Paris, France (SPX) May 21, 2025
ESA is expanding its Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis with the addition of a second CubeSat, further enhancing scientific efforts to study the asteroid during its extremely close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029. Apophis, measuring 375 meters across, will pass Earth at a remarkably close distance, offering a rare opportunity for in-depth observation. The Ramses mission, which could be

Rolla MO (SPX) May 21, 2025
If you are sneezing this spring, you are not alone. Every year, plants release billions of pollen grains into the air, specks of male reproductive material that many of us notice only when we get watery eyes and runny noses. However, pollen grains are far more than allergens - they are nature's time capsules, preserving clues about Earth's past environments for millions of years. Pol

Washington DC (UPI) May 20, 2025
Four NASA astronauts who recently returned to Earth from a mission aboard the International Space Station will take part this week in a welcome-home ceremony at NASA's space center in Texas. On Thursday, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and Don Pettit will be in Houston to participate in ceremonies to welcome them back to Earth and will share highlights from thei

London UK (SPX) May 21, 2025
Scientists investigating the origin of life suggest that primitive membranes may have influenced which biomolecules became foundational to life. Their study examines how the earliest cell membranes could have filtered molecules, favoring those used in modern biology. Cells are defined by their membranes, which regulate what substances can enter or leave. This control is especially relevant

Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 21, 2025
Researchers at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have discovered that the spatial concentration of gas within galaxies plays a more critical role in star formation than the overall volume of gas present. The study, led by PhD candidate Seona Lee from The University of Western Australia's ICRAR node, utilized data from around 1,000 galaxies mapped by CSIRO's ASKA

Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 21, 2025
New imaging technology developed by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has enabled the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) in Tenerife to capture unprecedented, high-resolution views of solar activity. The upgrade bridges a long-standing observational gap between wide-field solar monitoring and fine-structure resolution. The enhanced camera system restores the VTT's full observa

Storrs CT (SPX) May 21, 2025
Earth - our tiny blue dot in the galaxy - is approximately 26,000 light years away from a fascinating and active region of the Milky Way called the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). This region holds clues about how stars are born, how energy moves through our galaxy, and maybe even some details about dark matter. However, analyzing this area is challenging, because we do not have a clear top-

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 21, 2025
Exolaunch has signed new multi-year launch agreements with SpaceX, ensuring small satellite launch capacity through 2028 on Falcon 9 rideshare missions. The agreements span various orbital inclinations including sun-synchronous, mid-inclination, near-polar, and dawn-dusk trajectories to meet diverse mission requirements. These contracts allow Exolaunch to continue integrating and deploying

Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 21, 2025
Paladin Space, a startup incubated at the University of South Australia's Innovation and Collaboration Centre, has introduced Triton, the first reusable space payload designed to capture and store multiple pieces of orbital debris for potential recycling. This breakthrough technology was demonstrated at a private event hosted by the ICC. The company's next objectives include securing early

Boston MA (SPX) May 21, 2025
One of the most profound open questions in modern physics is: "Is gravity quantum?" The other fundamental forces - electromagnetic, weak, and strong - have all been successfully described, but no complete and consistent quantum theory of gravity yet exists. "Theoretical physicists have proposed many possible scenarios, from gravity being inherently classical to fully quantum, but the