NASA’s Mars 2020 rover passes its driving test: Robotic vehicle proves it can move backwards and forwards and ‘pirouette’ in major mission milestone NASA’s next mission to Mars will launch from Florida in July or August next year The Mars 2020 Rover officially passed its ‘driving test’ on Tuesday 17 December It involved a ten … Read more
NASA shared a festive image of a ‘cosmic candy cane’ just in time for the holidays. A structure resembling the Christmas treat was spotted in a colorful composite image of the Milky Way galaxy. The feature spans 190 light-years and is one of a set of long, thin strands of ionized gas called filaments that … Read more
The Russian space agency Roscosmos is planning to install a nuclear-powered observatory on its future moon base to held spot deadly Earth-threatening asteroids. Establishing a permanent presence near the lunar south pole has been a priority for Roscosmos ever since NASA announced plans to return to the moon earlier this year. The base’s telescopes will … Read more
NASA’s incredible supersonic X-plane dubbed the ‘son of Concorde’ and shaped to muffle the sound of its sonic boom is cleared for final assembly ahead of testing in 2021 Dubbed the ‘Son of Concorde’ the X-59 is NASA’s first large X-plane in 30 years The craft’s shape should make a sonic boom that is barely audible … Read more
NASA has selected the site for its asteroid sample collection mission from the four previously-proposed candidates after a year of study. The spinning-top-shaped asteroid, ‘101955 Bennu’, is a 1,614 feet (492 m) wide near-Earth object with a cumulative 1-in-2,700 chance of hitting Earth from 2175–2199. The chosen primary sample site — dubbed ‘Nightingale’ — is located … Read more
The European Space Agency has been forced to ask NASA for help to save its 2020 ExoMars mission, after a series of parachute tests ended in catastrophic failure. Two parachutes on the ExoMars rover are supposed to deploy as part of an intricate design to slow its descent onto the surface of the Red Planet. … Read more
Nearly 70 percent of the Earth is covered with oceans, but an animation reveals what our planet would look like if they all disappeared. The clip simulated a drop in a range of sea levels that gradually reveals the two-thirds of land hidden underwater, with most of the area becoming visible at a decrease of … Read more
The search for life on other planets has captivated mankind for decades. But the reality could be a little less like the Hollywood blockbusters, scientists have revealed. They say if there was life on the red planet, it probably will present itself as fossilized bacteria – and have proposed a new way to look for … Read more
Final ‘Full Cold Moon’ of the decade will reach its peak on 12/12 at 12:12am EST – delighting numerologists The moon will reach its peak in the Eastern United States at exactly 12:12am EST The ‘Cold Moon’ is named for the fact December is when it start cooling down The moon will be nearly full … Read more
NASA‘s exoplanet-hunting satellite captured the most complete and detailed observation of a comet’s spontaneous outburst in history. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) recorded the moment ice and dust exploded from the comet 46P/Wirtanen in 2018 as it made its closest pass to Earth. The burst lasted for 20 days and ejected 2.2 million pounds … Read more
SpaceX successfully launched the ‘Dragon’ capsule on top of its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida for its 19th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. The craft took off at 12:29 PM Thursday carrying a 5,700-pound payload that includes genetically-edited ‘mighty-mice’ and Budweiser barley seeds. The Dragon safely deployed … Read more
NASA is conducting planetary defence drills to see what would happen if an apocalyptic space rock was heading straight for Earth. Participants will discuss potential preparations for studying an asteroid or comet, as well as how to deflect it and lessen the damage caused by any impact. The space agency has been scanning the skies … Read more
The search for life on other planets has captivated mankind for decades. But the reality could be a little less like the Hollywood blockbusters, scientists have revealed. They say if there was life on the red planet, it probably will present itself as fossilized bacteria – and have proposed a new way to look for … Read more