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Space Exploration news
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time, but designing the reactors that would power them isn't easy
NASA plans to send crewed missions to Mars over the next decade—but the 140 million-mile (225 million-kilometer) journey to the red planet could take several months to years round trip.
Space Exploration
16 hours ago
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What's the best material for a lunar tower?
Physical infrastructure on the moon will be critical to any long-term human presence there as both America and China gear up for a sustained human lunar presence. Increasingly, a self-deploying tower is one of the most essential ...
Space Exploration
Oct 4, 2024
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Solar flares may cause faint auroras across top of Northern Hemisphere
Solar storms may cause faint northern lights across fringes of the northern United States over the weekend as forecasters monitor for possible disruptions to power and communications.
Space Exploration
Oct 4, 2024
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ESA's Hera mission takes flight toward the asteroid deflected by NASA's DART probe two years ago
The European Space Agency's Hera mission will set off from Cape Canaveral on 7 October on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It will travel several hundred million kilometers to reach the double asteroid Didymos in autumn 2026.
Space Exploration
Oct 4, 2024
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ESA's Hera spacecraft set for asteroid 'crime scene investigation'
Europe's Hera probe is tentatively scheduled to launch Monday on a mission to inspect the damage a NASA spacecraft made when it smashed into an asteroid during the first test of Earth's planetary defenses.
Space Exploration
Oct 4, 2024
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Successful Vulcan launch early Friday would unlock lucrative future for ULA
United Launch Alliance is footing the bill for the second ever launch of its Vulcan Centaur rocket, so it can finally see the payouts for the backlog of $3.1 billion worth of national security missions, something ULA cannot ...
Space Exploration
Oct 4, 2024
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Investigating the possibility of using asteroid material to grow edible biomass for astronauts
A team of engineers and planetary scientists at Western University's Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, in Canada, has found that it might be possible to produce food for space travelers by feeding bacteria asteroid ...
NASA's laser comms demo makes deep space record, completes first phase
The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars' farthest distance from Earth.
Space Exploration
Oct 3, 2024
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New lunar distress system could safeguard future astronauts
A team of international scientists has taken a significant step towards making lunar exploration safer, proposing a distress monitoring and rescue system designed for the moon's unique and challenging environment.
Space Exploration
Oct 3, 2024
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Mercury's magnetic landscape mapped in 30 minutes
As BepiColombo sped past Mercury during its June 2023 flyby, it encountered a variety of features in the tiny planet's magnetic field. These measurements provide a tantalizing taste of the mysteries that the mission is set ...
Space Exploration
Oct 3, 2024
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South America treated to rare 'ring of fire' eclipse
Skygazers on the tip of South America were treated Wednesday to a spectacular "ring of fire" solar eclipse that was visible from Chile's Easter Island before heading to mainland Patagonia.
Space Exploration
Oct 3, 2024
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New solar wind plasma sensor will help track space weather
The Southwest Research Institute-developed Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) has been delivered and integrated into a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite dedicated to tracking space weather. SWiPS ...
Space Exploration
Oct 2, 2024
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NASA prepares for Lunar Terrain Vehicle testing
When astronauts return to the moon as part of NASA's Artemis campaign, they will benefit from having a human-rated unpressurized LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) that will allow them to explore more of the lunar surface, enabling ...
Space Exploration
Oct 2, 2024
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New triple star system sets shortest orbital period record
Professional and amateur astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery with the help of artificial intelligence, identifying a unique triple star system named TIC 290061484. This stellar trio was uncovered through cosmic ...
Space Exploration
Oct 2, 2024
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FAA confirms SpaceX Falcon 9 is grounded because of Crew-9 launch issue
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it had grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket pending an investigation into why the rocket's second stage missed its deorbit landing target zone after this weekend's Crew-9 launch ...
Space Exploration
Oct 1, 2024
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New mission to create total solar eclipses in space
A UK team of researchers including UCL's Professor Lucie Green are working on the launch of a spacecraft mission that will allow us to view the sun's atmosphere in more detail than ever before.
Astronomy
Sep 30, 2024
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CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system
Most CubeSats weigh less than a bowling ball, and some are small enough to hold in your hand. But the impact these instruments are having on space exploration is gigantic. CubeSats—miniature, agile and cheap satellites—are ...
Space Exploration
Sep 30, 2024
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SpaceX shuts down launches after problem with Crew-9 mission's 2nd stage
SpaceX celebrated the first human spaceflight from its Cape Canaveral launch site on Saturday, and while the two humans aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom are safely on their way to the International Space Station, a problem ...
Space Exploration
Sep 30, 2024
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Stuck NASA astronauts welcome SpaceX capsule that'll bring them home next year
The two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June welcomed their new ride home with Sunday's arrival of a SpaceX capsule.
Space Exploration
Sep 30, 2024
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October's 'ring of fire' solar eclipse will dazzle parts of South America and the Pacific
A "ring of fire" eclipse of the sun is coming. But only a lucky few will be in the path.
Space Exploration
Sep 30, 2024
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More news
SpaceX launches rescue mission to return stranded astronauts
Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky sun flypast
Europe en route for moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
Earth to capture a 'second moon' this weekend, NASA says
NASA's Artemis science instrument gets tested in moon-like sandbox
Nuking a huge asteroid could save Earth, lab experiment suggests
Walking on the Moon in Cologne: Europe's lunar life simulator
Record-breaking laser demonstration completes mission
Robotic moving 'crew' preps for work on moon
NASA pilots use specialty suits to validate data
Research abounds at the International Space Station
Florida company's space balloon takes big step toward 1st human flight
What happens to a person when they're stuck in space?
Other news
Dietary zinc inhibits antimicrobial resistance gene transmission in lab tests
Antarctic 'greening' at dramatic rate, satellite data show
Phage cocktail shows promise against drug-resistant bacteria
Scientists uncover auditory 'sixth sense' in geckos
Innovative method targets removal of PFAS from wastewater
SpaceX pushes booster recovery limits with satellite launch
There could be a way to fix spacecraft at L2, like Webb and Gaia
Reinventing the clock: NASA's new tech for space timekeeping
Measuring moon dust to fight air pollution
An ambitious mission to Neptune could study both the planet and Triton
Winds of change: Webb reveals forces that shape protoplanetary disks
Climate lessons from the fall of a Pacific chiefdom
