Looking Ahead: Science fiction movies, television shows, and literature have often portrayed scenarios of human habitation on the moon. While this may seem like a distant dream for most, NASA is actively working on plans to establish 3D-printed lunar residences that will be inhabited by both astronauts and civilians by the year 2040. According to a New York Times report featuring insights from seven NASA … Continue reading NASA targets 2040 for 3D-printed moon homes for astronauts, civilians

China is set to expand its space station, increasing the number of modules from three to six in the coming years. This expansion will provide astronauts from various nations with an alternative platform for near-Earth missions, particularly as the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) approaches the end of its operational lifespan. The China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a division of China’s primary space contractor, … Continue reading China to double the size of its space station as it offers an alternative to NASA-led ISS

The powerful emissions from celestial beacons known as pulsars are far more energetic than previously believed, raising questions about the energy sources driving them. An extensive analysis conducted by the High Energy Stereoscopic System array in Namibia has unveiled a pulsar emitting radiation at a remarkable 20 trillion electron volts, marking it as the most energetically active pulsar ever observed. This discovery, reported on October … Continue reading Vela’s exploded star is the highest-energy pulsar ever seen

NASA’s Perseverance rover identified a dust devil while exploring the Jezero Crater on Mars. Utilizing images taken by one of the rover’s Navigation Cameras (NavCams), a video was created (viewable below), comprising 21 frames captured at four-second intervals and accelerated by 20 times. Resembling brief whirlwinds on Earth, these vertical wind columns emerge when pockets of hot air near the Martian surface swiftly ascend through … Continue reading Perseverance Captures a 1.2-Mile-High Dust Devil Whirling Across Mars

NASA has issued a request for designs of a “lunar freezer” intended to securely store materials obtained from the moon during the upcoming Artemis missions. As outlined in a request for information (RFI) published on the federal contracting website SAM.gov, the primary purpose of this freezer will be to facilitate the safe transport of scientific and geological samples from the moon back to Earth. These … Continue reading NASA wants a ‘lunar freezer’ for its Artemis moon missions

Scientists have obtained their initial glimpse of a sample collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, and in the process, they stumbled upon more than they had anticipated. Upon opening the canister containing the sample on September 26, researchers were surprised to find an abundance of dark, fine-grained material adhering to the inside of the container’s lid and the base around the mechanism used to gather … Continue reading Returned Asteroid Sample Canister Contains Way More Asteroid Than Expected

NASA’s mission to explore the metal-rich asteroid known as “Psyche” has encountered a delay due to issues with the spacecraft’s thrusters, the agency disclosed in a recent announcement. The launch of the Psyche spacecraft has been rescheduled for a week later, now aiming for a new launch date of October 12th at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as detailed in a NASA blog post. … Continue reading NASA delays Psyche asteroid mission over spacecraft’s thrusters

On October 14, an annular solar eclipse is set to grace the skies over North, Central, and South America, promising a remarkable spectacle for those fortunate enough to witness it. This rare celestial event presents a unique opportunity for scientists as well. Described as a “ring of fire” eclipse, this breathtaking phenomenon occurs when the moon, in its farthest point from Earth during its orbit, … Continue reading A ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse is coming

NASA has chosen SpaceX to launch a pair of small satellites in 2025 as part of a rideshare mission dedicated to studying space weather. On September 29, NASA revealed that it had awarded SpaceX a task order for launching the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS), two small satellites designed to investigate space weather and the Earth’s magnetosphere from low Earth orbit. NASA … Continue reading NASA selects SpaceX for rideshare launch of smallsat mission

SpaceX maintained its impressive pace of space launches on Friday night, successfully placing 22 Starlink satellites into lower Earth orbit from Florida’s Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch occurred at 10 p.m. EDT at Space Launch Complex 40, with the first stage returning to Earth safely approximately 8 minutes after liftoff. Notably, this marked the 10th time the first-stage booster had been utilized in a … Continue reading SpaceX launches 22 new Starlink satellites into space

India’s sun-monitoring spacecraft has reached a significant milestone on its voyage to break free from “the sphere of Earth’s influence,” according to its space agency. This achievement comes shortly after the disappointment of the moon rover’s failure to reactivate. The Aditya-L1 mission, which embarked on its four-month journey toward the heart of the solar system on September 2, is equipped with instruments designed to observe … Continue reading Indian spacecraft heads towards center of solar system

On October 14, a celestial event will unfold as the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow over North, Central, and South America, as reported by NASA. This particular eclipse occurring in October will be categorized as an annular solar eclipse, a classification based on the moon’s positioning during the event. According to NASA, the moon will traverse between the Earth … Continue reading North America to experience solar eclipse in October

Later this week, when this year’s harvest moon graces the night sky, it will also take on the role of a “supermoon,” bestowing it with the potential to appear slightly larger and more luminous. This celestial spectacle represents the final supermoon of the year, following the buck supermoon in July and the sturgeon and blue supermoons in August. Its ascent is anticipated between Thursday night … Continue reading 2023’s harvest moon will also be the last supermoon of the year

While NASA celebrated the triumphant landing of a capsule brimming with gravel and soil collected from asteroid Bennu, the spacecraft responsible for this delivery had already embarked on a new trajectory. The robotic explorer, which had been on a seven-year voyage as part of NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex asteroid sample return mission, didn’t get a moment’s rest. Approximately 20 minutes after releasing the capsule containing fragments from … Continue reading NASA spacecraft zooms to new asteroid after dropping capsule on Earth

SpaceX is continuing its impressive streak of reusability with a planned launch on the Space Coast Saturday night, marking the 200th occasion the company has relied on a previously used booster to transport payloads into space. The mission, known as Starlink 6-18, involves a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites and is scheduled to take off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch … Continue reading SpaceX sets up 200th reflight with Cape Canaveral launch tonight

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered indigenous carbon dioxide on Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, opening up the possibility that this frigid water-covered world could provide a habitat for life. Europa, slightly smaller than Earth’s moon, boasts an icy surface enveloping a saltwater ocean beneath. The existence of liquid water makes Europa a captivating subject for scientific exploration, especially regarding the search for extraterrestrial … Continue reading Webb telescope finds potential signature of life on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa

Engineers at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have initiated efforts to awaken the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander and rover from their hibernation following a two-week frigid lunar night. ISRO reported on Friday (September 22) via a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that they have been making endeavors “to establish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to ascertain their wake-up condition.” As … Continue reading India tries waking up Chandrayaan-3 moon lander, without success

NASA scientists are assessing the possibility of asteroid Bennu colliding with Earth in the future, potentially impacting an area comparable to the size of Texas. Bennu, categorized as a Near-Earth Object (NEO), orbits close to our planet approximately every six years. Scientists have been monitoring it since its discovery in September 1999. Researchers suggest that there is an exceedingly slim chance that Bennu might pass … Continue reading NASA predicts large asteroid impact could be in Earth’s future

Approximately three billion years ago, during one of Mars’ last wet periods, powerful debris flows transported mud and boulders down the flank of a massive mountain. These debris flows spread out, forming a fan-shaped deposit. Over time, wind erosion sculpted this deposit into a towering ridge, preserving a fascinating record of Mars’ watery history. Now, after three attempts, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has successfully reached … Continue reading NASA’s Curiosity rover reaches Mars ridge where water left debris pileup

On Saturday, September 16, a colossal solar filament, commonly known as a solar tendril, extended outward from the sun, propelling a scorching plasma eruption known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a watch for a G2-class moderate geomagnetic storm, with particular attention to the section of the CME directed toward Earth, expected to … Continue reading Massive eruption on sun hurls coronal mass ejection toward Earth

NASA has unveiled its groundbreaking report on UFOs as the space agency advocates for enhanced tracking using artificial intelligence (AI) to aid in the quest for signs of extraterrestrial life. This report, undertaken by a team of 16 experts from NASA, delved into the collection of data on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs) from various sources, including the US government and private sectors. NASA defines UAPs … Continue reading NASA publishes long-awaited UFO report

New evidence discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope suggests the possibility of surface water on a massive planet located approximately 120 light-years away from Earth. This investigation, conducted using one of the most advanced astronomical instruments, has unveiled intriguing characteristics of the exoplanet K2-18b, raising the prospect of it being capable of supporting water and potentially life. K2-18b, which closely orbits the cool dwarf … Continue reading Planet in ‘habitable’ zone could have rare oceans and a possible sign of life

The U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office have successfully launched their latest space observation satellites in a mission shrouded in secrecy known as “Silent Barker.” This joint mission was conducted on September 10, with a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. Once these satellites become operational, their primary task will be to monitor … Continue reading Space Force, NRO launch ‘Silent Barker’ space observation satellites

In the Northern Hemisphere, an extraordinary celestial event is approaching: the sighting of a comet that has remained hidden from Earth for more than four centuries. Named Nishimura after the amateur Japanese astronomer who first spotted it, this unique green comet will come closest to Earth, reaching a distance of 78 million miles, on September 12, as reported by the Associated Press. To catch a … Continue reading Rare green comet Nishimura, unseen for 400 years, set to pass by Earth

A groundbreaking satellite, poised to illuminate celestial objects in an unprecedented manner, and the lunar lander known as the “Moon Sniper,” embarked on their journeys on Wednesday night. The launch by the Japanese Space Agency, which had been rescheduled multiple times due to adverse weather conditions, took place aboard an H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 7:42 p.m. ET on Wednesday, or 8:42 … Continue reading Japan launches X-ray satellite, ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar lander