NASA orders studies from private space companies on Mars mission support roles | TechCrunch
NASA is involving private companies in Mars exploration through research tasks and concept studies, signaling a shift towards commercial support for future missions. [ more ]
Ex-Space Shuttle boss corrects the record on STS-109
Wayne Hale disputes NASA's history of STS-109, highlighting the criticality of Freon Coolant Loops and the potential consequences of losing them on the Space Shuttle. [ more ]
NASA finds traces of gas that could be a sign of life near mars crater
NASA's Curiosity Rover detected methane on Mars, potentially generated by geological processes, causing uncertainty about the source of the gas. [ more ]
NASA restores data transmissions with Voyager 1 spacecraft
NASA Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, sent data after a year-long blackout due to a malfunctioning chip; engineers fixed the issue remotely. [ more ]
How NASA Repaired Voyager 1 From 15 Billion Miles Away
Voyager 1's ground team faced challenges due to a malfunctioning chip but managed to salvage the spacecraft's memory by altering code locations. [ more ]
Space laser transmission strikes Earth from 140 million miles away: NASA
NASA's Psyche spacecraft transmitted laser data 140 million miles to Earth, showcasing potential high-speed interstellar communication for future space missions. [ more ]
NASA Releases New Render of SpaceX's Starship Landed on the Moon's Surface
NASA plans to send astronauts to the lunar surface using SpaceX's Starship as part of the Artemis mission, aiming for a human return to the Moon by 2026. [ more ]
A Random Reminder That NASA Drew a Big Ol' Dick on the Surface of Mars
Science and exploration achievements by NASA throughout history includes humorous moments like the phallic figure drawn by the Spirit rover on Mars. [ more ]
Happy birthday Hubble, you've got gyro issues again
The Hubble Space Telescope faced another safe mode due to a gyro issue, a reminder of its aging state and the challenges of maintaining and servicing it. [ more ]
NASA releases free e-book on Hubble space mysteries
NASA released a free e-book 'Hubble Focus: The Dark Universe' exploring dark matter and dark energy learnings from the Hubble Space Telescope missions. [ more ]
NASA's Psyche sends back engineering data via laser beam
NASA's optical communications demonstration achieved 25 Mbps from 140 million miles away, showcasing potential for higher-bandwidth communications in future space projects. [ more ]
NASA's Voyager 1 finally starts making sense again
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft resumes sending readable data after fixing a chip malfunction to enable the return of valuable science and engineering data. [ more ]
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft overcame data issues by breaking and relocating faulty code sections, enabling data flow from 15 billion miles away. [ more ]
NASA works on fix for Voyager 1's degraded memory chip
NASA engineers are pinpointing corrupted memory as the cause of Voyager 1's data transmission issues and are working on a remote fix for the hardware problem. [ more ]
NASA's Rocks Are Stuck on Mars. SpaceX's Starship Could Retrieve Them
NASA's Mars Sample Return mission faces $11 billion cost overrun and a delay until 2040, prompting a shift to private companies for innovative solutions. [ more ]
Too expensive, too slow: NASA asks for help with JPL's Mars Sample Return mission
NASA is committed to bringing back Mars samples but faces budget and time constraints, requesting industry input for quicker, cheaper alternatives. [ more ]
On eclipse day, hundreds of students will send up balloons for science
Hundreds of balloons will be launched to study the atmosphere during the total solar eclipse on April 8.
The Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project provides students with hands-on experience in launching research balloons for unique atmospheric measurements. [ more ]
NASA knows what knocked Voyager 1 offline, but it will take a while to fix
Engineers at NASA's JPL determined that a small portion of corrupted memory in Voyager 1's Flight Data System led to the transmission of gibberish data.
Voyager 1, NASA's farthest spacecraft, faced a serious problem due to memory corruption, hindering normal operations but raising hopes of recovery. [ more ]
NASA's 'Armageddon' mission backfired, creating a cloud of space trash
The DART craft collision with asteroid Dimorphos resulted in 37 new space boulders shooting towards Mars.
NASA's successful redirection of an asteroid proved effective but led to unintended consequences, highlighting risks of potential collisions with Earth. [ more ]
Astroforensics could be one of the coolest new careers of the future
Nasa's Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon soon. Private companies are advancing space tourism. The field of astroforensics is emerging due to challenges posed by space environments. [ more ]
NASA could find alien life in 2030 on Jupiter's moon, new study claims
NASA's Europa Clipper could confirm alien life in 2030 by detecting microbes on Jupiter's moon Europa.
The craft's instruments can identify key components of life on Earth, providing confidence in detecting lifeforms like Earth's organisms on ocean-bearing moons. [ more ]
NASA is on its way to Venus after all. Here's what to know about the launch
NASA's VERITAS mission to Venus was initially put on hold due to budget constraints but has been reinstated after intense lobbying and protests from the scientific community.
The VERITAS mission aims to produce high-resolution radar maps of Venus to study geological processes, the presence of water, and support other missions like DAVINCI. [ more ]
25 Years Later, This Iconic NASA Telescope Lost Critical Funding To Keep It Alive
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory budget may be reduced in 2025 due to funding constraints and spacecraft deterioration.
Chandra plays a crucial role in observing high-energy cosmic events, such as neutron star collisions and black holes, through X-ray emissions. [ more ]
What's behind NASA's Commercial Lunar Hits and Misses?
Under CLPS, American vendors are assisting NASA in lunar exploration preparations, aiming for a crewed lunar landing by September 2026.
CLPS focuses on commercial deliveries of scientific equipment and technical demonstrations, offering up to $2.6 billion in contracts through 2028. [ more ]
SpaceX's third Starship broke apart again, but the launch was still a big success. Here's why
SpaceX's third Starship test flight ended with the rocket breaking up before completion, but NASA still considers it successful.
Starship achieved its goals, such as reaching orbital velocity and completing a fuel transfer demonstration, during its almost one-hour flight. [ more ]
NASA cancels a multibillion-dollar satellite servicing demo mission
NASA canceled the OSAM-1 mission due to cost and schedule challenges.
The OSAM-1 mission was initially intended for a refueling demonstration but expanded to include in-orbit assembly with the introduction of the SPIDER robotic arm. [ more ]