College Station TX (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
As NASA's Europa Clipper embarks on its historic journey to Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, Dr. Matt Powell-Palm, a faculty member at Texas A and M University's J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, has unveiled groundbreaking research that could transform our understanding of icy ocean worlds across the solar system. The study published in Nature Communications, co-authored with

Orlando FL (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
Although our Solar System is billions of years old, we've only recently become better acquainted with one of its more dynamic and captivating inhabitants known as (2060) Chiron. Chiron belongs to the class of objects that astronomers call "Centaurs." Centaurs are space objects that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune. They are akin to the mythological creature they borrow their name

Paris, France (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
A recent study has revealed groundbreaking insights into the origins of lunar water, connecting it to Earth's early history and cosmic interactions. Researchers analyzed nine samples from the Apollo lunar mission using a high-precision triple oxygen isotope technique. This approach, devised by Dr. Morgan Nunn Martinez of the University of California, San Diego, identified distinct water phases -

Washington DC (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
Say cheese again, Moon. We're coming in for another close-up. For the second time in less than a year, a NASA technology designed to collect data on the interaction between a Moon lander's rocket plume and the lunar surface is set to make the long journey to Earth's nearest celestial neighbor for the benefit of humanity. Developed at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virgini

Santa Cruz CA (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
Much about the Moon remains shrouded in mystery, including its age. Analyses of samples brought back from the lunar surface indicate our celestial sidekick could be about 4.35 billion years old, which means it came to be at about 200 million years after the formation of our solar system. But that immense lag doesn't sit well with some scientists. During the solar system's early days, debri

Washington (AFP) Dec 24, 2024
NASA's pioneering Parker Solar Probe made history Tuesday, flying closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft with its heat shield exposed to scorching temperatures of more than 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius). Launched in August 2018, the spaceship is on a seven-year mission to deepen scientific understanding of our star and help forecast space-weather events that can affect

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
The Ohio River Basin, spanning from Pennsylvania to Illinois, covers an area nearly as large as France and is home to over 25 million people. A collaborative effort between NASA and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) through the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission now provides researchers with a valuable tool to monitor water levels in lakes, reservoi

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
The Jovian Vortex Hunter project has released a groundbreaking catalog of 7,222 atmospheric vortices on Jupiter, showcasing immense swirling storms captured over the last two years. Each vortex represents a powerful atmospheric phenomenon within the gas giant's turbulent skies, with thousands of volunteers contributing to this unprecedented effort. Vortices are categorized by color, with "

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
ArianeGroup has successfully completed the initial mechanical integration of Themis, the European reusable launcher first stage demonstrator, at its Les Mureaux facility in France. Standing 28 meters tall, the prototype comprises the Multi-Engine Bay (MEB), tanks, the Flight Control Bay (FCB), and the upper segment that completes the stage structure. The Themis demonstrator will be p