Search results for Matt Williams, Universe Today

Space Exploration Jun 28, 2023

Reusable rockets could fly back to their launch sites with wings

Reusable launch vehicles have been a boon for the commercial space industry. By recovering and refurbishing the first stages of rockets, launch providers have dramatically reduced the cost of sending payloads and even crew ...

Space Exploration Jun 27, 2023

Germany is building a tiny rover that will roam the surface of Phobos

At this very moment, eleven robotic missions are operating in orbit or on the surface of Mars, more than at any point during the past 60 years. These include the many orbiters surveying the red planet from orbit, the handful ...

Astronomy Jun 16, 2023

Pulsars could help map the black hole at the center of the Milky Way

The theory of general relativity (GR), proposed by Einstein over a century ago, remains one of the most well-known scientific postulates of all time. This theory, which explains how spacetime curvature is altered in the presence ...

Space Exploration Jun 14, 2023

Astronauts will be tracking dust into the Lunar Gateway. Is this a problem?

Lunar regolith (aka. moondust) is a major hazard for missions heading to the moon. It's everywhere on the surface—5 to 10 meters (~16.5 to 33 feet) in depth in some places—not to mention jagged and sticky. During the Apollo ...

Space Exploration Jun 13, 2023

China is trying to stop its boosters from randomly crashing into villages

China's space program has advanced by leaps and bounds in a relatively short time. However, it has suffered some bad publicity in recent years due to certain "uncontrolled reentries" (aka crashes). On multiple occasions, ...

Planetary Sciences Jun 7, 2023

Twenty years of Mars Express images help build mosaic of the red planet

The Mars Express orbiter, the European Space Agency's (ESA) first interplanetary mission, entered orbit around Mars on June 2nd, 2003. Since then, the probe has mapped the Martian surface using its High-Resolution Stereo ...

Space Exploration May 31, 2023

How much damage will lunar landings do to lunar orbiters?

Multiple missions are destined for the moon in this decade. These include robotic and crewed missions conducted by space agencies, commercial space entities, and non-profit organizations. The risks and hazards of going to ...

Space Exploration May 15, 2023

Glass fibers in lunar regolith could help build structures on the moon

Through the Artemis Program, NASA plans to send the first astronauts to the moon in over 50 years. Before the decade is over, this program aims to establish the infrastructure that will allow for a "sustained program of lunar ...

Astronomy May 15, 2023

New images reveal the magnetic fields in the Horsehead Nebula

Located near the summit of Maunakea, Hawaii, the 15-meter (~49 ft) James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) at the East Asia Observatory (EAO) is the largest telescope in the world designed to operate exclusively in the submillimeter-wavelength. ...

Space Exploration May 12, 2023

China has its own secret space plane, and it just landed

A lot has changed since the last Space Age. Unlike the days of Sputnik, Vostok, Mercury, and Apollo, the current era is not defined by two superpowers constantly vying for dominance and one-upmanship. More than ever, international ...

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