Falcon 9 launches Project Kuiper satellites
SpaceX provided a lift for a competitor in the satellite broadband sector with the Falcon 9 launch of spacecraft for Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation July 16. The post Falcon 9…
Protestors rally behind NASA in the face of budget cuts and layoffs
It’s rare for protestors to show up outside NASA headquarters in Washington — and even rarer when they include a Pokémon character. But on the morning of June 30, about…
New study calls for rapid development of space nuclear power systems
A new study recommends that the United States pursue rapid development of a space nuclear power system to keep pace with geopolitical rivals. The post New study calls for rapid…
Synthetic Biology Could Support Future Outposts on the Moon and Mars
When we leave Earth, we have to bring everything with us, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. For example, a 6-person, 1000-day mission might require 108…
Newly-Discovered Interstellar Comet is Billions of Years Older Than the Solar System
All eyes are on the newly discovered interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, currently inbound to the inner solar system. Initial observations have revealed that it’s rich in water ice, and it’s believed…
Astronomers Use the Colours of Trans-Neptunian Objects’ to Track an Ancient Stellar Flyby
Trans-Neptunian Objects reside in the distant Solar System as remnants of the System’s early days. They follow unusual orbits and range in colour from reds to greys. New research uses…
To Find Another Earth, We Need to Understand Atmospheric Escape
Atmospheric escape shapes an exoplanet’s future. Earth’s exosphere is extended and detectable due to ocean-related atmospheric escape. If we can detect the same features on an exoplanet, it could suggest…
This Planet’s Death Spiral Could Teach Us A Lesson About Rocky Exoplanets
Macquarie University astronomers have tracked an extreme planet’s orbital decay, confirming it is spiraling toward its star in a cosmic death dance that could end in three possible ways. It…
Support from satellite services grows to 18% of UK GDP
New research released by the UK Space Agency underscores the country’s growing reliance on satellite technologies, which supported industries accounting for about 18% of national GDP. The post Support from…
The precursors of life could form in the lakes of Saturn’s moon Titan
New research indicates that cellular “pockets” that are the first step toward protocells, the precursors of life, could form in the methane seas of Saturn’s moon Titan.