Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
On March 1, NASA's Europa Clipper will execute a close flyby of Mars, passing just 550 miles (884 kilometers) above the planet's surface. This maneuver, known as a gravity assist, will adjust the spacecraft's trajectory and prepare it for a crucial stage in its journey toward Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. In addition to refining its path, the flyby presents an opportunity for mission scientists to

Paris, France (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Planetary Defence Office has significantly downgraded the risk posed by asteroid 2024 YR4, reducing its probability of impacting Earth in 2032 to a negligible 0.001%. Initially detected on December 27, 2024, by the ATLAS telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, the near-Earth asteroid was quickly flagged by ESA's automated warning system, Aegis, as having a small

Paris (AFP) Feb 25, 2025
The chance that a football field-sized asteroid capable of destroying a city will strike Earth in 2032 has fallen to 0.001 percent, the European Space Agency said on Tuesday. A week ago, the asteroid set a new record for having the highest probability of hitting Earth - 3.1 percent according to NASA and 2.8 percent according to the ESA. The planetary defence community has been scanning the

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
The possibility that microbial life once thrived in ancient Martian waters has intrigued scientists for years. Now, researchers have demonstrated a method to detect fossilized microbes in gypsum deposits, offering a promising approach for future Mars missions to confirm past life on the Red Planet. "Our findings provide a methodological framework for detecting biosignatures in Martian sulf

Washington (AFP) Feb 26, 2025
Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private company to put a robot on the Moon, although the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side. Now, the Houston-based firm is gearing up for a second attempt, determined to achieve a perfect touchdown. Intuitive Machines' hexagonal-shaped lander, Athena, is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a wind

San Antonio TX (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
NASA's Lucy spacecraft has its next flyby target, the small main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, in its sights. By blinking between images captured by Lucy on Feb. 20 and 22, this animation shows the perceived motion of Donaldjohanson relative to the background stars as the spacecraft rapidly approaches the asteroid. Lucy will pass within 596 miles (960 km) of the 2-mile-wide asteroid on Apr

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
The Power and Propulsion Element for NASA's Gateway lunar space station is currently undergoing assembly, setting the stage for its mission to orbit the Moon as part of the Artemis program. This crucial module will provide the station with unprecedented solar electric propulsion capabilities, ensuring its mobility and energy needs as astronauts prepare for deeper space exploration. Astrona

Berkeley CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
A Chinese rover that landed on Mars in 2021 detected evidence of underground beach deposits in an area thought to have once been the site of an ancient sea, providing further evidence that the planet long ago had a large ocean. The now-inactive rover, called Zhurong, operated for a year, between May 2021 and May 2022. It traveled 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) roughly perpendicular to escarpme

Paris, France (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
New research combining spacecraft data from the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA with advanced laboratory experiments suggests that Mars developed its distinctive red hue much earlier in its history than previously assumed. Scientists found that the planet's iron-rich dust likely rusted during a time when liquid water was more abundant on the surface. Mars has long been recognized by i

Boston MA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
Three MIT payloads will soon hitch a ride to the moon in a step toward establishing a permanent base on the lunar surface. In the coming days, weather permitting, MIT engineers and scientists will send three payloads into space, on a course set for the moon's south polar region.