Earlier this week, scientists announced the discovery of phosphine on Venus, a potential signature of life. Now, in an amazing coincidence, a European and Japanese spacecraft is about to fly past the planet – and could confirm the discovery. On Monday, September 14, a team of scientists said they had found evidence for phosphine in Read more about In A Complete Fluke, A Euro/Jap Spacecraft Is About To Fly Past Venus – And Could Look For Signs Of Life[…]

The International Space Station has served as the world’s most unique laboratory for two decades, hosting hundreds of scientific experiments, crews of astronauts and even the occasional slime. But now, NASA, one of the space station’s primary operators, is preparing to oversee the largest push of business activity aboard the ISS. Later this month, up Read more about Estée Lauder products will launch to space. NASA astronauts will fllm them floating around the ISS[…]

An international team of astronomers, led by Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University, today announced the discovery of a rare molecule—phosphine—in the clouds of Venus. On Earth, this gas is only made industrially, or by microbes that thrive in oxygen-free environments. […] finding that phosphine is present but scarce—only about twenty molecules in every billion. Read more about Hints of life on Venus: Scientists detect phosphine molecules in high cloud decks[…]

Rocket Lab recently made a successful return to flight and launched a client satellite from its Electron Rocket, but that’s not all that happened on the mission. The company also secretly launched its own satellite, called Photon, that could one day fly ambitious deep space missions. Photon is based on Rocket Lab’s “Kick Stage,” which Read more about Rocket Lab secretly launched its own satellite that may one day go to the Moon[…]

In recent days, China has quietly launched a secret reusable spacecraft, left it in orbit for two days and safely landed it back on Earth. And although the spacecraft is top secret—we’re not even privy to its design—there are some things that China apparently wants the world to know about it. According to Xinhua, China’s Read more about China Just Launched and Landed a Secret Reusable Spacecraft[…]

All the planets of our solar system are encased in a magnetic bubble, carved out in space by the Sun’s constantly outflowing material, the solar wind. Outside this bubble is the interstellar medium — the ionized gas and magnetic field that fills the space between stellar systems in our galaxy. One question scientists have tried Read more about Our Solar System’s Magnetic Sheild (Heliosphere) is Shaped like a croissant[…]

The Mars 2020 mission with its Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The Mars 2020 mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key Astrobiology questions about the potential for life on Mars. The mission takes the next step by not Read more about NASA sends Perseverance Rover to Mars – with a little helicopter on it![…]

Researchers have spotted large waves of martian sand migrating for the first time. The discovery dispels the long-held belief that these “megaripples” haven’t moved since they formed hundreds of thousands of years ago. They’re also evidence of stronger-than-expected winds on the Red Planet. It’s pretty staggering that humans can detect these changes on Mars, says Read more about Giant waves of sand are moving on Mars[…]

“Comet Neowise has been the brightest and most visible space snowball in a generation, but it’s also the first naked-eye comet to visit us in the new era of satellite mega-constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink,” writes CNET. “In just the latest episode of Starlink ‘trains’ irritating astronomers, a number of images have been circulating of the Read more about SpaceX’s Starlink Satellites ‘Photo-Bombing’ Shots of Comet Neowise[…]

“A photo and film restoration specialist, who goes by the name of DutchSteamMachine, has worked some AI magic to enhance original Apollo film, creating strikingly clear and vivid video clips and images,” reports Universe Today: Take a look at this enhanced footage from an Apollo 16 lunar rover traverse with Charlie Duke and John Young, Read more about Historic Moon Landing Footage Enhanced By AI, and the Results Are Incredible[…]

China has successfully launched a Mars probe. The middle kingdom’s previous red planet effort, 2011’s Yinghuo-1, rode on a Russian rocket that failed to leave Earth orbit and therefore did not fulfill its orbital observation mission. For this new mission, dubbed Tianwen-1, China has used its own Long March 5 heavy lifter and packed in Read more about China successfully launches Mars probe that packs an orbiter, lander, rover[…]

An international consortium has compiled the most comprehensive 3D map of the observable cosmos to date, significantly improving our understanding of cosmological history while raising new questions about the fundamental laws that govern the universe. The updated map, made from data gathered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), offers a detailed history of the Read more about Sloan Digital Sky Surver releases biggest 3D map of the universe[…]

The United Arab Emirates has successfully launched a Mars probe. The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) aims to orbit the red planet with a probe named “Hope” that will gather data to help humanity build a proper Martian weather map, characterise the planet’s lower atmosphere and offer an explanation of why Mars is losing Hydrogen and Read more about United Arab Emirates’ Mars probe successfully launched and phones home[…]

On Sunday morning, local time in New Zealand, Rocket Lab launched its 13th mission. The booster’s first stage performed normally, but just as the second stage neared an altitude of 200km, something went wrong and the vehicle was lost. In the immediate aftermath of the failure, the company did not provide any additional information about Read more about After a second stage failure, Rocket Lab loses seven satellites[…]

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos has re-entered the space tourism market and this time will offer one person the chance to spacewalk. The agency on Thursday announced a new deal with US outfit Space Adventures to take two people to the International Space Station atop a Soyuz rocket. One of the tourists, according to Space Adventures’ Read more about Russia returns to space tourism and offers a first citizen spacewalk[…]

China sent the last satellite to space on Tuesday to complete its global navigation system that will help wean it off U.S. technology in this area. The network known as Beidou, which has been in the works for over two decades, is a significant step for China’s space and technology ambitions. Beidou is a rival Read more about Beidou: China completes rival to the US-owned GPS system[…]

The remote-sensing firm Planet operates more than one hundred satellites that constantly orbit the earth, collecting imagery of the world’s entire landmass each day. Now, to offer more clarity to its customers, it has flown a handful of its satellites 50 km closer to the Earth. This literal zoom-in effort will allow the firm to Read more about Planet’s SkySats zoom in for a closer look at the Earth, get 50cm per pixel granularity[…]

Three thousand light-years from Earth sits Kepler 160, a sun-like star that’s already thought to have three planets in its system. Now researchers think they’ve found a fourth. Planet KOI-456.04, as it’s called, appears similar to Earth in size and orbit, raising new hopes we’ve found perhaps the best candidate yet for a habitable exoplanet Read more about Astronomers have found a planet like Earth orbiting a star like the sun[…]

In yet another setback for Elon Musk’s beloved steel spaceship, a SpaceX Starship prototype has exploded on the pad during a rocket test burn. Starship SN4 – designed to ferry astronauts to the Moon and Mars – was undergoing a static engine fire test on Friday when, in scientific terminology, it blew the hell up. Read more about Watch SpaceX’s Starship SN4 prototype accidentally self-destruct in a rocket test burn – just before the Falcon launches people at the ISS[…]

The booster was released from under the wing of one of the UK entrepreneur’s old jumbos which had been specially converted for the task. The rocket ignited its engine seconds later but an anomaly meant the flight was terminated early. Virgin Orbit’s goal is to try to capture a share of the emerging market for Read more about Sir Richard Branson: Virgin Orbit rocket launch from 747 fails on debut flight[…]

NASA has laid out a new set of principles that it hopes will inform how states and private companies will interact on the Moon. The new guidelines, called the Artemis Accords, seek “to create a safe and transparent environment which facilitates exploration, science, and commercial activities for the benefit of humanity”. The purpose of the Read more about NASA launches guide to Lunar etiquette now that private operators will share the Moon with governments after US power grab[…]

Blighty is preparing for take-off as Edinburgh-based rocket-botherer Skyrora test-fired its Skylark-L rocket from a location in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Those hoping to send a satellite to orbit from UK soil might have a while to wait, however. The Skylark-L is only capable of flinging a 60kg payload 100km up. The beefier Read more about UK takes a step closer to domestic launches as Skyrora fires up Skylark-L[…]

This new work represents a seamless, globally consistent, 1:5,000,000-scale geologic map derived from the six digitally renovated geologic maps (see Source Online Linkage below). The goal of this project was to create a digital resource for science research and analysis, future geologic mapping efforts, be it local-, regional-, or global-scale products, and as a resource Read more about Unified Geologic Map of the Moon, 1:5M, 2020[…]