Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines

Nasa considers sending swimming robots to habitable ocean worlds of the Solar System

Nasa has recently announced funding for a study into the feasibility of sending swarms of miniature swimming robots to explore oceans beneath the icy shells of our Solar System's many 'ocean worlds'. But don’t imagine metal humanoids swimming frog-like underwater. They will probably be simple, triangular wedges.

July 4, 2022 Read more

Nanoscale infrared study of meteorite mineralogy

Using a nanoscale infrared probe, researchers found that the minerals in a meteorite - an artifact representing the solar system's past - were altered by water on very fine spatial scales.

July 2, 2022 Read more

Engineers design motorless sailplanes for Mars exploration

A concept developed by aerospace experts and a planetary scientist takes inspiration from albatross flight to learn more about the Red Planet's atmosphere and geology.

July 2, 2022 Read more

Capturing the onset of galaxy rotation in the early universe

Astronomers detect the most distant galaxy rotation ever observed, suggesting an initial stage of rotational motion development.

July 1, 2022 Read more

Bacteria for blastoff: Using microbes to make supercharged new rocket fuel

Scientists have developed a new class of energy-dense biofuels based on one of nature's most unique molecules.

July 1, 2022 Read more

Astronauts on long missions can experience the equivalent of 10 years of age-related bone density loss

The research investigated the shinbones of 17 astronauts after being in space, and found that people who went on space missions for longer than 6 months had substantially less bone recovery than people who were in space for less than 6 months.

June 30, 2022 Read more

New fossil galaxy discovery could answer important questions about the history of the universe

An ultra-faint dwarf galaxy, believed to be a 'fossil' of one of the first ever galaxies, has been discovered by galactic archeologists.

June 30, 2022 Read more

Exploring alien worlds with robotic teams: Test mission on Mt. Etna

Conditions similar to those on the Moon or Mars can be found on Mt. Etna, where researchers are testing robotic swarms with which they plan to explore alien worlds in the future.

June 30, 2022 Read more

First full-scale planetary defense test against potential asteroid impacts on Earth

A space probe colliding with an asteroid may deform its target far more severely than previously thought.

June 29, 2022 Read more

Falling stardust, wobbly jets explain blinking gamma ray bursts

Astrophysicists has developed the first-ever full 3D simulation of an entire evolution of a jet formed by a collapsing star, or a 'collapsar'. New simulation also shows gamma ray bursts are 10 times rarer than previously thought.

June 29, 2022 Read more

The puzzling link between star formation and radio emission in galaxies

On the 50th anniversary of the discovery of a close connection between star formation in galaxies and their infrared and radio radiation, researchers have now deciphered the underlying physics.

June 29, 2022 Read more

A sanitizer in the galactic center region

An international group of researchers reports the first identification iso-propanol in interstellar space, a substance which is used as a sanitizer on Earth. Iso-propanol is the largest alcohol detected so far, demonstrating the increasing complexity of members of one of the most abundant classes of molecule that can be found in space.

June 28, 2022 Read more

New study explores climate damage caused by growing space tourism

Scientists used a 3D model to explore the impact of rocket launches and re-entry in 2019, and the impact of projected space tourism scenarios based on the recent billionaire space race.

June 26, 2022 Read more

Artificial photosynthesis can produce food without sunshine

Scientists are developing artificial photosynthesis to help make food production more energy-efficient here on Earth, and one day possibly on Mars.

June 23, 2022 Read more

The star that survived a supernova

A tenacious star validates a revised model of supernovae.

June 23, 2022 Read more

You can help scientists study the atmosphere on Jupiter

A new citizen science project allows volunteers to play an important role in helping scientists learn more about the atmosphere on Jupiter. Citizen scientists can help astrophysicists categorize tens of thousands of stunning images taken from the Juno spacecraft with just a web browser.

June 23, 2022 Read more

Reading between the lines to model our galaxy's central black hole

Researchers were able to use the unique subtle flickering of the bright glow of orbiting gas to construct the most accurate model to date of our own galaxy's central black hole, providing insight into properties such as its structure and motion.

June 22, 2022 Read more

A novel crystal structure sheds light on the dynamics of extrasolar planets

Scientists evaluated how the atomic structure of magnesium germanate changes under extremely high pressures. They discovered that the mineral adopted the structure of a compound called thorium phosphide. This, they think, could be an important component of the deep interiors of large, rocky extrasolar planets.

June 22, 2022 Read more