NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission Achieves Breakthrough in Asteroid Sample Extraction
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has achieved a significant breakthrough as the curation team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston has successfully removed the two fasteners from the sampler head, allowing access to the remainder of the asteroid Bennu sample material….
NASA’s X-59 Rollout Embodies Aeronautical Tradition
NASA’s X-59 Rollout Embodies Aeronautical Tradition By John Gould, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate | Jan 09, 2024 NASA’s X-59 aircraft is heading out of the hangar – preparing to embark on the first phase of its mission to fly faster…
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program Faces Budget Overruns and Schedule Delays
NASA’s ambitious Mars Sample Return program, a collaborative effort with the European Space Agency (ESA), is facing significant challenges, with budget overruns and schedule delays threatening its success. The program, which aims to retrieve and analyze samples from the Red…
Private Companies Competing for First Commercial Flights to Land on Moon
Two private companies are competing to be the first commercial flights to land on the moon, with technologies developed at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton set to be launched into space. If successful, this will mark the first U.S….
NASA’s Webb Telescope Discovers Possible Aurorae on Solitary Brown Dwarf
NASA’s Webb Telescope has made a remarkable discovery, finding evidence of possible aurorae on a solitary brown dwarf. The brown dwarf, known as W1935, was observed emitting infrared radiation from methane, indicating energy in its upper atmosphere. This finding is…
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Completes 18th Close Approach to the Sun
On January 8, 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 18th close approach to the sun, achieving a significant milestone in its mission. The spacecraft approached within 4.51 million miles of the solar surface, matching its own distance record. This…
NASA’s Aqua Satellite Captures Breathtaking Image of Gulf of Alaska
On a crisp December morning in 2023, NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a breathtaking image of the Gulf of Alaska. The contrasting hues of the waters set against the winter-white canvas of southern Alaska’s snow-draped coastline painted a picture of stark,…
SpaceX Successfully Launches 23 Starlink Satellites with Falcon 9 Rocket
On January 7, 2024, a Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch took place at 5:35 p.m. EST, following a four-hour launch window that opened at 4 p.m. EST….
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Inspires Changes in Mars Sample Return Plans
As the Ingenuity Mars helicopter continues to exceed expectations, NASA is incorporating the lessons learned from its operations into the evolving plans for Mars Sample Return. The helicopter, which was initially expected to perform only five flights, has now completed…
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captures stunning new images of Jupiter’s moon Io
Astronomers and space enthusiasts have been treated to a stunning display of new images of Jupiter’s moon Io, captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft during its recent flyby on December 30. The spacecraft, part of a mission to study Jupiter’s origins,…