Today, NASA announced the selection of its newest class of astronauts: six men and four women chosen from more than 12,000 people who applied to the space agency in March of 2020. Once they train and become full astronauts, these selectees have some exciting spaceflight opportunities ahead of them, potentially including flights to the Moon someday.
The astronauts announced today are part of the…
NASA funds three companies to develop commercial space stations
December 3, 2021
NASA announced the selection of three US companies that will receive government funding to further develop private space stations on Thursday. From a set of 11 proposals, NASA selected Blue Origin, Nanoracks LLC, and Northrop Grumman to receive over $400 million in federal…
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Are Water Plumes Spraying From Europa? NASA’s Europa Clipper Is on the Case
Finding plumes at Europa is an exciting prospect, but scientists warn it’ll be tricky, even from up close.
In 2005, images of a brilliant watery…
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Sends a Picture Postcard From Mars
November 24, 2021
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NASA’s Curiosity Rover Sends a Picture Postcard From Mars
An artistic interpretation of Curiosity’s view high up on a Martian mountain was created by mission team members who were stunned by the sweeping landscape.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured a remarkable image from its most recent perch on the side of Mars’…
New Deep Learning Method Adds 301 Planets to Kepler's Total Count
November 23, 2021
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New Deep Learning Method Adds 301 Planets to Kepler’s Total Count
Scientists have added a whopping 301 newly confirmed exoplanets to the total exoplanet tally.
Scientists recently added a whopping 301 newly validated…
NASA’s Perseverance Captures Challenging Flight by Mars Helicopter
November 19, 2021
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NASA’s Perseverance Captures Challenging Flight by Mars Helicopter
Recently downlinked imagery of a September flight has allowed the rover imaging team to put together a video of rotorcraft performing to near-perfection.
Video…
Twin of NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Begins Terrain Tests
November 18, 2021
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Twin of NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Begins Terrain Tests
OPTIMISM, the full-scale engineering model of Perseverance, begins a series of rigorous tests to assess the risk of potential driving hazards on the surface of the Red Planet.
On a recent day in November, the car-size rover rolled slowly forward, then…
How NASA’s Curiosity Rover Is Making Mars Safer for Astronauts
November 16, 2021
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How NASA’s Curiosity Rover Is Making Mars Safer for Astronauts
A radiation sensor aboard the spacecraft is providing new data on the health risks humans would face on the surface.
Could lava…
NASA delays ambitious human lunar landing to 2025
November 10, 2021
NASA is pushing back its target date for returning humans to the Moon, now eyeing a crewed lunar landing in 2025 instead of 2024 as originally planned. NASA blames the delay on recent lawsuits over contracts for the agency’s lunar lander, as well as changes to the scope of…
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Emission Reductions From Pandemic Had Unexpected Effects on Atmosphere
Earth’s atmosphere reacted in surprising ways to the lowering of emissions during the pandemic, showing how closely climate warming and air pollution are linked.
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting limitations on travel and other economic sectors by countries around the globe…
