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. Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the lofty goal of ferrying humans to Mars and colonizing Earth's neighboring planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-spacex-sprawling-company-stars-mars.html Space Exploration Thu, 21 May 2026 07:10:01 EDT news698556075 When it comes to space debris, what goes up is coming down more often—and not safely. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-falling-space-debris-poses-escalating.html Space Exploration Sun, 17 May 2026 17:00:04 EDT news697903672 After the success of Artemis II, longer space journeys are expected, raising new health and nutritional challenges for astronauts. Current space foods rely on dried, shelf-stable items. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-customizable-essential-nutrients-space-missions.html Space Exploration Fri, 15 May 2026 08:58:50 EDT news698054281 Just a few hours before the Orion spacecraft crossed the sky en route to the moon on April 1, mechatronics engineer Rodrigo Trevisan Okamoto received confirmation he had been waiting for since the Artemis 2 mission was announced in 2023. The email from NASA stated that the crew of the first crewed mission to orbit the moon in half a century would carry a device developed by Okamoto and his team at Condor Instruments, a São Paulo-based startup. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-wristwatch-device-enables-health-astronauts.html Space Exploration Wed, 13 May 2026 23:40:01 EDT news697904627 An international team led by researchers at University of California San Diego and University of California, Riverside has developed a free, web-based platform designed to make public metabolomics data more accessible. By allowing users to search for chemical structures across billions of chemical spectra (the unique signatures of molecules) spanning thousands of studies, the tool has the potential to make "big-data" metabolomics as straightforward as a standard internet search. It can be used to discover new metabolites, track drug exposures and connect specific molecules to diseases or environmental sources. The study was published in Nature Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-molecules-chemistry-life.html Biochemistry Wed, 13 May 2026 15:28:19 EDT news697904356 The impacts were severe: Within a very short time, tropical storm Doksuri intensified into a super typhoon in July 2023. Exceptionally strong winds tore roofs from houses along the coasts of China and the Philippines, trees were uprooted, and torrential rain flooded streets and residential areas. In many places, everyday life came to a temporary halt. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-earth-ai-gaps-extreme-weather.html Earth Sciences Wed, 13 May 2026 10:05:35 EDT news697885501 From navigation to solar weather forecasting, many different areas of research require space-based sensors to measure Earth's magnetic field as accurately as possible at any given moment. So far, however, existing sensors have consistently struggled with effects including drift, interference from the spacecraft itself, and the harsh conditions of orbit. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-resilient-quantum-sensor-earth-magnetic.html Space Exploration Mon, 11 May 2026 14:00:05 EDT news697711981 Researchers at National Jewish Health have published new findings demonstrating that short-duration spaceflight may not significantly impact lower extremity joint structures, while also identifying a promising, noninvasive tool to monitor astronaut musculoskeletal health on future long-duration missions. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-spaceflight-astronauts-joints-unchanged-days.html Space Exploration Fri, 08 May 2026 13:40:05 EDT news697465261 The vast, deserted South Pacific is considered unspoiled nature. But this ocean is not as unspoiled as we would like to think. A new study by a group of researchers from ETH Zurich and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel sheds light on this premise. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-remote-ocean-contaminated-zinc-human.html Earth Sciences Wed, 06 May 2026 14:20:04 EDT news697288441 The new focus on manned missions to the moon and Mars presents countless pressing challenges, including keeping humans alive in hostile environments. What happens when an astronaut or space tourist has a cardiac emergency millions of miles from the nearest hospital? https://phys.org/news/2026-05-cpr-simulator-space-tracks-differences.html Space Exploration Tue, 05 May 2026 19:40:01 EDT news697204081 You're in the lab analyzing Martian regolith samples within your cozy Mars habitat serving on the fifth human mission to Mars. The power within the habitat has been flowing flawlessly thanks to the MARS-MES (Mars Atmospheric Resource & Multimodal Energy System), including the general habitat lighting, science lab, sleeping quarters, exercise equipment, the virtual reality headsets the crew use for rest & relaxation, oxygen and fuel generation, and water. All this from converting the Martian atmosphere into workable electricity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-situ-power-stations-future-mars.html Space Exploration Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:40:12 EDT news696679141 The Fe Kα line, or iron Kα line, is often used in astronomical research to understand the physical composition of astronomical objects. This line is produced when a K-shell electron of an iron ion in the photosphere—the gas on the stellar surface—is ejected by an external process, and has been detected in X-ray spectra of solar and stellar flares. Yet the dominant mechanism behind this ionization process has remained an open question for many years. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tandem-superflare-reveal-stellar-fe.html Astronomy Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:00:01 EDT news696256870 It takes a moment for the eyes to adjust. A faint spark appears in the darkness; then another, brighter one. Soon, stars, planets and entire constellations emerge. Before long, a whole galaxy stretches across the sky, visible to the naked eye. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-threat-pollution-world-darkest-skies.html Astronomy Sun, 26 Apr 2026 11:40:01 EDT news696422376 Long-duration spaceflight can chip away at an astronaut's health, prompting scientists to find new ways to make living in space easier on the body. The journey to outer space is incredibly dangerous, but crews must also face day-to-day hazards, such as exposure to cancer-causing radiation, microgravity and extreme isolation. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-focus-outer-space.html Space Exploration Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:20:01 EDT news696141541 Along the northeast side of the Capital Beltway in Maryland, green spaces weave through the developed landscape. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-image-belts-green-washington-suburbs.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:40:01 EDT news696075140 Too much stress can make even a rock crack. But before rocks reach their breaking point, they "sigh" a chemical warning by releasing nuclides, a type of atom defined by the number of neutrons as well as protons in the nucleus. Scientists have studied these naturally occurring geochemical emissions for more than half a century, but struggled to link nuclide release to the timing of rock breakage. Now, an international team of scientists from universities in China (led by Xin Luo at Hong Kong University and Yifeng Chen at Wuhan University) and the United States (led by Michael Manga at the University of California, Berkeley) has cracked that mystery, by creating a model to connect nuclide signal fluctuations to progressive changes in rock structure that lead to critical failure. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-stressed-geohazards.html Earth Sciences Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:30:01 EDT news696094681 At 9 p.m., shops, restaurants and cafes go dark across the city of Cairo, where a stringent curfew has been imposed to mitigate the energy shock triggered by the conflict in the Gulf. The measure may prove difficult to enforce among people accustomed to long, convivial evenings, but the outlook is far from reassuring. Reports from inland areas indicate that petrol stations are running dry, raising fears that the emergency will last longer than expected. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-world-crisis-leaders-resisting-remote.html Economics & Business Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:40:01 EDT news695998022 Buried within the Antarctic ice are more than 5,000 light sensors that work together to detect some of the highest energy particles in the universe. These tiny particles, called neutrinos, provide insight into the extreme cosmic events that created them as well as phenomena that challenge traditional physics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-qa-icecube-observatory-elusive-cosmic.html General Physics Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:00:01 EDT news695992172 Between the Artemis Program, the ESA's Moon Village, and the Sino-Russian International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), the next step in space exploration is clear: we're going back to the moon, and this time, to stay! This plan requires significant investment, research, development, and strategies adapted to lunar conditions. In particular, mission planners are concerned about the hazard posed by lunar regolith (aka "moon dust"). In addition to being electrostatically charged, causing it to stick to literally any surface, it is incredibly fine and easily kicked up by rovers and spacecraft as they land and take off. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-immature-lunar-soil-suitable-roadways.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:20:03 EDT news695894642 Engineers love a good practical challenge, especially when it comes to spaceflight. But there's one particular challenge facing the crewed missions of the near future that scares mission planners above almost all others—fire. For decades, we've relied on a NASA test known as NASA-STD-6001B to screen material flammability for flight. But space is much more complicated than an Earth-bound test provides for. A new paper from researchers at NASA's Glenn Research Center and Johnson Space Center and Case Western Reserve University details a planned mission to test the flammability of materials on the moon's surface—where they expect flame to act much differently than it does here on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-moon-prone.html Space Exploration Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:30:01 EDT news695565411 Originally deployed to record re-entry signals of the OSIRIS-REx return capsule, a T-shaped fiber optic cable draped across the ground at a Nevada airfield also captured unique aspects of a Cessna 172's speed and maneuvering. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-surface-draped-fiber-captured-plane.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:20:02 EDT news695619661 On a chilly yet beautifully clear evening last November, I sat on a video call with colleagues and happened to mention the live feed from the International Space Station—a real-time broadcast from onboard cameras as the station orbits Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-sunsets-night-sky-technology-nature.html Space Exploration Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news695561222 It is tempting to view the Artemis II splashdown as the exclamation point on a successful lunar mission. And from launch to completion, it was indeed a textbook voyage of discovery for four astronauts, shared with enthralled millions watching across the globe. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-boots-moon-artemis-ii-mission.html Space Exploration Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:40:13 EDT news695557262 NASA and other space agencies are intent on sending astronauts back to the moon, and this time, to stay! A vital part of these plans for reducing costs and dependency on Earth is the process of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), using local resources for construction materials and meeting astronauts' basic needs. This is why the South Pole-Aitken Basin, with its many permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), is considered a promising region for building habitats that will enable long-term exploration and development. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-exploring-moon-shadowy-craters-nuclear.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:20:08 EDT news695475661 At this point in NASA's human spaceflight story, researchers have a substantial amount of material—documents, artifacts and images—with which to tell the stories of past flights to space. But with NASA's Artemis II mission around the moon now in the books, we're getting a refreshed look at space. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-ii-crew-modern-photography.html Space Exploration Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:00:03 EDT news695294897 Heat, air pollution, and flooding can affect a city and the health of city residents. Yet few cities have a comprehensive network of weather stations providing accurate measurements of rainfall, humidity, and air temperature across different neighborhoods. Some of this information can be filled in by community members' personal weather stations, like those connected through Weather Underground. But because of a lack of sensors and inconsistencies in data collection, these types of community networks are often not reliable on their own. Furthermore, most personal weather stations are located in higher-income neighborhoods, with very few in lower-income, underserved neighborhoods. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-baltimore-unequal-weather-coverage.html Environment Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:40:01 EDT news695305178 British scientists have launched a crew of microscopic worms to the International Space Station in a pioneering experiment that could help unlock the secrets of long-duration space travel—and support ambitions to reach the moon and beyond. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-space-worms-microscopic-crew-orbit.html Space Exploration Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:40:06 EDT news695294943 The successful Artemis II trip around the moon was a historic achievement—the first crewed lunar fly-by in more than 50 years, and the greatest distance yet traveled by humans from our "pale blue dot." https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-ii-celebrated-world-hard.html Space Exploration Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news695293801 While the Artemis II astronauts have been protected from the icy vacuum of space on their journey, their bodies have nonetheless been left exposed to possibly high levels of radiation—a danger of space travel that NASA is anxiously waiting to study. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-astronauts-space-health.html Space Exploration Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:08:15 EDT news695012812 Twin control rooms at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are actively supporting real-time mission operations in lunar orbit as part of the agency's Artemis II mission, helping ensure astronaut safety and mission success as the crew prepares to return to Earth Friday, April 10. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-twin-nasa-rooms-artemis-safety.html Space Exploration Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:07 EDT news694948981