Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
NASA's Perseverance rover has completed its 30th abrasion study, drilling into a Martian rock named "Kenmore" to uncover geologic secrets beneath its dusty surface. On June 3, the rover abraded a two-inch-wide patch, then cleared debris with a nitrogen-powered device known as the gaseous Dust Removal Tool (gDRT), which delivers five puffs per operation. This technique enables scientists to exami

Reno NV (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
The question of whether Earth is alone in harboring life has captivated humanity for millennia. In recent years, scientists have turned to Earth-like planets in other solar systems that may show the most promise, but many revolve around stars that emit much stronger solar radiation than our own. Now, a new study offers evidence that life as we know it may be able to thrive on those Earth-like ex

College Station TX (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Inhabiting Mars has long been a futuristic fantasy fueled by science fiction. However, successful landings on our neighboring planet over the past half-century have made this seemingly far-fetched idea increasingly plausible. But don't start packing just yet. First, we must figure out how to build structures millions of miles from Earth. Sending rockets carrying massive payloads of constru

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Lockheed Martin and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have completed a pivotal test of next-generation radar technology during Flight Test Other-26a (FTX-26a), confirming a major advancement in US homeland defense. The Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), developed by Lockheed Martin, successfully detected, tracked, and discriminated a live ballistic missile threat amid challenging condi

At ESA’s Living Planet Symposium, scientists have unveiled how the combination of different long-term, high-resolution satellite datasets from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative is shedding new light on the South American Gran Chaco – one of the world’s most endangered dry forest ecosystems. These data reveal, in remarkable clarity, that fire is the primary driver of widespread, accelerating deforestation across the region. 

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express has captured a swirl of colour on the Red Planet, with yellows and rust-oranges meeting deep reds and browns. Lurking within this martian palette are not one but four dust devils, each snaking their way across the surface.

The second of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellites and the first instrument for the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission are ready for liftoff at Cape Canaveral in Florida, US. Live coverage of this launch will be shown on ESA WebTV, not earlier than Tuesday, 1 July.

ESA’s week-long Living Planet Symposium in Austria is over halfway through, gathering thousands of attendees to explore the latest breakthroughs in Earth science and space technologies. In addition to in-depth coverage on specific themes from the symposium, we also bring you the following 'extras’: six New Space companies formally join Copernicus, ESA and UN-Habitat strengthen ties, and ESA and JAXA sign a Framework Agreement on climate collaboration.