Paris, France (SPX) Mar 11, 2025
A striking new exhibition in London showcases the ongoing efforts to protect Earth from the disruptive effects of solar activity. Created by photographer and storyteller Max Alexander, the collection highlights the instruments set to fly aboard ESA's Vigil mission, which is expected to revolutionize Europe's ability to predict space weather following its planned launch in 2031. Despite bei

Columbus OH (SPX) Mar 11, 2025
A fresh look at past data reveals that exoplanets with masses similar to Jupiter formed much sooner than previously thought, according to new research. The Ohio State University study's results provide new information about the timing of accretion - the process of accumulating a large amount of gas as well as solid particles that are rich in carbon and oxygen to make large planets, like Ju

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 11, 2025
The shape of a planet's orbit is one of its fundamental properties, along with its size and distance from its host star. Earth has a nearly circular orbit, but some planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, have very elliptical orbits. UCLA astrophysicists have now measured the shape of the orbits of exoplanets - from the size of Jupiter down to the size of Mars - and shown that small

Boston MA (SPX) Mar 11, 2025
A new MIT-led study confirms that the Antarctic ozone layer is healing, as a direct result of global efforts to reduce ozone-depleting substances. Scientists including the MIT team have observed signs of ozone recovery in the past. But the new study is the first to show, with high statistical confidence, that this recovery is due primarily to the reduction of ozone-depleting substances, ve

Paris, France (SPX) Mar 11, 2025
ESA's inaugural planetary defence mission, Hera, which launched in October 2024, is en route to the binary asteroid system Didymos. Accompanied by two CubeSats, Milani and Juventas, the mission is set to analyze the results of humanity's first asteroid deflection attempt. Building on this technological foundation, ESA's Ramses mission is accelerating its development by integrating componen

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 11, 2025
The National Security Space Association (NSSA) has issued an official position paper titled "Double Down on the Space Force Budget," urging Congress to increase the U.S. Space Force budget to $60 billion over the FY 2026-2030 Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). This proposed budget expansion is deemed essential to counter emerging threats posed by China and Russia, both of which have advanced c

Help us uncover the secrets of the Sun! Our Solar Orbiter spacecraft has been watching the Sun since February 2020. With five years’ worth of data waiting to be explored, it’s time to dig in. The new ‘Solar Radio Burst Tracker’ Zooniverse project is ready for you.

Image: A solar array of the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II with the ESA and NASA logos

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Mar 06, 2025
On 2 March 2025, the Blue Ghost mission successfully executed an automated landing in Mare Crisium, a basin located on the Moon's northeastern near side. This milestone marks Firefly Aerospace as the first private company to complete a robotic lunar landing precisely on schedule and without complications. Blue Ghost Mission 1 delivered ten scientific and technological instruments to the Moon as

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 7, 2025
The spacecraft that will carry the next crew of astronauts to the International Space Station has arrived at the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 12 and will shuttle the Crew-10 astronauts aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The arrival of the module at the Florida launch pad signifies pr