If we could wind the clock back billions of years, we’d see our Solar System the way it used to be. Planetesimals and other rocky bodies were constantly colliding with each other, and new objects would coalesce out of the debris. Asteroids rained down on the planets and their moons. The gas giants were migrating and contributing to the chaos by destroying gravitational relationships and creating new ones. Even moons and moonlets would’ve been part of the cascade of collisions and impacts.
Space News & Blog Articles
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China adds yet another Yaogan spy satellite to its orbital fleet (launch video)
On Wednesday (Sept. 27), China launched a fourth satellite in the Yaogan 33 group, which are believed to be radar reconnaissance craft.
Right before exploding, this star puffed out a sun's worth of mass
A supernova that recently exploded in the Pinwheel Galaxy has revealed hitherto unknown information about the final days of the star that exploded.
Watch Chinese astronauts light a match on Tiangong space station (video)
China's Shenzhou 16 astronauts conducted an eye-raising experiment in space involving naked flames aboard the Tiangong space station.
Is it Life, or is it Volcanoes?
Astronomers are working hard to understand biosignatures and how they indicate life’s presence on an exoplanet. But each planet we encounter is a unique puzzle. When it comes to planetary atmospheres, carbon is a big piece of the puzzle because it has a powerful effect on climate and biogeochemistry. If scientists can figure out how and where a planet’s carbon comes from and how it behaves in the atmosphere, they’ve made progress in solving the puzzle.
How Did Two Hot and Super-dense Neptunes Form?
Astronomers have discovered two Neptune-size planets that are denser than rock and in searingly close orbits to their star. How did these odd worlds form?
NASA to address concerns about Mars Sample Return mission's 'unrealistic budget'
NASA is forming a response team after an independent review board examined the agency’s ongoing plans and objectives for its upcoming mission to retrieve samples from Mars.
If Earth is Average, We Should Find Extraterrestrial Life Within 60 Light-Years
In 1960, while preparing for the first meeting on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), legendary astronomer and SETI pioneer Dr. Frank Drake unveiled his probabilistic equation for estimating the number of possible civilizations in our galaxy – aka. The Drake Equation. A key parameter in this equation was ne, the number of planets in our galaxy capable of supporting life – aka. “habitable.” At the time, astronomers were not yet certain other stars had systems of planets. But thanks to missions like Kepler, 5523 exoplanets have been confirmed, and another 9,867 await confirmation!
Iran launches 3rd military satellite to orbit
Iran sent its 3rd military satellite to orbit on Wednesday (Sept. 27), lofting the Noor 3 spacecraft atop a Qasem rocket.
Launch of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission slips a week due to spacecraft issue
Artist’s illustration of the Psyche spacecraft and its destination. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The launch of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission is being delayed a week due to an issue with the spacecraft, according to multiple sources. Liftoff on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is now scheduled for no earlier than Oct. 12.
Commercial spaceflight research needs a code of ethics, scientists say
As commercial space flights increase, experts urge clear ethical guidelines on research involving passengers in the absence of existing ethical frameworks.
Japan and India plan 2025 moon mission to hunt for water near the lunar south pole
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Is making progress on its rover for a joint mission with India to the south pole of the moon.
The Van Allen Belts
The Van Allen Belts are two layers of charged particles, primarily electrons and protons, that surround Earth and are held in place by Earth's magnetic field. They were discovered in 1958 by American physicist James Van Allen and his team using instruments on the first US satellite, Explorer 1.
Astronomers discover thousands of active red galaxy hearts with powerful radio signals
The radio signals hint at an important evolutionary step in the lives of galaxies.
How fast will October's annular solar eclipse travel?
The moon's shadow will travel as fast as 7,000 mph on Oct. 14 and as slow as 1,700 mph. We explore what affects the speed of a solar eclipse.
NASA astronaut Jan Davis recounts career, father's POW experience in new book
NASA space shuttle astronaut Jan Davis first read her father's letters about being a WWII prisoner of war in 2020. The collection inspired her to write a new memoir, called "Air Born."
A giant moon collision may have given rise to Saturn's iconic rings, study suggests
A collision between two ancient icy moons that may have once orbited Saturn could have given rise to the planet's iconic ring system, a new study reveals.
Radio telescope will launch to moon's far side in 2025 to hunt for the cosmic Dark Ages
The Dark Ages are the period of time between the Big Bang and the birth of stars and galaxies.
SpaceX launch of NASA's Psyche asteroid mission is just 1 week away
NASA's Psyche mission is set to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket just seven days from now, on Oct. 5.
Material matters
The Biofilms study continues its cosmic quest to combat bacterial contamination. With three experiments aboard the International Space Station, it's on a mission to improve antimicrobial technology, benefitting astronauts and people on Earth alike.
NASA Opens the Lid on OSIRIS-REx's Sample Capsule
On Sunday, September 23rd, the Sample Retrieval Capsule (SRC) from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission landed in the Utah desert. Shortly thereafter, recovery teams arrived in helicopters, inspected and secured the samples, and flew them to the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). On Monday, the sample canister was transferred to the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate (ARES) in Houston, Texas. Yesterday, on Tuesday, September 26th, NASA announced that the process of unsealing and removing the samples from the canister had begun with the removal of the initial lid.
