Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object now in interstellar space, recently used a clever thruster technique to maintain communication with Earth. Facing issues with its thrusters and limited power, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineers managed to switch to a backup thruster system. Despite the spacecraft’s advanced age and declining power, the team successfully reoriented Voyager 1 towards Earth by warming a dormant thruster … Continue reading NASA’s Voyager 1 probe swaps thrusters in tricky fix as it flies through interstellar space

Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman completed the first private spacewalk on Thursday, emerging from a SpaceX capsule 460 miles above Earth. This marks a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight, previously limited to professional astronauts. Isaacman, testing SpaceX’s new spacesuits, performed the spacewalk briefly, lasting less than two hours. SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis also conducted a brief spacewalk. The mission, part of Isaacman’s Polaris program, was designed … Continue reading Tech billionaire pulls off first private spacewalk high above Earth

NASA has approved the launch of the Europa Clipper spacecraft, scheduled for October 10 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. After addressing concerns about the spacecraft’s transistors and their ability to handle Europa’s intense radiation, NASA confirmed that the spacecraft is ready for its $5 billion mission. The Europa Clipper will spend six years traveling to Jupiter, conducting close flybys of Europa to investigate its … Continue reading NASA spacecraft to study Jupiter moon’s underground ocean cleared for October launch

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, a groundbreaking journey into Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts with a four-person civilian crew aiming to conduct the first commercial spacewalk, successfully launched at 5:23 a.m. ET. SpaceX livestreamed the event, with ground controllers offering encouragement to the crew, including the first SpaceX employees to go to space. The mission, delayed by weather, requires careful timing for the crew’s five-day return, … Continue reading SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn crew

NASA is exploring the possibility of using commercial services for Mars exploration due to the high costs and challenges of sending missions to the Red Planet. The agency is considering buying services like imagery, transportation, and communications from private companies to reduce costs and enhance scientific research. This approach could enable more frequent and cost-effective missions. NASA’s Mars Exploration Program is currently conducting feasibility studies … Continue reading NASA charts path toward commercial services for Mars

On September 8, the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully deorbited the first Cluster satellite, “Salsa,” performing a controlled reentry over the South Pacific to minimize debris risks. This “targeted reentry” was a first, allowing ESA to precisely control the satellite’s reentry time and location, thanks to its highly elliptical orbit. The operation is part of ESA’s Zero Debris approach, aiming to eliminate space debris by … Continue reading ESA performs targeted reentry of Cluster satellite

A team led by Chris Martin at Caltech has used the Keck Cosmic Web Imager to capture the first detailed image of the gas halo surrounding a galaxy. This “shroud” extends 100,000 light years into space and contains up to 90% of the universe’s normal matter, primarily hydrogen and helium. The breakthrough was achieved using an ultra-faint spectrograph to observe a seemingly empty region of … Continue reading New measurements reveal the enormous halos that shroud all galaxies in the universe

China’s space plane has successfully completed its third mission, returning to Earth after spending over eight months in orbit. The spacecraft landed at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on September 6, 2024, after launching on December 14, 2023. While details about the space plane’s capabilities remain unclear, it is expected to advance future space travel. The mission included deploying a small object, potentially a subsatellite, … Continue reading China’s mysterious space plane returns to Earth after 268 days in orbit

A decade of observations with the Subaru Telescope has revealed a new cluster of objects beyond the Kuiper Belt, potentially indicating a previously unknown structure in our Solar System. This discovery, set to be detailed in the Planetary Science Journal, suggests that the Kuiper Belt may extend much farther than previously thought. The cluster, consisting of 11 objects orbiting between 70 and 90 astronomical units … Continue reading SCIENTISTS INTRIGUED BY SIGNS OF HIDDEN RING OF OBJECTS AT EDGE OF SOLAR SYSTEM

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft successfully landed in New Mexico after a challenging test flight, which saw its crew of astronauts remain safely on the International Space Station due to concerns over thruster performance. NASA opted for an uncrewed return to avoid risks, following past issues with the spacecraft’s thrusters. Despite the smooth landing, which NASA described as a “bullseye,” the decision to leave astronauts Butch Wilmore … Continue reading With no crew aboard, spacecraft Starliner lands without a hitch

A newly discovered asteroid, named 2024 RW1, met a dramatic end above the Philippines, exploding into a bright green fireball visible up to 250 miles away. Discovered on September 4 by the Catalina Sky Survey, this 3-foot-wide space rock broke apart in Earth’s atmosphere on September 5, likely due to its high magnesium content. The event was captured in stunning photos and videos, as advance … Continue reading Asteroid slams into Earth triggering stunning green ‘fireball’ above the Philippines

China plans to launch its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission in 2028, according to mission lead Liu Jizhong. The mission will involve two Long March 5 rockets: one to carry a lander and ascent vehicle, and another for an orbiter and return module. It will build on technology from the Tianwen-1 mission and may include a helicopter and a six-legged robot for sample collection. Although … Continue reading China sets historic Mars mission for 2028

The BepiColombo Mercury probe, a joint mission by ESA and JAXA, made its fourth flyby of Mercury on September 4, 2024, capturing detailed images of the planet’s cratered surface. Passing just 103 miles above Mercury, the spacecraft provided some of its best images yet, including notable craters Vivaldi and Stoddart. This gravity assist maneuver, part of BepiColombo’s eight-year journey to Mercury, helps slow the spacecraft … Continue reading BepiColombo probe captures stunning Mercury images in closest flyby yet

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the U.S. Space Force are working to enhance their collaboration in collecting and distributing space-based intelligence to global military users. With a push for faster access to commercial satellite images in rapidly changing scenarios, Space Force operators are now stationed at NGA’s Springfield, Virginia campus to address issues such as satellite tasking and tracking moving targets. The National Reconnaissance … Continue reading Space Force and intelligence agencies seek to streamline satellite imagery delivery

NASA is preparing to clear the Europa Clipper spacecraft for launch next month after successful testing of its transistors, which confirmed they can handle the mission’s conditions. In July, concerns were raised about the transistors’ performance in Jupiter’s high-radiation environment. However, recent results suggest they will support the mission. The spacecraft is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy during a window starting October … Continue reading NASA moving ahead with Europa Clipper launch in October

On August 31, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reported a strange pulsing noise from the speakers of the Starliner spacecraft, currently docked at the ISS. Mission Control described the sound as similar to a sonar ping and noted it was due to an audio configuration issue between the spacecraft and the station. NASA assured that the noise had no impact on the crew, the Starliner, or … Continue reading ‘Strange noise’ coming from Boeing Starliner made astronaut contact mission control

SpaceX successfully launched two Falcon 9 rockets within an hour early Saturday, delivering 42 Starlink satellites into orbit and achieving back-to-back booster landings. The launches, from Florida and California, followed a recent failure where a booster landed unsuccessfully on August 28. The Florida mission, carrying 21 satellites with new “Direct to Cell” capabilities, saw its booster land on the Atlantic drone ship “Just Read The … Continue reading SpaceX launches back-to-back Falcon 9 rockets

General Stephen Whiting, head of the US Space Command, has urged China to improve communication about space debris as its rocket launches increase. China’s efforts to expand its satellite network, including the Qianfan Constellation, have resulted in significant debris in orbit. Notably, a recent Long March 6A rocket launch created over 700 fragments, while another in November 2022 dispersed more than 530 pieces of debris. … Continue reading US Space Force general urges China to report space debris as G60 satellite network launches

NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines a $116.9 million contract to deliver six payloads to the moon’s south polar region in 2027. This mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, will use Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander to transport experiments from NASA, the European Space Agency, and the University of Colorado Boulder. The payloads include studies on biology, planetary science, and a laser retroreflector … Continue reading NASA selects Intuitive Machines for south pole lunar lander mission

Blue Origin successfully launched and landed its eighth suborbital space tourism mission, NS-26, from its West Texas spaceport this morning. The flight, which took off at 9:07 a.m. EDT, reached an altitude of 341,000 feet before returning to Earth at 9:19 a.m. EDT. The six-person crew, including philanthropist Nicolina Elrick and NASA-funded researcher Rob Ferl, enjoyed a few minutes of weightlessness. Ferl conducted plant growth … Continue reading Blue Origin launches 6 people to space, lands safely on NS-26 flight

NASA’s Endurance rocket has confirmed the existence of a long-hypothesized ambipolar electric field surrounding Earth. Launched from Norway’s Svalbard in May 2022, the rocket detected this weak electric field, which is believed to influence the polar wind and contribute to Earth’s unique atmospheric conditions. The field’s detection, reported in Nature, shows an electric potential change of just 0.55 volts, sufficient to drive the polar wind and … Continue reading NASA Discovers Hidden Atmospheric Force Driving Particles Into Space

NASA’s Perseverance rover is embarking on a challenging climb up 1,000 feet to the rim of Jezero Crater on Mars, after spending 3 1/2 years exploring its floor. The rover, which has already collected 22 rock samples from the crater’s bottom, will now gather samples from the crater’s rim. These samples could provide insights into Mars’ ancient climate and the possibility of past life. The … Continue reading NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars begins steep climb to rim of a crater

Stargazers can enjoy a rare planetary alignment this week, with several planets visible just before sunrise on Wednesday. This “planetary parade” will feature Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, all gathered closely on one side of the Sun. While Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, spotting Mercury may be challenging due to its proximity to the horizon. Telescopes … Continue reading Big ‘planetary parade’ will see 6 planets line

SpaceX has delayed the launch of its Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to send four private citizens to space, due to unfavorable weather off the coast of Florida. The mission, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, was scheduled for an early Wednesday launch but was postponed to ensure safe reentry conditions, as the capsule won’t be docking at the International Space Station. A backup launch window … Continue reading SpaceX postpones the launch of private Polaris mission once again

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost, a 6½-foot-tall robotic moon lander, is set to launch later this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. This mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, will carry scientific instruments to the Moon’s Mare Crisium basin. Currently undergoing environmental testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Blue Ghost is expected to gather critical data for future human … Continue reading Blue Ghost, a robotic moon lander built by Firefly Aerospace, to launch soon on SpaceX Falcon 9