Tag Archives: Exploration

Among the thousands of known exoplanets, there are some that are very odd. Take, for example, the exoplanet known as WASP-103b. It’s a large planet with a mass about 1.5 times that of Jupiter, but 103b is so close to its star it makes a complete orbit every 22 hours. At this proximity, many astronomers wonder if the world is ...

Carbon is critical to life, as far as we know. So anytime we detect a strong carbon signature somewhere like Mars, it could indicate biological activity. Does a strong carbon signal in Martian rocks indicate biological processes of some type? Any strong carbon signal is intriguing when you’re hunting for life. It’s a common element in all the forms of ...

In the 1960s, American physicist Robert W. Bussard proposed a radical idea for interstellar travel: a spacecraft that relied on powerful magnetic fields to harvest hydrogen directly from the interstellar medium. The high speed of this “ramjet” forces the hydrogen into a progressively constricted magnetic field until fusion occurs. The magnetic field then directs the resulting energy towards the rear ...

The dream of building a permanent settlement on the Moon: a place where humans from all walks of life can come together and give rise to a new culture and identity. A place where vital scientific research and experiments can be conducted, lunar industries created, and people can go for a little “adventure tourism.” It’s been the stuff of science ...

Flying for the first time in its 401 configuration in more than four years, this morning’s Atlas V launch occurred at the opening moment of Lucy’s 23-day launch window to reach the Jovian Trojans. Photo Credit: Alan Walters/AmericaSpace After one of its least-flown years on record, United Launch Alliance (ULA) has successfully executed its fourth mission of 2021 with a ...

Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Atlas 5 rocket with NASA’s Lucy mission, a robotic explorer to study the Trojan asteroids in the outer solar system. Our Live Launch Show NASA TV Source

Lucy will investigate multiple bodies in the outer Solar System whose origins may date back almost to the dawn of our Solar System. Image Credit: NASA NASA and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are counting down to tomorrow’s 5:34 a.m. EDT launch of a mighty Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., laden with the ambitious Lucy mission ...

Two interactive web experiences let you explore the Martian surface, as seen by cameras aboard the rover and orbiters flying overhead. It’s the next best thing to being on Mars: Two online interactive experiences let you check out Jezero Crater – the landing site and exploration locale for NASA’s Perseverance rover – without leaving our planet. NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover ...

Mariner 10 backup hanging in the National Air and Space Museum. In the mid-1970s this flight-qualified spacecraft was proposed for a Mercury orbiting mission that was not approved. (credit: Dwayne Day) by Dwayne A. Day Later this month, if all goes to plan, the European Space Agency will launch the BepiColombo spacecraft toward Mercury, where it will arrive in December ...

by Jeff Foust The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future by Roger D. Launius Smithsonian Books, 2018 hardcover, 400 pp., illus. ISBN 978-1-58834-637-7 The 60th anniversary of NASA this year has prompted a number of retrospectives on the agency’s history, such as the recent documentary Above and Beyond (see “Review: Above and Beyond”, ...