Space Page 5

Space missions have long exemplified humankind's indomitable spirit and boundless ambition. Once the reserve of nations, space is fact opening up to commercial enterprises and could soon be the must-go destination for tourists – provided the accumulation of debris doesn't turn Earth's orbit into a no-go zone. All this comes as missions beyond the Moon provide greater insights into our solar system and more powerful telescopes give us a glimpse at exoplanets light years away. New Atlas keeps you up to date with the latest space news and fantastic images from all corners of the Universe.

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"Planet Nine" may be a distant, dusty disc of rock and ice

Michael Irving January 22, 2019

In recent years astronomers have found evidence that there might be a huge “Planet Nine” lurking on the fringes of the solar system. A new study has now poured some cold water on the idea, instead pitching the possibility that a dusty disc is causing all the weirdness out there.

An artist's rendering of the hypothetical Planet Nine

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Automation speeds up production of nuclear space fuel

David Szondy January 20, 2019

To help power American's deep space probes, The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has automated key steps in the process to make plutonium-238 (PU-238) nuclear fuel for radiothermal generators (RTG).

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have automated part of the process of producing plutonium-238, which is ...

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How long is a Saturnian day? Now we know

David Szondy January 19, 2019

Reset your interplanetary watches because data from NASA's Cassini probe has finally answered the question of how long a day on Saturn is. Using the planet's giant rings as a natural seismograph, a team of scientist calculated that Saturn rotates once every 10 hours, 33 minutes and 38 seconds.

Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft has allowed astronomers to calculate the length of a Saturnian day

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ExoMars autonomous navigation software proves itself in Mars-like conditions

David Szondy January 17, 2019

One of the software packages that will guide the ESA ExoMars 2020 rover on the Red Planet has passed a major test at the space agency's Planetary Utilisation Testbed. The exercise by the half-scale ExoMars Testing Rover will help the actual rover autonomously navigate Martian hazards.

ExoMars Testing Rover (ExoTeR), seen maneuvering itself carefully through the red rocks and sand of the ...

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Saturn's rings may be far younger than we thought

David Szondy January 17, 2019

Saturn's rings may not only vanish in 100 million years, but they may have only been around for as little as 10 million years. Using data gathered in the last days of NASA's Cassini mission, a team has concluded that the rings may have been created sometime between 10 and 100 million years ago.

An artist's concept of the Cassini orbiter crossing Saturn's ring plane

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Summer is coming: Cassini images show methane rain on Titan

Michael Irving January 16, 2019

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is a surprisingly dynamic world. Summer was due to hit its northern hemisphere in 2016, but strangely it didn’t seem to arrive as expected. Now, astronomers have analyzed Cassini images and found evidence of rainfall, indicating that finally, summer is coming.

A composite image of Titan, where evidence of summer rainfall has been found in the northern ...

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NASA fixes Hubble's faulty camera

Michael Irving January 16, 2019

Hubble appears to be back in working order, with full science operations scheduled to resume by the end of this week. The Wide Field Camera 3 on the aging space telescope was struck by a technical fault on January 8, and NASA engineers now believe they’ve fixed the problem.

NASA has resolved a technical fault with the Hubble Space Telescope, which should return to full ...

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China's Chang'e-4 probe sprouts the first ever seeds on the Moon

Nick Lavars January 15, 2019

China’s Chang'e-4 spacecraft made history when it landed on the far side of the Moon on January 3. Now a sealed container carried aboard the lander has given rise to the first ever seedlings to sprout on the Moon.

The Chang'e-4 lander, as seen by the Yutu 2 rover

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China's rover scoots across the far side of the Moon in fresh photo dump

Nick Lavars January 14, 2019

China’s landing of a probe on the far side of the Moon at the beginning of the year was a landmark moment for space exploration, and after operating in the dark for a little while new images are now starting to show the rover at work.

The Yutu 2 lander makes tracks across the Moon's far side

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Brightest quasar ever found shines with the intensity of 600 trillion Suns

Michael Irving January 13, 2019

The Sun is a mere 10-watt bulb compared to quasars, extremely luminous galactic cores that shine so intensely thanks to their ravenous hunger for nearby material. Now, astronomers have detected the brightest quasar ever found, shining with the light of almost 600 trillion Suns.

An artist's rendering of the quasar J043947.08+163415.7, the brightest known quasar with the luminosity of 600 ...