Breakthrough achieved! After a failed attempt last month, NASAs Perseverance rover has successfully drilled and retrieved a pristine Martian rock sample. This compact core, slated for return to Earth in the early 2030s, may preserve evidence of ancient microbial life. Success on the Second Try The i

Can a spacecraft survive passing through Jupiter? The short answer is no. Deep within this gas giant, temperatures and pressures exceed the limits of any human-engineered material.Jupiter, our solar systems largest planet, consists primarily of hydrogen (about 90% of its atmosphere) and helium (abou

China is advancing its Mars exploration with a lightweight helicopter prototype, inspired by NASAs Ingenuity, to enhance future missions. The first model has received official approval. Pioneering Aerial Exploration on Mars Since landing on the Red Planet in February, NASAs Perseverance rover has be

Instead of waiting for the Long March 9 super-heavy launcher in the early 2030s, China could adapt two proven Long March 5 rockets to enable crewed lunar missions much sooner—potentially this decade.Earlier this year, leaders from Chinas and Russias space agencies signed a pact to build a lunar rese

Astronomers have conducted a detailed analysis of a mysterious galactic object known as The Accident, revealing it to be an exceptionally old brown dwarf formed when the universe was low in methane.An Unusual Brown DwarfNot quite a star and not quite a planet, The Accident belongs to the class of ob

A highly classified U.S. space weapon, known to just a handful of insiders, may soon be revealed through a public demonstration. Top officials are advocating for this move—whats driving the push? Advancing Declassification Efforts The U.S. has long maintained the Counter Communications System, desig

A groundbreaking study from University of California researchers highlights the severe risks a powerful geomagnetic storm poses to undersea cables that power the global internet. The findings are concerning. The Suns Potential Impact on Internet Infrastructure Extreme solar storms, known as coronal

In just days, four private astronauts will launch aboard SpaceXs Resilience spacecraft for Inspiration4—the first all-civilian mission in history. Theyll gaze at Earth from the capsules stunning cupola window. A Historic First The groundbreaking Inspiration4 mission is set for launch from Pad 39A at

Astronomers predict the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will capture a fourth image of a supernova first spotted by Hubble in 2016, thanks to gravitational lensing. This rare event is set for 2037. A Supernova Set to Reappear in 16 Years Astronomers can forecast events like solar eclipses or comet

NASA has announced that the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), developed by Astrobotic, will search for water ice west of Nobile Crater near the lunar south pole. VIPER is scheduled to launch by late 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and land via Astrobotics Griffin lander.N

NASAs InSight lander has detected its three most powerful Marsquakes to date, providing scientists with unprecedented insights into the Red Planets interior. Landed in November 2018 on the western edge of Elysium Planitia at Mars equator, NASAs InSight mission uses sensitive seismometers to capture

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved Virgin Galactic to resume flights of its SpaceShipTwo carrier aircraft, which deploys the VSS Unity spacecraft, following a thorough safety investigation into a July incident. On July 11, Virgin Galactic conducted its first official crewed missi

Astronomers have identified a vast cavity in the Milky Way, carved by a supernova explosion several million years ago. This structure now cradles regions of active star formation. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the findings illuminate supernovaes pivotal role in stellar birth. A 500

NASAs Perseverance rovers first effort to collect a sample from Mars surface didnt yield results. Mission engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are meticulously reviewing telemetry data to determine what went wrong. Having touched down on Mars in February 2021, Perseverance is now at the

NASA is recruiting four qualified individuals to live in the Mars Dune Alpha habitat for a full year, simulating the challenges of long-duration missions to the Red Planet. Applications are open now. Mars Dune Alpha is a 3D-printed, 520-square-meter habitat situated inside a building at NASAs Johnso

A recent study suggests stellar flares from red dwarf stars may impact exoplanet habitability less severely than previously believed.Red dwarfs comprise about 75% of stars in the Milky Way and host most discovered exoplanets. But can they support life? Many astronomers have said no.With good reason:

Experience one of summers premier celestial events: The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on the night of Thursday, August 12, to Friday, August 13. Meteors will also streak across the sky on preceding and following nights. Astronomers eagerly await the Perseids each year. Already visible for s

For NASAs Artemis III mission—the first human Moon landing since Apollo—astronauts will don advanced, safer, and more efficient spacesuits. But a recent report reveals they wont be ready by the 2024 target.NASAs Next-Generation SpacesuitsSpacesuits serve as personalized spacecraft, sustaining astron

Caltech researchers are gearing up to test groundbreaking technology that harvests solar power in space and beams it to Earth.The concept of capturing sunlight in orbit and transmitting it back to Earth dates back to a 1968 technical paper. This approach promises round-the-clock electricity generati

A Canadian startup, Geometric Energy Corporation (GEC), plans to launch a satellite for broadcasting advertisements in space. Amid online backlash, lets examine the facts: Can these ads be seen from backyards? Will they disrupt astronomy?Pixelated Displays Visible Only OnlineGEC has engineered a Cub