Space
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Latest News
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Depths of alien ocean probed with radar in Cassini study
Home to oceans of liquid methane, Saturn’s moon Titan is one of the most fascinating bodies in the solar system. Now scientists have used radar to probe the depth of its largest sea, Kraken Mare, and estimated it to be at least 300 m deep. -
Glaciers on Mars likely didn't form during a single ice age event
Mars may have experienced up to 20 ice ages in the past 300 to 800 million years, according to the results of a new study. Glaciers formed during the cooling periods represent fascinating targets for future exploration missions. -
"Cotton candy" exoplanet defies models for how gas giants form
WASP-107b was already a very weird exoplanet, with the density of cotton candy. On closer inspection, astronomers have now found that its density is even lower than previously thought, defying our current understanding of how gas giants even form. -
Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt
It was the second time's a charm as Virgin Orbit's airdropped LauncherOne rocket put 10 NASA payloads into orbit on the second attempt in less than eight months, sending 10 NASA CubeSat payloads into low-Earth orbit under the Launch Services Program. -
Juno to explore Jupiter's rings and moons during new mission extension
NASA’s Juno spacecraft will take a Cassini-like approach to exploring the Jovian system when it begins its latest mission extension in August this year at which point it will make passes of Jupiter’s rings and moons, and explore key surface features. -
NASA takes delivery of Orion Artemis I spacecraft
After fears that it might require disassembly, Lockheed Martin has completed work on the Artemis I Orion spacecraft and has formally transferred possession to NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. -
InSight's Mars "mole" abandoned after two years of troubleshooting
NASA and DLR have officially called it quits on InSight's "mole." The instrument was designed to drill deep into the Martian soil, but soon hit a snag and has now been abandoned after almost two years of troubleshooting failed to resolve the issue. -
Blue Origin's New Shepard completes 14th flight, with improved capsule
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket has successfully completed its 14th flight. On January 14, 2021, at 11:20 am, mission NS-14 lifted off on a suborbital trajectory with an improved crew capsule containing a dummy astronaut named Anakin Skywalker. -
Boeing to provide six new solar arrays for International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is getting a major upgrade starting this year, as Boeing is tapped to deliver six new solar arrays. They will provide the orbital laboratory with up to 30 percent more electricity for research and commercial applications. -
Black hole flares up on precise 114-day cycle as it slowly eats star
Despite their name, black holes can give off bright flares of light, usually as they shred stars. Most of those are one-off events, but now astronomers have discovered an extragalactic Old Faithful that fires up like clockwork every 114 days. -
New Horizons probe finds that space is darker than we thought
How many galaxies are there in the observable universe? Not as many as we thought, according to a new study. NASA’s New Horizons probe has measured the blackness of the sky and found that there’s probably “only” a few hundred billion faint galaxies. -
Rolls-Royce and UK Space Agency pursue nuclear-powered space exploration
Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency study the potential for nuclear energy to be used in space exploration. The first contract between the two, the project will examine how nuclear energy can both power spacecraft and be used for deep-space propulsion.