Scientists from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have uncovered new evidence that water once flowed beneath the surface of Mars, revealing that the planet may have remained habitable for life much longer than previously thought.
Rocket Lab has delayed the first launch of its medium-lift Neutron rocket to 2026, founder and CEO Peter Beck said during a company earnings call on Nov. 10. Continue ReadingRocket Lab delays debut of powerful, partially reusable Neutron rocket to 2026
Billions of years ago, a rogue planet eight times more massive than Jupiter tore through our Solar System, passing closer to the Sun than Mars orbits today. That single violent encounter may explain why our giant planets don’t orbit in perfect circles like formation theories predict and new simulations suggest there was roughly a one in 9,000 chance it happened at all. The discovery reveals that near misses with interstellar wanderers might be more important in shaping planetary systems than anyone realised.
After spending four years converting a massive cargo ferry into a rocket catching ship, Blue Origin scrapped the entire vessel and started from scratch. The story of Jacklyn, named after Jeff Bezos’s mother, reveals how even a company founded by one of the world’s richest people had to learn hard lessons about what actually works when trying to catch 57 metre rocket boosters descending from space at hypersonic speeds. The barge that ultimately took its name represents a dramatic shift in strategy, from elegant complexity to purpose built simplicity.
Emissions of the greenhouse gas methane from lakes and reservoirs risk doubling by the end of the century due to climate change, according to a new study from Linköping University, Sweden, and NASA Ames Research Center in the US. This in turn could raise Earth’s temperature more than suggested by the UN climate panel IPCC’s current worst-case scenario.
When a chunk of SpaceX rocket debris crashed into a Polish warehouse this year, it exposed a troubling reality, that the international laws governing space accidents were written for a world where only governments launched rockets. Now, as private companies deploy thousands of satellites and debris rains down with increasing frequency, victims have no direct legal recourse and must rely on their governments to pursue claims on their behalf, that’s if those governments choose to act at all. A new analysis reveals how a Cold War era treaty struggles to protect ordinary people in the age of commercial spaceflight, and why some nations are now taking matters into their own hands.
The supernova was the death of a red supergiant star 500 times larger than the sun, in a galaxy just 22 million light-years away. Continue ReadingScientists watch supernova shockwave shoot through a dying star for 1st time
New observations from the Virtual Telescope Project reveal 3I/ATLAS’s sharply defined ion tail, highlighting increased activity as the interstellar comet moves through the inner solar system. Continue ReadingInterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS’s tail is still growing, new image shows
SAN FRANCISCO – French startup U-Space has raised €24 million ($27.8 million) to expand its role in the small satellite constellation market. With funding from the Series A round, Toulouse-based […] The post French startup U-Space raises $24 million for smallsat manufacting appeared first on SpaceNews.
Auroras may be visible from Alaska to Illinois as an incoming coronal mass ejection could spark severe geomagnetic storm conditions overnight. Continue ReadingNorthern lights may be visible in 17 states (or more) tonight
“Astronomers have wanted to spot a coronal mass ejection on another star for decades. We’ve now managed to do this for the first time.” Continue ReadingAstronomers spot 1st coronal mass ejection from an alien star – and that’s bad news in the search for life
This article is a speculative piece based on the European Space Agency (ESA) Strategy 2040 plan for the future of space exploration. Dr. Orson Sutherland, a program manager responsible for Mars exploration at ESA, shared his expertise and work on multiple ongoing projects.
A severe geomagnetic storm during a period of heightened solar activity has delated Blue Origin’s second-ever launch of its New Glenn rocket, with NASA’s twin ESCAPADE probes. Continue ReadingOngoing solar storm delays Blue Origin launch of NASA Mars probes
If there is, or ever has been, life on Mars, the chances are it would exist in caves protected from the severe dust storms, extreme temperatures, and high radiation present on its surface. One place to focus our attention could be eight possible cave sites (called skylights) recently discovered by Chenyu Ding at Shenzhen University in China, and colleagues.
Does the APS-C sensor at the heart of the compact Nikon Z50 II punch above its weight when it comes to shooting for the stars and beyond? Continue ReadingNikon Z50 II camera review
Traveling up from the Mars equator toward its north pole, we find Coloe Fossae: a set of intriguing scratches within a region marked by deep valleys, speckled craters, and signs of an ancient ice age.
Exploring one of science’s most exciting frontiers, the book “Life in Space” bridges astrophysics and biology to uncover the conditions that make life possible—on Earth and beyond. Designed for students and general readers alike, it introduces the emerging field of astrobiology through vivid explanations, real-world examples, and ethical reflections on humanity’s role in the cosmos. From the detection of habitable planets to the search for biosignatures and intelligent life, the book offers a captivating, comprehensive view of life’s place in the universe.
The dream of accessible space travel is inching closer to reality. As private companies push the boundaries of space tourism and orbital logistics, the need for strategically located and versatile spaceports is becoming increasingly critical. While established players like Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Vandenberg Space Force Base hold significant sway, the future of […] The post The case for a southern launch corridor: Yuma’s role in the future of spaceflight appeared first on SpaceNews.
Two European companies will cooperate on a mission launching next year to demonstrate microgravity research and manufacturing capabilities. The post European companies to fly commercial microgravity mission in 2026 appeared first on SpaceNews.
Using ESA’s XMM-Newton satellite, European astronomers have observed ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in the galaxy NGC 4631. As a result, they detected a new pulsating ULX, which received the designation X-8. The research is published November 6 on the arXiv preprint server.
