Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 14, 2025
Surviving re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is among the most technically demanding tasks in spaceflight. During low-Earth orbit returns, spacecraft experience searing temperatures up to 1,600oC. This figure skyrockets to over 16,000oC in extreme cases, such as the Galileo probe's plunge into Jupiter. Heat shields are indispensable for protecting both payloads and human passengers from this inten

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 14, 2025
Flying beneath a waxing Moon in March 2025, NASA's ER-2 aircraft transformed into a unique lunar observatory, soaring above the clouds from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. These nighttime sorties supported a critical Earth science mission known as Airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance, or air-LUSI. Equipped with a precision spectroradiometer, the air-LUSI instr

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 14, 2025
Are we alone in the cosmos? The search for extraterrestrial life has long captivated scientists, but a new theoretical approach suggests we might be looking in the wrong place. Mikhail Tikhonov, assistant professor of physics at Washington University in St. Louis, argues that instead of focusing solely on specific biological molecules, we should search for distinctive patterns of energy usage as

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 14, 2025
Chinese researchers analyzing rock samples from the Chang'e-6 lunar mission have determined that the Moon's farside mantle holds significantly less water than the nearside. The study, led by Prof. HU Sen of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, sheds new light on the internal structure and evolution of the Moon. Published in Nature, the team's findings

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 14, 2025
Vast, a leader in orbital habitation systems, has finalized a strategic partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to enable new research initiatives aboard the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory. This collaboration strengthens Vast's standing in NASA's private astronaut mission (PAM) ecosystem and underscores its dedication to advancing space-

Week in images: 07-11 April 2025

Discover our week through the lens

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
Millennium Space Systems, a subsidiary of Boeing [NYSE: BA], has reached a key development milestone for its Fire-control On Orbit-support-to-the-war Fighter (FOO Fighter) initiative, wrapping up the program's critical design review (CDR) within just 10 months of receiving the green light to begin. "Meeting rapid timelines is essential to ensuring we deliver mission capabilities when neede

Madrid, Spain (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
A Spanish start-up with roots in Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is developing advanced space tether systems aimed at tackling orbital debris and supporting satellite servicing. The company, PERSEI Space, co-founded by two UC3M researchers, is pioneering electrodynamic tether technology designed to both remove defunct satellites and enable in-orbit support services such as refueling and

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
Sierra Space has announced a strategic partnership with Honda and Tec-Masters to conduct in-orbit testing of Honda's advanced water electrolysis system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The initiative, enabled by Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane, represents a major milestone in developing sustainable energy technologies for lunar habitats and Earth-based applications. The

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
Leonardo da Vinci once remarked that humanity understands the heavens better than the earth beneath its feet. James Tiedje at Michigan State University echoes that sentiment, but he's working to change it through groundbreaking research into Earth's Critical Zone-a dynamic layer stretching from treetops to bedrock. "The Critical Zone extends from the tops of trees down through the soil to