Hubble celebrates 35th year in orbit
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 13:00
In celebration of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s 35 years in Earth orbit, an assortment of images that were recently taken by Hubble has been released today. This stretches from the planet Mars to images of stellar birth and death, and a magnificent neighbouring galaxy. After over three decades of scrutinising our Universe, Hubble remains a household word as the most well-recognised telescope in scientific history.
Where are all the aliens?: Fermi's Paradox explained
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Paris (AFP) April 17, 2025
Astronomers raised hopes that humanity might not be alone in the universe by announcing on Thursday they have detected the most promising hints yet of life on a distant planet.
But given the age and vastness of the universe, a different question has long puzzled some scientists: why haven't we already come in contact with aliens?
"Where is everybody?" Enrico Fermi asked fellow famous ph

Curiosity rover uncovers carbon cycle clues in Martian crater
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
New data from NASA's Curiosity rover has uncovered signs of a once-active carbon cycle on ancient Mars, offering fresh insight into the planet's past potential to host life.
Dr. Ben Tutolo, PhD, a geoscientist at the University of Calgary's Department of Earth, Energy and Environment, played a key role in the research. As a member of the Curiosity rover science team, Tutolo is focused on u

NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
San Antonio TX (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
In its second asteroid encounter, NASA's Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million years ago. The spacecraft has begun returning images that were collected as it flew approximately 600 miles (960 km) from the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025.
The asteroid was previously observed to have large brightness variati

Veteran Chinese astronaut to lead fresh crew to space station
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Jiuquan, China (AFP) April 23, 2025
China announced on Wednesday that a veteran astronaut will lead two crew members on their first flight to the Tiangong space station, the latest milestone in its race to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2030.
The Shenzhou-20 mission is scheduled to blast off at 5:17 pm on Thursday (0917 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the

SpaceX Dragon resupply vessel docks with ISS, heralds experimentation
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 22, 2025
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Tuesday morning, loaded with needed supplies and equipment for experimentation.
The Dragon craft launched at 4:15 a.m. EDT Monday and connected to the zenith, space-facing port of the ISS's Harmony module at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, just 20 minutes later than scheduled.
The craft, known as Commercial Resupply Servic

ACES mission delivers record-breaking atomic clock to ISS for precision timekeeping
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Paris, France (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
ESA's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) has begun its journey to the International Space Station (ISS), where it will revolutionize timekeeping from orbit. Equipped with two ultra-precise atomic clocks and a sophisticated time-transfer system, ACES is set to broadcast the most accurate time signals ever generated in space, while enabling key experiments in fundamental physics, including real

Current hurdles and technological roadmap for processing lunar hyperspectral orbiter data
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
Spectral imagers have become vital tools in the quest to unravel the Moon's mineralogical makeup, playing a central role in today's lunar science missions. As interest grows in acquiring higher-quality remote sensing data, demands are increasing for instruments capable of capturing broader wavelength ranges with finer spectral and spatial resolution. Yet these technical gains bring a suite of da

First microbes blast off testing production of food for space travel
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
London, UK (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
Scientists from Imperial College London have embarked on a mission to test how engineered microbes can help sustain future spacefarers on interplanetary voyages.
As space agencies and private companies aim for distant planets, the logistics of carrying food, water, and fuel become increasingly costly and complex. Feeding one astronaut in orbit can cost up to Pounds 20,000 per day. To addr

Students test compact reentry glider to advance hypersonic research
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
A team of fourth-year mechanical and aerospace engineering students at the University of Virginia aims to pioneer a new low-cost method for gathering hypersonic flight data. Their innovative glider, called HEDGE (Hypersonic ReEntry Deployable Glider Experiment), is set to launch aboard a NASA suborbital rocket this August from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
Part of their senior c

Scientists investigate absence of sediment deltas on Titan
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
NASA's Mars missions have shown that sediment-rich deltas offer valuable insights into a planet's climate and geologic past. Yet on Saturn's moon Titan, where vast rivers of methane and ethane flow, scientists have found a puzzling lack of such features. A new study from Brown University is shedding light on this enigma.
Titan is the only body in the solar system besides Earth with stable

How Webb Telescope Opens New Avenues in the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is ushering in a transformative chapter in the pursuit of life beyond Earth. Although Webb was not purpose-built for life detection, its remarkable capabilities in infrared observation are enabling scientists to examine small, rocky exoplanets orbiting distant stars with an unprecedented level of detail.
Webb is uniquely equipped to detect atmospheres arou

NASA develops flight-ready aerogel antennas for next-gen airspace communications
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
NASA is advancing flight communications with a breakthrough antenna made from one of the lightest solid materials ever created. Engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center are embedding this innovative device directly into aircraft surfaces, offering a sleeker and more efficient solution for future aviation platforms, including autonomous air vehicles and drones.
The antenna employs a polyme

Turning Down Starlight to Reveal Distant Worlds
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
Researchers at the University of Arizona have introduced a breakthrough coronagraph that could make previously invisible exoplanets detectable by suppressing the overwhelming light from their parent stars. This advance may pave the way for imaging Earth-like planets in habitable zones, areas where temperatures could support liquid water and potentially life.
"Earth-like planets in the habi

Planetary Alignment Provides NASA Rare Opportunity to Study Uranus
Wednesday, 23 April 2025 10:44
Hampton VA (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
When a planet's orbit brings it between Earth and a distant star, it's more than just a cosmic game of hide and seek. It's an opportunity for NASA to improve its understanding of that planet's atmosphere and rings. Planetary scientists call it a stellar occultation and that's exactly what happened with Uranus on April 7.
Observing the alignment allows NASA scientists to measure the tempera
