Baltimore MD (SPX) Jan 25, 2024
Since methane was first detected in Mars' atmosphere 20 years ago, scientists have struggled to uncover its origins and how it is transported around the Red Planet. Measurements from atmospheric samples collected by NASA's Curiosity rover at Gale crater reveal fluctuations in methane levels over days and seasons, but pinpointing the timing and reasons for the variability has proved difficult.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 25, 2024
In a significant development for lunar exploration and power infrastructure, PowerLight Technologies, a leader in long-distance wireless power beaming, has announced its collaboration with aerospace company Blue Origin under the DARPA Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) initiative. This partnership marks a pivotal step in developing scalable surface power infrastructure for lunar services, utilizing lu

Sendai, Japan (SPX) Jan 25, 2024
In a recent development that adds another layer to our understanding of the solar system's complexity, researchers have uncovered intriguing evidence from the asteroid Ryugu. This near-Earth asteroid, which came into the spotlight following the successful Hayabusa2 mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), continues to offer rich insights, particularly about the presence and tran

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 25, 2024
In a significant development for the European space sector, PLD Space, a Spain-based aerospace company, has been chosen by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC) to participate in the prestigious Flight Ticket Initiative. This program is designed to form a consortium of private launch providers to cater to the space access demands of European institutions. PLD Spa

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 25, 2024
In a recent demonstration of NASA's advancing planetary defense capabilities, a small asteroid, approximately 3 feet (1 meter) in size, disintegrated harmlessly over Germany. This event occurred on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 1:32 a.m. local time (CET). Notably, NASA's Scout impact hazard assessment system provided a 95-minute advance warning of the asteroid's impact trajectory, marking this event as th

Washington DC (UPI) Jan 25, 2024
Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon, or SLIM, landed on the moon Saturday about 180 feet, or little more than half a football field, away from its target landing spot, space officials said on Thursday. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said its landing technology allowed SLIM to land within 330 feet of the targeting landing location, calculating for obstacle avoidance m

Paris (AFP) Jan 25, 2024
The European Space Agency gave the green light to two missions on Thursday, one to detect ripples in spacetime called gravitational waves and another to probe the secrets of Earth's closest neighbouring planet Venus. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will become the first mission to study gravitational waves from space, with a planned 2035 launch on an Ariane 6 rocket, the ESA sa

Washington DC (AFP) Jan 26, 2024
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which made history by achieving the first powered flight on another world, has officially ended its nearly three-year mission after sustaining rotor damage during its last outing, the space agency said Thursday. The tissue-box sized aircraft, which hitched a ride to the Red Planet under the belly of the Perseverance rover, first lifted off the surface on A

ESA’s next mission to Venus was officially ‘adopted’ today by the Agency’s Science Programme Committee. EnVision will study Venus from its inner core to its outer atmosphere, giving important new insight into the planet's history, geological activity and climate.