Paris (ESA) Feb 13, 2023
Right in the middle of this image, nestled amongst a smattering of distant stars and even more distant galaxies, lies the newly discovered dwarf galaxy known as Donatiello II. If you cannot quite distinguish the clump of faint stars that is all we can see of Donatiello II in this image, then you are in good company. Donatiello II is one of three newly discovered galaxies that were so diffi

Rochester NY (SPX) Feb 13, 2023
The first signs of life emerged on Earth in the form of microbes about four billion years ago. While scientists are still determining exactly when and how these microbes appeared, it's clear that the emergence of life is intricately intertwined with the chemical and physical characteristics of early Earth. "It is reasonable to suspect that life could have started differently-or not at all-

Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 13, 2023
The team is taking a little time to work through the best strategy for drilling here, so today's plan just focused on collecting additional contact science and remote sensing data from around the future Dinira drill target. Fortunately, there's no shortage of interesting things to look at from our current position, so the science team had lots of fun deciding on what rocks to observe. We'r

Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 13, 2023
In Monday's two-sol plan we completed a short drive to another drill location as we continued our attempt to acquire a sample of the Marker Band for potential analysis by SAM and CheMin. With the post-drive images from Monday's plan received, the team focused early discussions on where in the workspace would be a suitable drill area, if any. Of the two flattish rock faces we were intereste

Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 13, 2023
A momentous accomplishment occurred last week when Perseverance completed the Three Forks Sample Depot on the floor of Jezero Crater, the only known sample depot in the universe. I had the opportunity to work Perseverance science operations the day the final sample drop was planned, and it was an unforgettable experience. The excitement when planning the final drop, from those that have be

San Antonio TX (SPX) Feb 13, 2023
The first asteroid to be visited by NASA's Lucy mission now has a name. The International Astronomical Union has approved the name (152830) Dinkinesh for the tiny main belt asteroid that the Lucy spacecraft will encounter on November 1, 2023. "Dinkinesh", is the Ethiopian name for the human-ancestor fossil, also known as Lucy, which was found in that country and currently curated there. Dinkines

Washington DC (SPX) Feb 13, 2023
NASA is now seeking procurement ideas and solutions to encourage innovation from diverse perspectives, improve reach, reduce barriers, and ultimately meet and exceed agency goals. The NASA Acquisition Innovation Launchpad (NAIL), managed by the agency's Office of Procurement, is now online, and submissions of inquiries and ideas will be accepted on a rolling basis. "This new framework is a

Washington DC (UPI) Feb 10, 2023
NASA has commissioned private space launch company Blue Origin, to launch a mission to study the magnetosphere of Mars. The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers mission, known as ESCAPADE, is planned to launch in late 2024 on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. Blue Origin is among 13 companies selected for contracts under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicate

Bremen, Germany (AFP) Feb 10, 2023
European astronauts could walk on the Moon for the first time in the coming years, in exchange for the continent taking on a key role in an ambitious NASA space programme. The US space agency's Artemis programme aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the historic Apollo missions, which ended in 1972. For the first time, the European Space Agency (ESA) and European aer