ExoMars discovers hidden water in Mars' Grand Canyon
The ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has spotted significant amounts of water at the heart of Mars' dramatic canyon system, Valles Marineris.
The water, which is hidden beneath Mars' surface, was found by the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)'s FREND instrument, which is mapping the hydrogen - a measure of water content - in the uppermost metre of Mars' soil.
While water is known to exi Advanced analysis of Apollo sample illuminates Moon's evolution, cooling
Sophisticated analysis of a rock sample taken from the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission revealed new information about the complex cooling and evolutionary history of the Moon. The findings, from University of Hawai'i (UH) at Manoa researchers, were published in Nature Communications.
Apollo 17 astronauts collected the rock sample troctolite 76535 from the Moon's surface in 1972, and it r IXPE Unfolds its Origami Boom for Science
NASA's newest X-ray observatory - the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, or IXPE - extended its boom successfully Dec. 15, giving IXPE the ability to see high-energy X-rays. The mission, which launched on Dec. 9, is one step closer to studying some of the most energetic and mysterious places in the universe in a new way.
The IXPE observatory features thre Satellite Vu orders first satellite from SSTL
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) won a contract from British Earth observation startup Satellite Vu to build the first satellite in a constellation designed to provide thermal infrared imaging for climate change applications.
Interoperability demo planned between DARPA’s Blackjack and PredaSAR satellites
PredaSAR won a $2 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate interoperability between its satellites and the Blackjack military constellation.
Intelsat gets bankruptcy court approval to exit Chapter 11 in early 2022
Intelsat is poised to exit Chapter 11 in early 2022, after its bankruptcy court approved a restructuring plan that cuts the satellite operator’s debt from about $16 billion to $7 billion.
Satellogic nearing completion of SPAC merger
Earth observation company Satellogic expects to begin trading on the Nasdaq next week after completing a merger with special purpose acquisition corporation (SPAC).
Defense policy bill gives a budget boost to space programs
The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act adds more than $645 million to Defense Department space programs above the Biden administration’s request.
DiCaprio and Lawrence big up science in doomsday comedy
For Hollywood A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, their new end-of-the-world comedy was a chance to send a little respect back to scientists.
In "Don't Look Up", released on December 24 on Netflix, they play two astronomers who discover a comet will wipe out life on Earth within six months, but then try in vain to get politicians and the media to take the threat seriously. Year in images 2021
Year in images 2021
Our year through the lens: a selection of our favourite images for 2021
