Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. CNN — Boeing’s Starliner plans to launch its first crewed voyage on Saturday, a mission that has been in the works for a decade. The new spacecraft is expected to lift off atop an Atlas … Read more
OSIRIS-APEX emerged “unscathed” from its closest-ever pass to our sun on January 2, scientists announced on Tuesday (May 28). The probe, originally known as OSIRIS-RExhas completed its monster return mission to the asteroid Bennu and is now headed to the space rock Apophis on an extended mission. That new mission requires OSIRIS-APEX to hover 40 … Read more
Enlarge / A rendering of the European cargo return vehicle proposed by Thales Alenia Space. Thales Alecia Space The European Space Agency has awarded initial contracts to a Germany-based startup and one of the continent’s established aerospace companies to develop spacecraft that can carry cargo to and from space stations in low Earth orbit. ESA … Read more
These images of the Andromeda Galaxy use data from NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope. The top image shows multiple wavelengths, revealing stars, dust, and regions of star formation. The bottom image shows only dust, making it easier to see the underlying structure of the galaxy. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASAThe images from the Spitzer Space Telescope show … Read more
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) systems engineer Bobak Ferdowsi helps search for alien life in all the right places and is a crowd favorite when it comes to building robotic spacecraft and solving complex aerospace problems, all while sporting a super cool mohawk hairdo. Currently, Ferdowsi serves as Fault Protection lead on NISAR’s joint Earth observation … Read more
NASA scientists have discovered that satellite-tracked plant fluorescence can predict sudden droughts months in advance, helping to limit the effects of drought and better understand the effects of the carbon cycle. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio An unusual increase in plant productivity may indicate an impending serious groundwater loss. NASA satellites track this subtle glow … Read more
A new higher-resolution infrared camera equipped with a variety of lightweight filters could examine sunlight reflected from Earth’s upper atmosphere and surface, improve forest fire warnings and reveal the molecular composition of other planets. The cameras use sensitive, high-resolution superlattice sensors originally developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, using IRAD, Internal … Read more
This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked trusted source proofread OK! This artist’s concept shows NASA’s Psyche spacecraft heading toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft was launched in October 2023 and will arrive at its destination in 2029. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU × close to … Read more
Landmarks on Europa’s surface suggest that the ice crust is at the mercy of the waters below. Most importantly, a recent visit from Juno reveals what could be plume activity, which could allow future missions to sample the internal ocean without having to land. It’s been almost two years since Juno made its closest approach … Read more
NASA is preparing to launch its latest climate science mission, the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-Infrared Experiment (PREFIRE), which aims to capture brand new data on how heat is lost from Earth’s polar regions to space . PREFIRE consists of a pair of cubesats launched separately into near-polar orbits. The first, “Ready, Aim, PREFIRE,” … Read more