NASA’s underwater rover will hunt for life on distant ocean worlds
NASA has developed BRUIE, the Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, which could eventually search for extraterrestrial life on distant ocean worlds such as Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus. It can dive deep beneath sea ice to explore ocean depths which are normally hidden from view.
Meet the robotic pioneers that will help humanity colonize Mars
The race to populate Mars is on. But before humans can visit the red planet, we need to send out robot scouts to see the lay of the land. The next generation of Martian robotics will use sophisticated AI, novel propulsion methods, and flexible smallsats to meet the challenges of colonizing a new world.
Flexible, wireless skin interface could restore amputees’ sense of touch
A flexible, wireless skin interface could allow people to virtually hold hands across the globe, to experience full-body VR immersion, or even restore a sense of touch to those who have lost a limb. Digital Trends spoke with professor and lead researcher John Rogers of Northwestern University about the new technology.
Hypervelocity star booted out of our galaxy by supermassive black hole
Astronomers have detected a hypervelocity star called S5-HVS1 traveling at a tremendous speed of 2.3 million mph (1,017 km/s), making it the third-fastest star ever recorded. It is traveling fast enough that it will leave the Milky Way and shoot off into the massive space between galaxies.
Hubble captures a peculiar galaxy pulled out of shape by a nearby satellite
A new Hubble image shows NGC 772, an unusual elongated galaxy with a spiral arm that has been stretched and extended. The distortion is caused by the movements of a nearby satellite galaxy, which is a term for a smaller galaxy which is gravitationally bound to a larger galaxy and which orbits around it.
Planet-hunting satellite spots rare hot Neptune on border of Neptune desert
Astronomers have used data from NASA's planet-hunting satellite to make an unusual discovery: A planet the size of Neptune which is orbiting extremely close to its star. Planet TOI-132b has an orbital period of just 2.11 days and its surface temperature is estimated to be 2,032 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most distant object ever explored is renamed following Nazi controversy
NASA scientists from the New Horizons mission have re-named the farthest object ever explored. The object was previously nicknamed Ultima Thule, a medieval term meaning a location beyond the borders of the known world. But the word Thule has historically been used by Nazi supporters.
Watch the evolution of a galaxy, from the Big Bang till today
To learn about how galaxies change over time, scientists have created the most complex ever simulation of a galaxy, called TNG50. The data from this simulation were used to create a video that shows the evolution of a massive galaxy from near the beginning of the universe in the Big Bang up until today.
Stingray-inspired craft could glide through the atmosphere of Venus
Even though Venus is nearby to Earth, there is still much that remains unknown about our planetary neighbor. A team from the University of Buffalo is working on a craft designed to explore Venus' dark side. The BREEZE craft is a morphing design with flapping wings inspired by a stingray’s pectoral fins.
Mars 2020 mission will search for fossils in the Jezero Crater
With the Mars 2020 rover undergoing final testing, scientists are turning their attention to its landing site in the Jezero Crater. A new paper has identified mineral deposits around the rim of the crater which mark some of the best places to look for evidence of ancient life on the planet.
Neptune’s moons twirl around each other in an unprecedented dance
Far out on the edge of the solar system, chilly Neptune takes 165 years to orbit around the sun. In orbit around Neptune are 14 moons, and new research reveals more about the movements of the planet's innermost moons, Naiad and Thalassa, which have a highly unusual and unprecedented orbit.
NASA will contribute spectroscopy instrument to a planet-hunting mission
The hunt for distant planets or exoplanets will be getting a new tool in the next decade, with the launch of the European Space Agency's ARIEL in 2028. Now, NASA has announced it will be contributing an instrument called CASE to the project for a deeper examination of distant worlds.
Can NASA’s experimental electric airplane, the Maxwell X-57, save the planet?
Cars aren't the only type of transportation which are going electric in the name of the environment. NASA has been working on an experimental electric plane, the Maxwell X-57, which the agency received last month. NASA showed off an early version of the plane on Friday, in addition to a new simulator.
Watch Live: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites on the Falcon 9
SpaceX is continuing its ambitious mission to bring internet to the world through its Starlink program. SpaceX hopes to launch the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink satelites from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 9:56 a.m. ET on Monday, November 11. Here's how to watch the launch live.
Scientists look to the skies to estimate how fast the universe is expanding
The Hubble Constant is one of the most important concepts in astronomy. It describes how fast the universe is expanding, which has implications for the age and future development of the universe. Now, a new paper describes a novel technique using gamma rays to estimate the constant.
Panoramic image of the southern sky shows our galaxy and others beyond
A satellite has captured a stunning image of the vast sea of stars in the southern sky. The data was collected by NASA's planet-hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, in its first year of operations. It shows not only the Milky Way but also the Orion Nebula and the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Curiosity captures eerie images of lonely Martian landscape
The Curiosity rover is continuing its lonely exploration of Mars, and it has captured a series of beautiful but haunting views of the deserted Martian landscape. The images were snapped this week and show the desolate outlook across the Gale Crater.
An infinite loop: New research suggests the universe may be a closed sphere
Most people think of space as a flat sheet: You travel in one direction, and you end up far from your starting point. But a new paper suggests that the universe may in fact be spherical: If you travel far enough in the same direction, you'd end up back where you started.
NASA’s charge-dissipating paint provides a potential solution to a dusty problem
The fine dust which covers the moon's surface causes a range of technical problems from gumming up electronics to sticking to absolutely everything. It's even potentially harmful to the health of astronauts. Now, NASA has come up with a solution which could help alleviate the dust problem.
How to watch Mercury transit the face of the sun on Monday
A rare event is occurring on Monday: The planet Mercury is passing directly between the Earth and the Sun. This is called a transit, and it occurs only 13 times every 100 years. The last transit of Mercury was in 2016, and the next one won't be until 2023, so you should take the chance to view this event.
Instagram will begin hiding like counts as part of a U.S. test next week
Instagram continues to tweak its user experience, recently making changes such as removing the following tab and promoting the new version of the explore tab in its place. Now, the company has begun testing out one of its most controversial changes in the United States: Hiding like counts.
Loose pin responsible for Boeing Starliner’s failure to deploy parachute in test
Boeing has identified the part which lead to a parachute failing to deploy during the testing earlier this week of its Starliner capsule, which is intended to eventually ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. The company has announced that a misplaced pin was the cause of the issue.
See the Mars 2020 rover winched into the air and moved into a test chamber
NASA's Mars 2020 rover is roving ever nearer to completion. Having recently stood on its own six wheels for the first time and practiced its descent separation from the craft that will transport it to the red planet, the rover has now undergone vacuum testing at a facility in Pasadena, California.
Astronauts will attempt to fix ‘unserviceable’ dark matter detection instrument
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer instrument was installed on the International Space Station in 2011 but was only designed to operate for three years. Now, the cooling system is failing. So ISS astronauts will attempt to rejuvenate the device and get it working once again using new spacewalk procedures.
Astronaut smart glove controls drones wirelessly, could be used to explore Mars
Scientists from NASA and the SETI Institute have developed a new "smart glove" for astronauts which could be used for future exploration of locations like the Moon and Mars. The gloves allow astronauts to wirelessly control robots such as drones through one-handed gestures.
New printer creates colorful, more realistic 3D digital holograms
A French company has come up with a new technique for printing holograms: 2D images which appear to be 3D. The Chimera printer can print brighter, more detailed holograms than previous hologram printing technologies, using a specially developed highly sensitive photomaterial which has a very fine grain.
Rare super-Neptune exoplanet spotted in nearby binary system
Astronomers using the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer on the Keck Telescope have discovered a rare type of exoplanet called a super-Neptune. This type of planet is larger than Neptune and around five to seven times the size of Earth.
How did that planet get there? TESS investigates a planetary mystery
NASA's planet-hunting satellite TESS, or Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, has made another intriguing discovery. This time, it's located a planet somewhere where it shouldn't be, right in the middle of a zone in which any planet should have been annihilated by its star.
5,000 ‘eyes’ will scan the night sky for clues to the puzzle of dark energy
The hunt for dark energy has gained a new weapon, with the first test of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) being completed recently. DESI is installed atop a telescope and will search for evidence of the energy which makes up 68% of the universe and speeds up its expansion.
NASA is considering whether to send an orbiter to Pluto
NASA is considering making a return trip to Pluto, and has awarded funding to the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to study the cost and feasibility of an orbiter mission there. This following the success of the New Horizons mission which visited Pluto in 2015.
ISS astronauts await arrival of cookie oven to bake out-of-this-world snacks
A craft from commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is headed to the International Space Station carrying 8,200 pounds of research equipment and one very special delivery: A cookie oven. The Zero G Oven is designed to turn cookie mix into delicious, freshly baked space cookies.
Here’s how to watch Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule abort system test on Monday
On Monday, Boeing will perform a key test of its Starliner crew capsule which NASA hopes will eventually ferry astronauts into orbit. The pad abort test is an important part of testing for manned launches and will be aired live on NASA TV. We've got the details about the test and where you can watch it.