September 10th, 2017
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NASA’s Curiosity rover has just entered Sol 1812 operations on Mars. The robot is exploring part of Vera Rubin Ridge. Images taken by the rover show more rock and less soil. Some of the pebbles are relatively well rounded. The rock face up ahead is smooth and will mean easier driving. Here are several […]
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A battleground of debate is brewing regarding the search for life on Mars. The crux of the discussion is whether or not planetary protection rules are stifling our exploratory space missions. Special regions Last month, in the August 11 issue of Science, staff writer Paul Voosen wrote about the fear of microbial taint that […]
Now in Sol 1811, the Curiosity Mars rover has wheeled up to the steepest part of Vera Rubin Ridge that it will encounter along its climb and has unobstructed views across the lowlands of Gale crater to the rear of the rover. The scene is improving as the air becomes clearer heading into the […]
This one-day symposium on September 6, 2017 was hosted by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Aerospace Security Project. As both the U.S. military’s dependence on space and the threats posed to space systems have grown, some in Congress and the space community have called for sweeping changes in how space forces are […]
There are thousands of known exoplanets. That raises the question, is Earth under the watchful eye of other starfolk? A group of scientists from Queen’s University Belfast and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany have turned exoplanet-hunting on its head. Their new study takes a look at how an […]
President Trump’s nomination of Congressman James Bridenstine to lead NASA has sparked both praise and criticism from various quarters. For example, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness said: “I applaud President Trump for nominating Rep. Jim Bridenstine to be the next NASA administrator,” the lawmaker said. […]
A House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held today “Private Sector Lunar Exploration.” The hearing’s purpose focused on NASA support of private sector exploration of the Moon through various programs. The private sector is also investing their own funding in the hopes of serving a future market for transportation, cargo delivery, and surface operations […]
A seminar by Carolyn Porco on “Searching for Life in the Solar System” is part of The Long Now Foundation’s seminars about long-term thinking. Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco led the imaging team of the Cassini mission to Saturn, which is about to complete its 20-year exploration of the entire system of rings and moons. Porco […]
Boeing, the maker of the robotic Air Force X-37B space plane, has issued a new video. The video was released as part of the SpaceX launch today as prelude to the program’s Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-5) mission. Long duration record Flights of the craft in the past have repeatedly broken its own long-duration record. […]
For the first time, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was used to launch the reusable U.S. Air Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV). Previously, the robotic space drone was launched atop an Atlas 5. This is the fifth mission of the X-37B program. Launch time SpaceX launch of OTV-5 from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s […]
