we are starting to measure other aspects such as their temperature and atmospheric composition. Of course, the big hope is that in time we will discover the presence of life on some of these distant worlds, and perhaps even find evidence of an alien civilization. And if there are aliens out there, it’s reasonable to assume they might be looking for us as well. A new study proposes one way we might find each other.
SpaceX making 'well over 1,000' changes to Starship ahead of next launch
SpaceX has made more than 1,000 changes to the design of its giant Starship vehicle ahead of its next test flight, company founder and CEO Elon Musk said over the weekend.
Watch house-size asteroid 2023 MU2 fly by Earth at over 2,000 mph (video)
A house-size asteroid zoomed past Earth on June 25 at a staggering 2,000 mph and the Virtual Telescope Project was able to image the near-Earth object in real time.
North Korea's 1st spy satellite has been pulled from the sea after launch failure: report
South Korean military authorities have salvaged North Korea's first spy satellite after its failed first launch last month, according to reports.
Space tourism companies might learn a lesson from the Titan sub disaster. But are they ready to listen?
The tragedy of the Titan submersible might usher in a sea change in the tolerance of unclear hazard mitigation practices in space tourism companies.
Virgin Galactic to launch its 1st commercial spaceflight on June 29
Virgin Galactic is aiming for no earlier than Thursday (June 29) for the company's first commercial spaceflight aboard its reusable VSS Unity space plane.
Paris Air Show 2023: a memorable edition brought the future of space to Europe
The 54th edition of the Paris Air Show, held from 19 to 25 June, just came to an end. The week-long show, one the oldest and largest aerospace events in the world, welcomed institutional and trade visitors on the first four days, while on the last three days it opened its doors to space and aviation enthusiasts, students and children with their families. With more than 20 000 people visiting the ESA/CNES pavilion in the last three public days, the Paris Air Show 2023 showcased the successes and ambitions of the European Space Agency for a record-breaking number of visitors to the ESA pavilion.
Ariane 6 progress toward inaugural flight: ArianeGroup, Les Mureaux, France
Video: 00:02:58
In June 2023, representatives from ESA, the French space agency CNES, Ariane 6 and launch operator Arianespace met at ArianeGroup’s rocket factory in Les Mureaux, near Paris, to see how the all-new Ariane 6 is taking shape.
Webb makes first detection of crucial carbon molecule in a planet-forming disc
An international team of scientists have used data collected by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to detect a molecule [1] known as the methyl cation (CH3+) for the first time, located in the protoplanetary disc surrounding a young star. They accomplished this feat with a cross-disciplinary expert analysis, including key input from laboratory spectroscopists.
Euclid meets Falcon 9 adaptor
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On Friday 23 June, Euclid was secured to the adaptor of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Engineers attached the satellite to the adaptor that will be placed on the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will launch Euclid into space. ESA’s new cosmological mission Euclid is getting ready for lift-off with a target launch date of 1 July 2023 from Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA).
James Webb Space Telescope could determine if nearby exoplanet is habitable
The exoplanet LP 890-9c resides near the inner edge of its star's habitable zone, and if conditions are favorable it could potentially support liquid water and life.
Watch the world choke on CO2 in eerie NASA videos of manmade emissions
The animations highlight emissions from different human and natural sources, with the main contribution coming from the burning of fossil fuels.
Is dark matter fuzzy? Ultracold state of matter sheds light on dark matter candidate
An exotic, ultracold state of matter on Earth is helping scientists study the behavior of "fuzzy" dark matter.
Exotic new state of matter discovered by squishing subatomic particles into an ultradense crystal
By shining a strong beam of light through two chemical compounds, scientists discovered a unique new state of matter made of particles called excitons.
