Paris, France (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
A recent study has revealed groundbreaking insights into the origins of lunar water, connecting it to Earth's early history and cosmic interactions. Researchers analyzed nine samples from the Apollo lunar mission using a high-precision triple oxygen isotope technique. This approach, devised by Dr. Morgan Nunn Martinez of the University of California, San Diego, identified distinct water phases -

Washington DC (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
Say cheese again, Moon. We're coming in for another close-up. For the second time in less than a year, a NASA technology designed to collect data on the interaction between a Moon lander's rocket plume and the lunar surface is set to make the long journey to Earth's nearest celestial neighbor for the benefit of humanity. Developed at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virgini

Santa Cruz CA (SPX) Dec 26, 2024
Much about the Moon remains shrouded in mystery, including its age. Analyses of samples brought back from the lunar surface indicate our celestial sidekick could be about 4.35 billion years old, which means it came to be at about 200 million years after the formation of our solar system. But that immense lag doesn't sit well with some scientists. During the solar system's early days, debri

Washington (AFP) Dec 24, 2024
NASA's pioneering Parker Solar Probe made history Tuesday, flying closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft with its heat shield exposed to scorching temperatures of more than 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius). Launched in August 2018, the spaceship is on a seven-year mission to deepen scientific understanding of our star and help forecast space-weather events that can affect

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
The Ohio River Basin, spanning from Pennsylvania to Illinois, covers an area nearly as large as France and is home to over 25 million people. A collaborative effort between NASA and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) through the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission now provides researchers with a valuable tool to monitor water levels in lakes, reservoi

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
The Jovian Vortex Hunter project has released a groundbreaking catalog of 7,222 atmospheric vortices on Jupiter, showcasing immense swirling storms captured over the last two years. Each vortex represents a powerful atmospheric phenomenon within the gas giant's turbulent skies, with thousands of volunteers contributing to this unprecedented effort. Vortices are categorized by color, with "

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
ArianeGroup has successfully completed the initial mechanical integration of Themis, the European reusable launcher first stage demonstrator, at its Les Mureaux facility in France. Standing 28 meters tall, the prototype comprises the Multi-Engine Bay (MEB), tanks, the Flight Control Bay (FCB), and the upper segment that completes the stage structure. The Themis demonstrator will be p

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
Researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have been awarded a $17.8 million grant by the U.S. Air Force to construct a hypersonic wind tunnel at the UT Space Institute in Tullahoma, Tennessee. The facility will test advanced materials, such as high-temperature ceramics, under the extreme conditions of hypersonic flight - speeds exceeding Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have awarded Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) a $26 million contract to design and build advanced magnetometers for the Space Weather Next (SW Next) program. These instruments will play a key role in two missions slated for launch in 2029 and 2032, providing critical measurements of the interplanetary magnetic field transport