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. SpaceX has pulled off its biggest salvage operation yet, recovering its most recently launched Starship from the Indian Ocean. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-spacex-recovers-starship-indian-ocean.html Space Exploration Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:34:56 EDT news707142863 Lights blink on as I enter the Rover Operations Center at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, at 7:30 a.m. I'm the first to arrive, even though I already feel late. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mars-rovers-scientists-groundlevel-view.html Astrobiology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:40:03 EDT news707042402 As space missions become longer and ambitions for deep-space travel grow, scientists are working to understand how life beyond Earth may affect every system in the human body. Two years after her initial study took flight, Begum Mathyk, MD, and collaborators are continuing to push the frontier of women's health in space, this time by examining how altered gravity may affect female biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-clues-space-affect-women-health.html Space Exploration Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:40:05 EDT news707038065 Researchers have discovered a thermal asymmetry deep beneath the surface across Mars' southern hemisphere. Based on gravitational measurements that provide clues to the Red Planet's interior structure, Mars' southern interior is around 200 to 400 degrees Celsius warmer than the planet's northern half and partially molten. The surprising finding adds context to Martian history and the periods during which it may have hosted conditions favorable for life. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-thermal-anomaly-mars-south-pole.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:20:08 EDT news706964473 It has been a busy month for astronomy. In the midst of an eclipse season bookended by the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12 and the deep partial lunar eclipse coming up this week on Aug. 28, an outbound comet hanging high in the dawn sky just refuses to die: 220P/McNaught. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-comet-220p-mcnaught-encore.html Astronomy Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:20:11 EDT news706947961 Elon Musk's SpaceX announced plans Tuesday to build a $100 billion facility in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana to launch its anticipated Starship megarockets, currently being developed at the company's Texas Starbase. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-spacex-billion-spaceport-louisiana.html Space Exploration Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:15:04 EDT news706889686 A study published in the journal Ecological Monographs indicates that large mammals, such as tapirs, peccaries, agoutis and deer, alter the chemical composition of litter and soil in tropical forests of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. As a result, they increase nutrient availability and, possibly, soil fertility. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-large-mammals-soil-chemistry-fertility.html Plants & Animals Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:20:03 EDT news706859836 Recent Gen Z-led uprisings have reshaped political narratives across Asia, raising a pointed question: Can street-level youth outrage be transformed into governing power and lasting institutional change? Or does it burn out once the protests end? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gen-zled-uprisings-asia-reveal.html Political science Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:40:05 EDT news706795022 Plastic might be the last ingredient you would ever add to a cookie recipe. But a team of researchers is looking to change that. They've programmed yeasts to turn plastic and agricultural waste into edible proteins and flavoring molecules, creating a treat from trash. The technology not only offers a new upcycling method but could also sustain life in disaster zones or even deep-space missions with humans aboard. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-yeasts-pet-plastic-crop-protein.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:00:07 EDT news706534861 The surface of Mars is home to some of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring landscapes in the solar system. This is primarily because the Red Planet lacks several resurfacing processes that Earth possesses, including plate tectonics, volcanism and flowing water. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mars-curiosity-rover-massive-field.html Planetary Sciences Sat, 22 Aug 2026 14:00:04 EDT news706266241 Over the past three decades, computer models of planetary system formation have gone from fairly crude representations to sophisticated simulations using thousands of different starting points. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-solar-earth-fluke.html Planetary Sciences Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:40:05 EDT news706520402 Jennifer Bhatnagar spent the summer of 2023 traversing barren hillsides blackened by wildfire in northern California. She walked through devastated properties, examined the hot soil beneath her feet, collected samples and asked questions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-forests-survive-world.html Earth Sciences Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:20:02 EDT news706509362 Japan's ambitious mission to collect and bring back samples from one of Mars' moons will lift off Oct. 20, the space agency announced Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-japan-probe-mars-moons-october.html Space Exploration Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:00:05 EDT news706455400 Major cosmetics retailers such as Sephora, Ulta and Amazon now feature sections aimed at socially conscious consumers, highlighting products that are sustainable, eco-friendly, cruelty-free or packaged with recycled materials. This shift reflects changing consumer preferences. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-brand-messaging-consumer-choices-vegan.html Economics & Business Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:20:06 EDT news706445882 Welcome back to our series on interstellar travel! In our first installment, we examined attempts to realize nuclear propulsion and how the technology could be used to reach the nearest star. In our second, we examined how fusion power has also been considered a means of propelling spacecraft to relativistic speeds (a fraction of the speed of light). In both cases, these proposals paralleled Cold War developments in rocketry and nuclear armaments, as they did for most space age advancements. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-interstellar-iv-solar-magnetic-energy.html Astronomy Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:20:09 EDT news706437782 A new study from Monash University has delivered the most complete and accurate digital map of Earth's windblown sand dunes to date. The research, published in Nature Communications, answers long-standing questions about why dunes form where they do, unlocking key insights into climate conditions on Earth and other planets. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-global-sand-dunes-reveals-clues.html Planetary Sciences Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:20:03 EDT news706436221 Some of Earth's microbes likely to hitch a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the moon's South Pole region, NASA scientists say. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-human-microbes-survive-moon-south.html Astrobiology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:10:01 EDT news706377544 Before people can mine resources on the moon, asteroids or Mars, they need to answer a few key questions: What is there? How much is there? And where can it be found? A team led by SETI Institute research scientist Pablo Sobron is looking into a new way to answer these questions without having to land, drill or bring samples back to Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-interworld-slingshot-exploring-resources-space.html Space Exploration Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:30:02 EDT news706374121 As humanity gets closer to the possibility of long-term interplanetary travel, psychologists have started raising concerns about astronauts' mental health. Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted research on sailors in an isolated environment to address these concerns using virtual reality technology and by introducing other senses to the experience, such as smell and touch. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-vr-spaceflight-mental-health.html Space Exploration Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:58:23 EDT news706355873 NASA has released a report recommending an initial health standard for the Martian dust that astronauts could inhale during future missions. Although sending people to Mars is still years away, NASA needs to establish safety limits now. Spacecraft, spacesuits and crew habitats take years to design and test, and engineers need a measurable target for developing air filters, airlocks and suit-cleaning systems that will keep astronauts safe. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mars-red-planet-safe.html Space Exploration Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:00:01 EDT news706282501 Deimos, the smaller and outermost of Mars' two moons, is roughly oval in shape and has a deep depression at its south pole. Unlike its heavily scarred sister moon, Phobos, Deimos is covered by a loose layer of dust and rubble—a so-called regolith layer—which gives it a smoother, dustier appearance. Although numerous space probes have provided increasingly detailed images of its surface over the past decades, the origins of the debris layer and the depression at the south pole remain unclear. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-asteroid-impact-mars-moon-deimos.html Planetary Sciences Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:20:06 EDT news706273561 From 2021 to 2024, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter became the first vehicle of its kind to explore the Martian atmosphere and surface. With that proof of concept complete, NASA is preparing to send a trio of helicopters to search for the most precious resource for future astronaut missions: water. Known as the SkyFall trio, these helicopters will detect frozen water within the top few meters of Martian regolith. To find possible water sources, each helicopter will use ground-penetrating radar with a flexible, fabric-based antenna extended beneath the spacecraft. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nasa-skyfall-mars-helicopters-feature.html Space Exploration Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:20:04 EDT news706266542 They spotted the first mat of Sargassum seaweed several miles out in Biscayne Bay. The captain of the 37-foot (11-meter) Yellowfin brought the vessel to a full stop, allowing the scientists on board to get a closer look at the brown macroalgae that has been washing ashore by the tons this summer and fouling the shorelines of Gulf Coast and Atlantic beaches. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-plastic-webbed-drifters-track-sargassum.html Environment Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:40:03 EDT news706267021 So far, most of the minerals found on Mars tell a story of lava poured out by ancient volcanoes, followed by long stretches in which water trickled through and slowly reshaped the rock. However, some rocks scattered across the Martian surface seem to hint at a different geological history—carrying the same material that forms rubies and sapphires. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ruby-mineral-mars-rover-hints.html Planetary Sciences Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:30:01 EDT news706193441 Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars' moons to retrieve samples that may unlock the origins of the solar system and life on Earth, although a rival Chinese mission aims to make it back first. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-japan-aims-moons-mars.html Planetary Sciences Sun, 16 Aug 2026 15:05:17 EDT news706111469 From launchpads to low Earth orbit and beyond, space companies and their affiliates are deploying a familiar marketing tactic—with a new twist. In a space economy projected to reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, they sell space exploration narratives by appealing to a desire to expand humankind beyond Earth—while downplaying or omitting the negative repercussions for Earth and the space environment. Welcome to the age of starwashing. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-starwashing-space-companies-greenwashing-playbook.html Space Exploration Fri, 14 Aug 2026 21:00:01 EDT news705765127 For astronauts in space, constipation is a well-known problem. But why this happens has long been unclear. Now, a new study from the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with NASA provides an idea of what happens in the stomach without the influence of gravity. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-constipation-common-astronauts-blood.html Space Exploration Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:20:03 EDT news705932401 Detecting water where none remains today: Neutron and X-ray tomography make it possible. In an international study conducted with the participation of the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, researchers have brought to light macroscopic hydrogen-rich regions inside a Martian meteorite. The findings provide evidence for early water-rock interactions on Mars. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dry-meteorite-mars.html Astrobiology Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news705841861 Some cynodonts may have been giving birth to live young much sooner in evolutionary history than previously assumed. A new Frontiers in Mammal Science study has offered the first compelling evidence that cynodonts may have been viviparous—a reproductive mode characterized by live birth. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-million-year-fossil-story-mammalian.html Evolution Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:02 EDT news705656222 It's common to see images of astronauts on the International Space Station exercising, running on special treadmills and pedaling cycles designed for tight quarters. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-space-doesnt-affect-strength-heart.html Space Exploration Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:20:03 EDT news705759301