Using scientific instruments in novel ways is a common practice, but still results in significant new discoveries. But sometimes, it doesn’t happen so much as a “that’s funny” moment as an intentional new use of old equipment. A new paper from researchers that Imperial College London (ICL), PhD student Solomon Hirsch and his advisor Mark Sephton, shows how the gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers that have been a mainstay of Martian probes since the Viking era could be used to find extant life there.
Space News & Blog Articles
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60-Second Astro News: Light Pollution, Birds, and Zambuto Mirrors
In this roundup of recent news, birds react to light pollution and a respected mirror maker calls it a day.
Juice team resolves anomaly on approach to Venus
The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is on track for its gravity-assist flyby at Venus on 31 August, following the successful resolution of a spacecraft communication anomaly that temporarily severed contact with Earth.
NASA's Psyche asteroid probe beams home haunting view of distant Earth (photo)
NASA's Psyche spacecraft, which is headed toward a big and bizarre metal asteroid, has delivered a stunning perspective of our home planet from deep space.
SpaceX calls off critical Starship Flight 10 test launch due to 'issue with ground systems'
SpaceX scrubbed the planned 10th test flight of its Starship megarocket today (Aug. 24), citing a problem with ground systems at its Starbase site in South Texas.
SpaceX scrubs crucial 10th test flight of Starship
File photo of Starship rising from its launch pad at Starbase in South Texas. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.
Update Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m. EDT: SpaceX scrubbed the launch attempt due to a ground systems issue.
How the Apollo Missions Unlocked the Origins of the Moon
You know, if you think about it, and trust me we’re about to, the Moon is kind of weird. Of all the terrestrial worlds of the solar system, we’re the only one with a substantial natural satellite. Mercury and Venus have nothing. And while Mars technically has two moons, they’re really just captured asteroids and don’t really count. Sorry Phobos and Deimos, but that’s the way it is.
NASA Researchers Show How Ceres Could Have Once Been Habitable
When NASA's Dawn mission arrived at Ceres in 2015, scientists and the general public got their first detailed look at this strange and beautiful planetoid. As the largest object in the Main Asteroid Belt, accounting for more than 39% of its total mass, Ceres is the only object in the Belt that has undergone hydrostatic equilibrium (aka. became round under the influence of its own gravity). The data Dawn obtained between 2015 and 2018, when the mission ran out of fuel, revealed some very interesting things about this mysterious, icy planetoid.
Watch SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule arrive at the ISS on Aug. 25 with 5,000 pounds of supplies
A SpaceX cargo ship is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station on Monday morning (Aug. 25), and you can watch the rendezvous live.
Put a ring on it: Saturn trivia quiz!
Could you be the Lord of the rings (of Saturn)? Try your hand at our Saturn-themed space quiz!
The 10 best sci-fi TV shows of the 1980s
From the semi-annoying antics of 'ALF' to 'Knight Rider's' awesome autonomous auto, the 1980s were a transitional time for stimulating small-screen science fiction!
Climate models reveal how human activity may be locking the American Southwest into permanent drought
A new wave of climate research is sounding a stark warning: Human activity may be driving drought more intensely — and more directly — than previously understood.
Black holes that transform matter into dark energy could solve 'cosmic hiccups' mystery
If black holes are actually droplets of dark energy that convert stellar matter into this mysterious and dominant force, many "cosmic hiccups" could soon be cured.
NASA, SpaceX launch Dragon to the ISS on extended cargo, station boosting mission
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to begin SpaceX’s 33rd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-33) mission to the International Space Station. Image: SpaceX
A Cargo Dragon spacecraft from SpaceX lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket in the early hours Sunday morning to begin a day-long journey to the International Space Station. It carried with it more than 5,000 pounds of cargo and science experiment supplies for the astronauts onboard and a new propulsion package for orbit raising maneuvers.
New Study Suggests We Should Search for "Spillover" from Extraterrestrial Radio Communications
Since the dawn of the Space Age, agencies have relied on powerful arrays of communication antennas positioned worldwide to control, coordinate, and retrieve data from their missions. Today, NASA and its partner agencies rely on the Deep Space Network (DSN) to communicate with the many probes, orbiters, landers, and rovers they have operating beyond Earth. These signals also lead to "spillover," where radio signals reach far beyond robotic missions and propagate for light-years through space.
The Moon’s Dirty Past
How do you tell how old an astronomical object is? I mean, the next time the Moon is in the sky, take a look at it. How would you even begin to answer that question?
Advancing Lunar Habitats with Thermoelectric Power Generation
How can thermoelectric generators (TEGs) help advance future lunar surface habitats? This is what a recent study published in Acta Astronautica hopes to address as a team of researchers from the Republic of Korea investigated a novel technique for improving power efficiency and reliability under the Moon’s harsh conditions. This study has the potential to help mission planners, engineers, and future astronauts develop technologies necessary for deep space human exploration to the Moon and beyond.
Live coverage: NASA, SpaceX to launch Cargo Dragon on a mission to boost space station orbit
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of the launch of SpaceX’s 33rd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-33) mission. Image: SpaceX
NASA and SpaceX are preparing to embark on a unique cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Dragon spacecraft set to launch in the predawn hours of Sunday morning features a new propulsion system inside its unpressurized trunk.
NASA will announce its new astronaut class in September
NASA will announce its new astronaut class in September, as well as details about the Artemis 2 crewed mission around the moon.
Watch SpaceX launch 5,000 pounds of cargo to the ISS early on Aug. 24
SpaceX will launch its 33rd Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station early Sunday morning (Aug. 24), and you can watch the action live.
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 174 — Gifts From Orbit
On Episode 174 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and and Tariq Malik are joined by Lynn Harper to discuss some of the amazing research taking place aboard the International Space Station.
