NASA has started funding hardware development for a new Mars helicopter mission concept called 'Skyfall,' which could serve as a backup communications relay and science platform for future Mars missions, building on the success of the Ingenuity helicopter.
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NASA Chief Bill Nelson commended Blue Origin for its progress and safety improvements following a New Shepard launch failure in September 2022. The rocket, which experienced an anomaly during an uncrewed flight, is undergoing investigation and corrective measures. Nelson expressed confidence in the company's path forward under its new CEO.
A NASA inspector general report indicates Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will be approximately a decade late, further delaying its operational crewed missions beyond original timelines.
NASA launched a robotic mission to extend the life of its Swift telescope by raising its orbit and preventing it from falling back to Earth. The telescope, which studies gamma-ray bursts, had been gradually losing altitude due to atmospheric drag.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope website allows users to see what astronomical image was captured on their birthday by entering the month and date. The tool randomly matches a Hubble observation from any year to the user's birthday, providing a fun way to explore Hubble's discoveries.
In July 2012, a powerful solar superstorm narrowly missed Earth. If the coronal mass ejection had occurred nine days earlier, it would have struck Earth, potentially causing widespread power outages and satellite damage far worse than the 1859 Carrington Event.
A NASA inspector general report indicates Boeing's Starliner spacecraft may not be fully certified until 2028, roughly a decade later than the original 2019 target. The delay stems from ongoing technical issues, including problems with thrusters and the parachute system, adding to the program's mounting costs and setbacks.
NASA's experimental X-59 "frankenjet" aircraft is undergoing tests aimed at achieving supersonic flight without producing the disruptive sonic boom typically associated with breaking the sound barrier. The aircraft's unique design is intended to reduce the noise to a quieter "thump," potentially paving the way for future commercial supersonic travel over land.
NASA's Perseverance rover has detected complex organic molecules on Mars, including those that could be associated with biological processes. The findings, made in Jezero Crater, add to growing evidence that Mars once had the chemical building blocks necessary for life. However, scientists emphasize that the organic matter could also have non-biological origins.
NASA is taking new steps to streamline its Artemis program and avoid budget overruns as it works toward building a $30 billion moon base. The agency is adjusting its contracting strategies and mission architecture to prevent costly delays that have plagued previous space initiatives. The goal remains returning humans to the lunar surface and establishing a long-term presence there.
NASA plans to send a rendezvous mission, called Swift Boost, to raise the orbit of the aging Swift space telescope, which is slowly sinking and at risk of burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The mission aims to extend the telescope's operational life and continue its observations of gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena.
NASA's GIS portal displays Sentinel-1 satellite data showing the likelihood of damage from the Venezuela earthquake, using a map viewer to depict areas potentially affected by the seismic event.
NASA has been testing the X-59 "frankenjet," an experimental aircraft designed to achieve supersonic flight while producing a quiet thump instead of a disruptive sonic boom. The aircraft's unique shape and engineering aim to pave the way for future commercial supersonic travel over land by reducing noise pollution.
NASA plans to use a robotic spacecraft to intercept and boost the aging Swift space telescope, which is losing altitude, back into a stable orbit. The mission aims to extend the life of the valuable observatory, which has been studying gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena for over two decades.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured a new image of the Cigar Galaxy (Messier 82), revealing approximately 16.5 million stars in unprecedented detail. The image showcases intense star formation and the galaxy's dramatic outflow of gas and dust.
NASA is racing to save its Swift telescope, which is drifting uncontrollably in orbit after a systems failure. Engineers must restore navigation and stabilize its orbit before the spacecraft decays and burns up in the atmosphere.
NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft, designed to fly supersonic while producing only a low sonic thump instead of a loud boom, has completed initial flight tests. The "frankenjet" aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic technology that could eventually lead to lifting the ban on commercial supersonic flight over land.
NASA is testing an AI-powered medical diagnostic system designed to help astronauts treat injuries and illnesses during deep-space missions, where communication delays make it impossible to consult doctors on Earth in real time. The system uses ultrasound imaging and other sensors to guide non-experts through medical procedures.
NASA is working on a daring rescue mission to save its Swift telescope, which is at risk of falling back to Earth due to orbital decay. The telescope, launched in 2004, has been crucial for studying gamma-ray bursts. Engineers are exploring ways to boost its orbit to extend its operational life.
A detailed examination of the circuit boards used in the Space Shuttle's I/O Processor reveals the unique design and components of this critical avionics system, highlighting its role in managing data between the shuttle's computers and various subsystems.
NASA is testing an AI-powered medical diagnostic system designed to assist astronauts on long-duration space missions, where distance from Earth makes real-time communication with doctors impractical. The system aims to provide autonomous medical support, including diagnosis and treatment recommendations, for crew members in deep space.
NASA explains the global climate pattern El Niño, characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. The phenomenon influences weather worldwide, altering rainfall patterns, temperatures, and storm activity, and NASA monitors it using satellites to better predict its impacts.
NASA is testing an AI-powered medical diagnostic system designed to help astronauts treat injuries and illnesses during deep-space missions, where real-time communication with doctors on Earth is impossible due to signal delays. The system aims to provide autonomous medical guidance for crews traveling to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
A NASA analysis found that two recently canceled exploration programs, including the SLS Exploration Upper Stage and a mobile launcher upgrade, were years behind schedule and billions over budget. The report highlighted that a stage adapter alone cost $500 million and took 13 years to develop, supporting the agency's decision to terminate the projects.
NASA's Perseverance rover detected chemical signatures and rock formations on Mars that could indicate ancient microbial life. The evidence includes organic compounds and microbial mat-like structures, though scientists say further analysis is needed to confirm a biological origin.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured highly detailed images of the Cigar Galaxy (M82), pinpointing millions of individual stars and revealing the galaxy's intense starburst activity. The observations provide new insights into the chaotic environment of this galaxy, which is forming stars at a rapid rate compared to the Milky Way.
NASA's Cold Atom Lab aboard the International Space Station is successfully producing Bose-Einstein condensates, an ultra-cold form of matter where atoms behave as a single quantum entity, in microgravity. The lab allows scientists to study these exotic states for longer periods and with greater precision than possible on Earth, potentially advancing quantum research and technologies.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a key milestone ahead of its planned launch later this year. The observatory will study dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics from space.
This video shows NASA's Ranger 7 spacecraft descending toward the Moon's surface. Ranger 7 was the first successful U.S. lunar impact mission, sending back close-up images of the Moon before crashing into it on July 31, 1964.
A new report warns that NASA's Kennedy Space Center is not adequately prepared for the demands of super heavy lift rockets like Starship and SLS Block 2, citing infrastructure gaps, pad limitations, and insufficient processing facilities needed to support a higher launch cadence.