https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The Lunar Gateway is a planned space station that will orbit the moon. It is part of the NASA‑led Artemis program. Artemis aims to return humans to the moon, establishing a sustainable presence there for scientific and commercial purposes, and eventually reach Mars. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-space-station-moon.html Space Exploration Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:00:03 EST news689338384 Microorganisms live in biofilms—the equivalent of microbial "cities"—everywhere on Earth. These city-like structures protect and house microbial communities and play essential roles in enabling human and plant health on our planet. Now, a new Perspective article published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes sets out a path to uncover the role of biofilms in health during long-duration spaceflight, and how spaceflight research can reshape our understanding of these microbial communities on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-hidden-microbial-communities-health-space.html Space Exploration Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:00:01 EST news688212776 For most, getting into a car is a task that can be done without assistance. Yet for those whose destination is the moon, the process of getting inside and secured—in this case, in NASA's Orion spacecraft—requires help. That's the role of the Artemis closeout crew. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-nasa-artemis-closeout-crew-tasked.html Space Exploration Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:39:31 EST news685726744 While millions of people make the effort to sort their recycling, buy fewer clothes and generally make greener choices, the world's wealthiest can emit the same amount of carbon as the average person does in a year by going on holiday just once. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-wealthy-elite-private-habits-debate.html Social Sciences Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:17:13 EST news685721821 At the end of the year, many families reunite to enjoy time together. These times can be happy, yet sometimes they reveal tensions, unsatisfied needs and difficult relationships. The reality is that being together does not necessarily mean you are connected. Families can be both joyful and anguished or distressed at the same time. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-family-survive-holidays.html Social Sciences Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:23:11 EST news684678182 Shisei Tei claims he is clumsy with technology and doesn't even own a smartphone, yet he has found himself thinking a lot about what we call generative AI. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-death-broader.html Social Sciences Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:21:26 EST news683983261 NASA and industry partners will fly and operate a commercial robotic arm in low Earth orbit through the Fly Foundational Robots mission set to launch in late 2027. This mission aims to revolutionize in-space operations, a critical capability for sustainably living and working on other planets. By enabling this technology demonstration, NASA is fostering the in-space robotics industry to unlock valuable tools for future scientific discovery and exploration missions. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-nasa-fly-foundational-robots-demo.html Space Exploration Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:04:36 EST news683978642 Single people who date without a clear understanding of what they are looking for in a relationship experience more loneliness and decreased life satisfaction, McGill researchers have found. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-dating-goals-clarity-key-satisfaction.html Social Sciences Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:49:16 EST news683902125 A crew of tiny worms will be heading on a mission to the International Space Station in 2026 that will help scientists understand how humans can travel through space safely, using a Leicester-built space pod. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-worms-space-aims-biological-effects.html Space Exploration Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:17:04 EST news682863421 Though many people may benefit from setting life goals, new research led by Curtin University has revealed working towards unachievable targets could in fact have a negative impact on overall well-being—and knowing when to abandon or change your goals may be just as important as persistence. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-em-reveals-benefits-unrealistic-goals.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:05:23 EST news682596320 Across the United States, children spend more than 1,100 hours in school each year—time that shapes not only their academic success but also their emotional and social growth. Yet, for many students, the school environment can also be a source of anxiety and apprehension. School counselors play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges through evidence-based, comprehensive guidance programs. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-small-group-boosts-students-emotional.html Social Sciences Sat, 15 Nov 2025 10:00:01 EST news682335837 We often hear about workplace stress affecting frontline police officers, but it is important to understand how different types of stress experienced by staff in specialist roles such as forensic services impact their well-being. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-effects-organizational-occupational-stress-forensic.html Social Sciences Tue, 11 Nov 2025 18:30:01 EST news682079130 After acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy this month called out SpaceX for Starship delays, Elon Musk's company has come back with an update defending its progress and offering a speedier plan to get astronauts back on the moon as part of the Artemis program. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-nasa-pressure-spacex-speedier-timeline.html Space Exploration Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:40:01 EST news681380954 Casting a swirling shadow, a glowing candle flame sways eerily before flaring up once more. As ghostly as it looks, this flame dance is not the result of any force—paranormal or otherwise—but rather the lack of one: gravity. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-parabolic-flight-highlights-flame-dynamics.html Space Exploration Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:54:08 EDT news681126841 After multiple delays, the first crewed Artemis flight around the moon could be less than 20 weeks away, NASA officials said Tuesday, putting the space program one step closer to returning to the moon itself in its "second space race" with China. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-nasa-artemis-ii-moon-flight.html Space Exploration Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:42:03 EDT news677860921 Why do so many people return to crime after serving their sentence—even in Norway, with one of the world's most humane prison systems? https://phys.org/news/2025-09-recidivism-imprisonment-patterns-reoffending-revealed.html Social Sciences Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:12:05 EDT news676818722 Space missions rely on cryogenic fluids—extremely cold liquids like liquid hydrogen and oxygen—for both propulsion and life support systems. These fuels must be kept at ultra-low cryogenic temperatures to remain in liquid form; however, solar heating and other sources of heat increase the rate of evaporation of the liquid and cause the pressure in the storage tank to increase. Current storage methods require venting the cryogenic propellant to space to control the pressure in fuel tanks. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-nasa-fuel-storage-aboard-resupply.html Space Exploration Thu, 11 Sep 2025 09:40:04 EDT news676802402 A new study from the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's Business School and the University of Zurich has traced a two-decade shift in how employers in Switzerland describe the "ideal worker," revealing early signs that flexibility, gender equity and work–life balance are beginning to reshape occupational cultures. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-job-reveal-early-shift-ideal.html Social Sciences Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:58:05 EDT news676540682 Liquids can provide some especially tricky challenges for space travelers, but new research from the University of Mississippi could help engineer smarter, more efficient fluid control in zero- and low-gravity environments. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-tiny-big-impact-fluid-space.html Soft Matter Mon, 25 Aug 2025 14:40:01 EDT news675351028 In a bold, strategic move for the U.S., acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced plans on Aug. 5, 2025, to build a nuclear fission reactor for deployment on the lunar surface in 2030. Doing so would allow the United States to gain a foothold on the moon by the time China plans to land the first taikonaut, what China calls its astronauts, there by 2030. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-nasa-nuclear-reactor-moon-tricky.html Space Exploration Mon, 18 Aug 2025 13:00:01 EDT news674737754 The United States is rushing to put nuclear power reactors on the moon and Mars, and hopes to launch the first system by the end of the decade. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-nasa-nuclear-reactors-moon-mars.html Space Exploration Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:50:01 EDT news673627230 New research from the University of Portsmouth has found that peer mentors in women's prisons are taking on extra responsibilities without proper training, putting themselves in potentially high-risk situations. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-uncovers-exploitation-inmate-peer-women.html Social Sciences Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:59:04 EDT news673606742 When you're on a camping trip, you might have to pack your own food and maybe something to filter or treat water that you find. But imagine your campsite is in space, where there's no water, and packing jugs of water would take up room when every inch of cargo space counts. That's a key challenge engineers faced when designing the International Space Station. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-recycling-paramount-space-stations-duration.html Space Exploration Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:39:04 EDT news673101542 Grandparents play a pivotal role in family life. They are often a vital part of the childcare puzzle, stepping in to look after their grandchildren while parents are at work or busy. And there's a lot of grandparent care taking place. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-grandparent-women-poorer-backgrounds-childcare.html Social Sciences Wed, 23 Jul 2025 11:47:03 EDT news672490021 When astronauts make the long journey to Mars in the not-so-distant future, communication with mission control will be impossible for days to weeks at a time. Enter Daphne-AT: a virtual assistant (VA) designed to help astronauts safely and efficiently solve problems that arise on their spacecraft. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-hey-siri-spacecraft-virtual-astronauts.html Space Exploration Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:40:01 EDT news670253063 In this age of heightened anxiety, many of us turn to our pets for emotional support. But is our behavior increasing our furry friends' fears? https://phys.org/news/2025-06-stressful-anxiety-pets-pet.html Plants & Animals Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:34:02 EDT news669461636 NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) are collaborating to launch scientific investigations aboard Axiom Mission 4, the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. These studies include examining muscle regeneration, growth of sprouts and edible microalgae, survival of tiny aquatic organisms, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-nasa-isro-aboard-fourth-private.html Space Exploration Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:23:42 EDT news668348616 Refugees are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than the average person due to their migration experiences and socioeconomic status. Psychosocial support helps, but it should not stand alone. Further investment is needed in the social lives of refugees and undocumented migrants, for example by giving them access to work and education. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-refugees-benefit-psychosocial-friends.html Social Sciences Tue, 27 May 2025 16:34:03 EDT news667582441 Colorado State University-led research explored the nuanced dynamics of identifying a romantic partner as a best friend and its implications for well-being. Only 14.4% of partnered U.S. adults call their romantic partner a best friend, according to the study, a choice linked with more companionship yet less perceived social support than keeping a separate best friend. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-companionship-friends-falls-romantic-partners.html Social Sciences Tue, 20 May 2025 09:50:01 EDT news666953224 A new study challenges a common assumption that Australian women who divorce or separate in midlife are destined for a bleak future. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-silver-lining-effect-women-midlife.html Social Sciences Mon, 05 May 2025 07:56:05 EDT news665650562