Any material used as a light sail is bound by very restrictive physical requirements. It has to be extremely light , can’t melt from the energy applied to it, and must bend, but not break, from that pressure. Various research groups around the world have been working on materials they believe will meet those requirements, and a new paper from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania describes experimental testing of what they believe to be the most functional light sail material yet developed.
Space News & Blog Articles
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How AI Could Prevent Satellite Collisions
The numbers paint a stark picture of our orbital traffic problem. More than 11,000 active satellites currently circle Earth, with thousands more planned for launch in coming years. Even more concerning are the over 1.2 million pieces of space debris larger than one centimetre hurtling through space at incredible speeds. At those velocities, even a paint chip can damage a spacecraft, while larger debris can destroy entire satellites.
Astronomers Capture Rare Birth of Black Hole Activity
A recent discovery by a team of astronomers centres on a galaxy cluster called CHIPS 1911+4455, located an incredible 6 billion light-years from Earth. At its heart lies a supermassive black hole that has only recently "turned on”, just a thousand years ago. While that might sound like a long time, it's merely a blink of an eye in astronomical terms.
The Eye of Sauron And An Optical Illusion Solve A Cosmic Puzzle
All large galaxies are thought to host supermassive black holes (SMBH). When the black holes are actively accreting material and emitting radiation, astrophysicists call them active galactic nuclei (AGN). Some AGN emit relativistic jets, streams of ionized matter moving at near the speed of light. When those powerful jets are pointed at us, we call them blazars.
NASA's Perseverance rover spies mysterious 'helmet' on Mars (photo)
The medieval-looking "helmet" is the latest addition to Mars' gallery of odd-shaped rocks.
Is water really a necessary ingredient for life? Aliens may swim in truly exotic pools
A new study finds that liquids other than water might be able to support life on worlds beyond Earth, potentially expanding the envelope of life throughout the cosmos.
Tracking the climate-driven shift in Antarctic plankton from space
Combining 25 years of space-based data with ocean sampling, scientists have uncovered a change in the microscopic organisms that underpin the Southern Ocean’s food chain and carbon storage.
Red supergiant star expels mysteriously large cloud of gas
The star, called DFK 52, is a member of a cluster of similar red supergiants, but it's losing mass at an extreme rate never seen before.
No Earth-like atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 d
The exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 d intrigues astronomers looking for possibly habitable worlds beyond our solar system because it is similar in size to Earth, rocky, and resides in an area around its star where liquid water on its surface is theoretically possible. But according to a new study using data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, it does not have an Earth-like atmosphere.
Satellites watch Tropical Storm Erin take shape over the Atlantic Ocean (video)
Forecasters warn Erin may intensify into the season's first major hurricane within days.
New lunar surface simulator in Colorado puts moon machinery to the test
A large simulated moonscape built by the Colorado School of Mines is open for business, allowing researchers and companies to test their ideas for lunar rovers, landing pads, mining gear and more.
China's moon lander passes key test | Space photo of the day for Aug. 13, 2025
The Chinese lunar lander Lanyue recently passed a test in a simulated moon-like environment.
Perseid meteor shower 2025 outshines moon to put on a spectacular show (photos)
The Perseid meteor shower 2025 peaked Aug. 12-13, delighting skywatchers worldwide.
MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5 launch highlights
Video: 00:01:36
Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission – has launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 13 August at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).
This real 'Eye of Sauron' spits out ghost particles in space. Here's what it looks like
"We have never seen anything quite like it."
The Lego Technic Mars Rover Perseverance is now one of its lowest-ever prices on Amazon, with almost 20% off
The 1132-piece buildable replica with moving parts is 18% off as Lego's Technic Mars Rover Perseverance set is one of its lowest prices on Amazon.
MetOp-SG-A1 and Sentinel-5 launch on Ariane 6
Video: 00:01:20
Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission – has launched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 13 August at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time).
First MetOp-SG and Sentinel-5 launched
Ushering in a new era of weather and climate monitoring from polar orbit, the first in a new series of satellites, MetOp Second Generation, has been lofted into orbit aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. As part of this new satellite’s sophisticated instrument package is the new Copernicus Sentinel-5 instrument, which is designed to deliver critical data on air pollutants, ozone and climate-related gases.
ULA launches Vulcan rocket on first Space Force mission
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket roared off the pad at Space Launch Complex 41 to begin the USSF-106 mission for the U.S. Space Force. This was the first national security launch using a Vulcan rocket and the 101st national security mission for ULA. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now
United Launch Alliance fired off it’s first fully operational Vulcan rocket Tuesday, boosting two military satellites into space in the first Space Force-sanctioned flight of a new launcher that eventually will replace the company’s Atlas 5 and already-retired Deltas.
Comet's Water Reveals Clues About Life on Earth
A team of scientists have made a discovery that could help solve one of Earth's greatest mysteries, where did our planet's water come from? Using powerful radio telescopes, the researchers have detected water vapour in a comet located far beyond Neptune's orbit, and the results are changing our understanding of how life sustaining water arrived on our world.
This Is What Happens Inside Lava Planets
Lava planets are some of Nature's most perplexing objects. Though they're rocky, they're locked in orbits so tight to their stars that they're molten. Scientists think that these planets are almost certainly tidally locked to their stars, meaning that their daysides always face their stars, while their nightsides never do. As a result, a lava planet's dayside may be molten while its nightside may not be.
