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Latest by G. Torbet

NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Megan McArthur wears the specialized Sidekick headset and tests using augmented reality aboard the International Space Station.

Astronauts on the ISS are using augmented reality apps to help with repairs

Astronauts on the ISS are testing out a new Augmented Reality (AR) system which can help in the inspection and maintenance of station equipment.
Two holes are visible in the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” from which NASA’s Perseverance rover obtained its first core samples. The rover drilled the hole on the left, called “Montagnac,” on Sept. 7, and the hole on the right, known as “Montdenier,” on Sept. 1. Below it is a round spot the rover abraded.

What Perseverance is learning from the two samples of Mars rock it has taken

The Perseverance rover has collected two samples of martian rock, and NASA scientists have revealed what these samples can tell us about the history of Mars.
Expedition 65 flight engineer and Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, pictured during a spacewalk to perform work on the Pirs docking compartment.

How to watch two Russian cosmonauts spacewalk outside the ISS this week

This week, two cosmonauts will venture outside the International Space Station to continue preparing the Nauka module for operations -- here's how to watch.
This striking image features a relatively rare celestial phenomenon known as a Herbig-Haro object. This particular object, named HH111, was imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). These spectacular objects develop under very specific circumstances. Newly formed stars are often very active, and in some cases they expel very narrow jets of rapidly moving ionized gas – gas that is so hot that its molecules and atoms have lost their electrons, making the gas highly charged. The streams of ionized gas then collide with the clouds of gas and dust surrounding newly formed stars at speeds of hundreds of miles per second. It is these energetic collisions that create Herbig-Haro objects such as HH111.

Hubble images a star throwing out jets of gas in a rare phenomenon

The image from the Hubble Space Telescope this week is a striking pair of jets spraying outward from a newly born star.
A spectacular portrait of the galaxy Centaurus A has been captured by astronomers using the Dark Energy Camera mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. This galaxy’s peculiar appearance — cloaked in dark tendrils of dust — stems from a past interaction with another galaxy, and its size and proximity to Earth make it one of the best-studied giant galaxies in the night sky.

See the beautiful galaxy Centaurus A in all its cosmic glory

A stunning image of the distant galaxy Centaurus A has been captured by the Dark Energy Camera in Chile.
ExoMars parachute deployed during high-altitude drop tests.

Watch the European Space Agency test the parachute for its new Mars rover

ESA recently released video footage of parachute drop tests for its ExoMars rover, showing how the spacecraft will be slowed as it approaches the red planet.
Cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov during a spacewalk to connect power and ethernet cables to the Nauka laboratory module.

Cosmonauts perform spacewalk to prepare new Russian space station module

Two Russian cosmonauts completed their first of up to 11 spacewalks outside the ISS to prepare a newly arrived laboratory module for space operations.
An illustration of a martian weather forecast.

How researchers are learning to forecast the weather on Mars

One of the challenges of Mars is its unpredictable weather. So scientists are chipping away at the big problem of how to create a Martian weather forecast.
netflix drops trailer for series on upcoming spacex mission inspiration4 crew

SpaceX’s first space tourism mission is ready for launch on September 15

SpaceX's first purely civilian mission, Inspiration4, has passed its readiness review, with the flight ready to go ahead in the next couple of weeks.
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter.

Helicopter Ingenuity will be skimming over the surface of Mars today

Intrepid Mars helicopter Ingenuity is gearing up for its 13th flight today, Saturday, September 4, in what NASA engineers hope will be a Lucky 13.
Virgin Galactic's spaceplane soaring to the edge of space.

Virgin Galactic grounded by FAA investigation into off-course flight

Virgin Galactic flights have been grounded while the Federal Aviation Administration investigates its previous flight to the edge of space.
Clustered at the center of this image are six brilliant spots of light, four of them creating a circle around a central pair. Appearances can be deceiving, however, as this formation is not composed of six individual galaxies, but is actually two separate galaxies and one distant quasar imaged four times. Data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope also indicates that there is a seventh spot of light in the very center, which is a rare fifth image of the distant quasar. This rare phenomenon is the result of the two central galaxies, which are in the foreground, acting as a lens.

Hubble uses cosmic optical illusion to spy a quasar 17 billion light-years away

This week's image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows a kind of optical illusion which is helping researchers to peer deeper into the depths of our universe.
SpaceX mars landing concept image

Humans could safely travel to Mars if the mission is less than four years

Good news for would-be Martian explorers: Researchers have found radiation levels on Mars shouldn't be unsafe as long as the mission lasts less than four years.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Cargo Dragon spacecraft toward the International Space Station.

SpaceX launches Cargo Dragon to ISS, catches booster on new ship for first time

SpaceX has launched a Cargo Dragon resupply ship to the ISS, as well as catching a booster with its new droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas for the first time.
LV0006 during static testing in August 2021.

Rocket startup Astra fails to reach orbit with its Rocket 3

Rocket startup Astra had hoped to reach orbit for the first time this weekend, but its Rocket 3 suffered an engine problem and failed to reach orbit.
A Long March-2F rocket.

China will study how to build a massive spacecraft over a half-mile long

The Chinese government is inviting scientists to help build an enormous, one-kilometer (0.6 miles) long spacecraft that it wants to construct in orbit.
Artist's impression of a Hycean planet.

New type of ocean-covered ‘Hycean’ exoplanet could support life

A new type of exoplanet has been identified by astronomers, and even though it is very different to Earth it could still support life.
The ESCAPADE Mars mission will consist of two identical satellites — “Blue” and “Gold” — that will study how the planet’s ionosphere and magnetic field interact.

Can we explore Mars for cheaper? A new satellite mission aims to find out

One undeniable fact about space exploration is that it isn't cheap. But is there a way to explore Mars for cheaper? A new satellite project will try it out.
Fully assembled and fully tested, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has completed its primary testing regimen and is soon preparing for shipment to its launch site at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. On this photo, Webb is folded as it will be for launch.

James Webb Space Telescope completes final testing ahead of launch

The James Webb Space Telescope has completed its final tests and is now being prepared for its journey to its launch site.
The Falcon 9 rocket form SpaceX with the Cargo Dragon spacecraft atop stands at the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX resupply mission to ISS delayed until tomorrow due to weather

SpaceX had been due to launch a resupply mission to the International Space Station this morning, but the launch has been delayed due to poor weather.
This Mastcam-Z image of a portion of the Artuby ridgeline shows large (meter-scale) boulders similar to those Perseverance is expected to encounter at Citadelle.

Perseverance rover to make second attempt at grabbing a Mars sample

NASA's Perseverance rover may not have succeeded in its first attempt to collect a sample from the surface of Mars, but soon it will try again.
China's Zhurong Mars rover, captured by a wireless camera.

China’s Zhurong rover has its mission extended, will continue exploring Mars

Chinese rover Zhurong will continue exploring Mars for some time to come, as it has just had its mission extended.
This jewel-bright image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows NGC 1385, a spiral galaxy 68 million light-years from Earth, which lies in the constellation Fornax. The image was taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, which is often referred to as Hubble’s workhorse camera thanks to its reliability and versatility. It was installed in 2009 when astronauts last visited Hubble, and 12 years later it remains remarkably productive.

Hubble captures a beautiful galaxy located in a cosmic crucible

A beautiful image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope shows galaxy NGC 1385, located in a constellation with a fiery name: Fornax, which means furnace.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo capsule soars upward after lifting off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 3, 2021, during the company's 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station.

How to watch SpaceX launch its 23rd resupply mission to the ISS next week

Next week, SpaceX is scheduled to send another cargo delivery to the International Space Station, and we've got the details on how you can watch along at home.
mars 2020 perseverance rover

NASA’s Perseverance rover spots Mars’ teeny tiny moon, Deimos

NASA's Perseverance rover recently captured an image of Mars' tiny moon, Deimos, hovering overhead in the Martian sky.
The International Space Station’s solar arrays provide power for the orbiting laboratory. NASA will install a total of six new roll out solar arrays in front of the existing arrays at 1A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B to augment the power. During the Aug. 24 spacewalk, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and astronaut Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will install the modification kit on the 4A power channel, where the next new roll out solar array will be installed in 2022.

How to watch astronauts upgrade the ISS power system

As part of ongoing upgrades to the International Space Station's power system, two astronauts will take a stroll outside the station.
An illustration of Saturn and its "fuzzy" core.

Saturn’s rings are jiggling, delightfully enough, due to its wobbly core

Our solar system is full of wonders, like the beauty of Saturn's rings. But these rings aren't static -- recent research shows that they are gently jiggling.
China's "Heavenly Palace' space station

Chinese astronauts perform second spacewalk from new space station

Chinese astronauts completed a spacewalk yesterday, Friday, August 20, to install equipment outside China's new space station.
2020 was a big year for the moon heres recap

Once in a blue moon: Catch a true Blue Moon tonight

A Blue Moon is a genuine astronomical event, and you can catch a true Blue Moon tonight, on Sunday, August 22.
A self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity rover taken on Sol 2082 (June 15, 2018). A Martian dust storm has reduced sunlight and visibility at the rover's location in Gale Crater.

Take a tour of Mars’ Gale Crater with the Curiosity rover

NASA has shared an incredible video touring of the surface of Mars, as captured by the Curiosity rover.
The Redwire Regolith Print facility suite, consisting of Redwire's Additive Manufacturing Facility, and the print heads, plates and lunar regolith simulant feedstock that launches to the International Space Station.

NASA is testing a 3D printer that uses moon dust to print in space

When the Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at ISS this week, it carried a 3D printer that uses moon dust to make solid material.
Spin qubit device being connected to circuit board in preparation for measurement.

Researchers create ‘missing jigsaw piece’ in development of quantum computing

Researchers say they have made a massive leap forward and found the "missing jigsaw piece" to improve the architecture of quantum computing chips.
This mosaic of Bennu was created using observations made by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft that was in close proximity to the asteroid for over two years.

There’s a slim chance asteroid Bennu will collide with Earth in 2300

NASA researchers predict there is a very small chance that asteroid Bennu, which is 500 meters wide, could collide with Earth in the future.
An image of Phobos from March 23, 2008, taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

To find evidence of life on Mars, we should look to its moon Phobos

A new study suggests if there ever was life on Mars, evidence of it could be preserved on the Martian moon Phobos.