NASA, International Partners assess mission to map ice on Mars
Wednesday, 03 February 2021 04:48NASA and three international partners have signed a statement of intent to advance a possible robotic Mars ice mapping mission, which could help identify abundant, accessible ice for future candidate landing sites on the Red Planet. The agencies have agreed to establish a joint concept team to assess mission potential, as well as partnership opportunities. Under the statement, NASA, the It
An innovative and non-destructive strategy to analyse material from Mars
Wednesday, 03 February 2021 04:48The IBeA research group from the University of the Basque Country's Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, is participating in NASA's Mars2020 space mission, which is scheduled to touch down on Mars in February this year. Specifically, the group has participated in constructing and verifying the chemical homogeneity of the templates included on the calibration car
Martian landslides caused by underground salts and melting ice?
Wednesday, 03 February 2021 04:48A team of researchers led by SETI Institute Senior Research Scientist Janice Bishop, a member of the SETI Institute NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) team, has come up with a theory about what is causing landslides on the surface of Mars. Previous ideas suggested that liquid debris flows or dry granular flows caused this movement. Neither model can completely account for the seasonal marti
How do electrons close to Earth reach almost the speed of light?
Wednesday, 03 February 2021 04:48A new study has found that electrons can reach ultra-relativistic energies for very special conditions in the magnetosphere when space is devoid of plasma. Recent measurements from NASA's Van Allen Probes spacecraft showed that electrons can reach ultra-relativistic energies flying at almost the speed of light. Hayley Allison, Yuri Shprits and collaborators from the German Research Centre
An art lover dreams of space
Wednesday, 03 February 2021 04:48It started with a movie. Supernovas filled the screen and exploded with galactic color. The voice of Neil DeGrasse Tyson narrated the beginning of the universe. At only 14 years old, Alana Sanchez was hooked. Prior to high school, Sanchez was primarily interested in visual arts and movies. She taught herself animation and aspired to work in the creative realm. However, her dreams quickly t
True identity of mysterious gamma-ray source revealed
Wednesday, 03 February 2021 04:48An international research team including members from The University of Manchester has shown that a rapidly rotating neutron star is at the core of a celestial object now known as PSR J2039-5617 The international collaboration used novel data analysis methods and the enormous computing power of the citizen science project Einstein@Home to track down the neutron star's faint gamma-ray pulsa
NASA creates climate adviser position
Wednesday, 03 February 2021 00:17WASHINGTON — NASA has established a new position of senior climate adviser within the agency, the first sign of a long-expected new emphasis on climate science within the agency under the Biden administration.
The position, announced Feb.
White House: Space Force “absolutely has the full support of the Biden administration”
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 20:05WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki for a second consecutive day had to answer questions on the U.S. Space Force at her daily briefing.
Psaki on Wednesday finally had a response to the question of what President Biden plans to do with the Space Force.
Space Force eyes closer ties with civil space: ’It’s good for taxpayers’
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 18:34WASHINGTON — Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond said he expects greater collaboration between the U.S. Space Force, NASA and other agencies, and that increased cooperation can save U.S. taxpayers money.
NASA creates new senior climate advisor role
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 16:06NASA announced Wednesday it was creating a new position of senior climate advisor as part of the administration of President Joe Biden's climate science objectives for the agency.
Gavin Schmidt, who currently heads up NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Science (GISS) in New York, will take the role in an acting capacity until a permanent appointment is made.
"This position will provide NASA leadership critical insights and recommendations for the agency's full spectrum of science, technology, and infrastructure programs related to climate," said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk.
NASA might be more known for its space exploration missions, but studying our home planet is also a core part of its mission.
New podcast episode
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 15:54New podcast episode
ESA Explores Time and Space: the International Space Station era
The UPV/EHU prepares to analyse material from Mars using non-destructive analytical methods
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 15:00The UPV/EHU's IBeA research group, which includes experts in Raman spectroscopy, is currently analyzing meteorites with the aim of developing non-destructive analytical strategies for upcoming explorations of Mars materials by the Perseverance rover, shortly due to arrive at the red planet. The strategies will also be used to examine materials collected by the Rosalind Franklin rover and returned to Earth following the Mars Sample Return mission, scheduled to commence in 2026.
The IBeA research group from the University of the Basque Country's Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, is participating in NASA's Mars2020 space mission, which is scheduled to touch down on Mars in February this year. Specifically, the group has participated in constructing and verifying the chemical homogeneity of the templates included on the calibration card of the SuperCam instrument mounted on the Perseverance. "We made a set of pads perfectly characterized in accordance the instruments we have here, in order to enable us to verify that the LIBS and Raman spectroscopy measurements taken by the SuperCam are correct," explains Doctor Cristina García-Florentino.
MESSENGER saw a meteoroid strike Mercury
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 14:36Telescopes have captured meteoroids hitting the Moon and several spacecraft imaged Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 smacking into Jupiter in 1994.
Einstein@Home reveals true identity of mysterious gamma-ray source
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 12:31NASA's Perseverance pays off back home
Tuesday, 02 February 2021 12:30Even as the Perseverance rover approaches Mars, technology on board is paying off on Earth.
A laser-light sensor that can identify bacteria in a wound may sound far-fetched, but it's already becoming a reality, thanks in part to NASA's Mars Exploration Program. The technology is going to Mars for the first time on Perseverance, which will touch down on the Red Planet this month, but it's already detecting trace contaminants in pharmaceutical manufacturing, wastewater treatment, and other important operations on Earth.