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Mars’ Moons Phobos and Deimos Could Be Asteroid Debris, New Study Reveals
New research proposes that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, could have originated from an asteroid torn apart by the planet’s gravity. Simulations show that this shredded asteroid could have formed a ring around Mars, eventually coalescing into the moons. The theory is being tested through the upcoming Mars Moons Exploration mission, which could...
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Scientists Confirm Volcanic Eruptions on Moon’s Far Side in New Study
A recent study has confirmed the existence of volcanic eruptions on the Moon’s far side. By analysing lunar soil samples brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission, scientists discovered volcanic rock fragments dating to over 2.8 billion years ago. These findings reveal a long history of volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side, mirroring th...
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Voyager 2's Historic Flyby of Uranus Exposes Rare Magnetic Distortion
A new analysis of Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus in 1986 reveals a unique magnetic anomaly caused by a rare solar wind event. Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech found that the solar wind’s impact on Uranus’s magnetosphere was a unique occurrence, influencing measurements of the planet’s magnetic field. The study also ...
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NASA’s Juno Probe Captures Stunning Views of Jupiter’s Storms and Moon Amalthea
NASA’s Juno probe captured vibrant, high-contrast images of Jupiter’s stormy atmosphere and an up-close view of its moon, Amalthea, during the spacecraft’s 66th flyby on October 23. The images were processed by citizen scientists, enhancing the colours to showcase Jupiter’s unique cloud formations and highlighting details of Amalthea agains...
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Indian CubeSat to Travel to the Moon Soon on Japanese Lander
India’s HEX20Labs has partnered with Japanese firm ispace for a mission to send a CubeSat into lunar orbit. Scheduled to launch on ispace's M2 mission, the Indian CubeSat will ride aboard the lander Resilience, aiming to orbit the Moon and conduct critical technology testing. This mission signifies a major stride in India’s cislunar exploration...
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NASA Launches Power to Explore Essay Contest, Invites Students to Imagine Nuclear-Powered Moon Mission
NASA’s Power to Explore Challenge calls on U.S. students to submit ideas for moon missions powered by radioisotope systems. The contest encourages kindergarten through Year 12 students to envision a mission, detail objectives, and apply their unique “power” to achieve mission success. Entries are due by January 31, 2025, and grand prize winne...
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India Targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 Sample Return Mission to Moon
India is planning its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, with a targeted launch in 2028. The mission aims to collect approximately 3 kilograms of lunar samples from the moon's south pole, specifically from areas rich in water ice. Following Chandrayaan-4, ISRO will collaborate with Japan on Chandrayaan-5, furthering India's ambitions in space explo...
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SpaceX Reveals Futuristic Crew Cabins and Living Quarters for Artemis III Moon Mission
SpaceX has introduced detailed mock-ups of crew cabins, sleeping quarters, and research labs as part of its Human Landing System (HLS) Starship, designed for the Artemis III Moon landing in 2026. Located within the HLS nosecone at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas, these designs aim to maximise comfort and functionality for astronauts, supporting...
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NASA's Voyager 2 Finds Clues of Ancient Ocean on Uranus' Moon Miranda
Recent analysis of images captured by NASA's Voyager 2 has suggested that Miranda, a moon orbiting Uranus, may have once contained a significant ocean beneath its icy exterior. Research led by Tom Nordheim at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory reveals that this ocean could have existed hundreds of millions of years ago, driven by tidal forces...
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Earth’s Temporary Second Moon 2024 PT5 Bids Farewell as It Exits Orbit
On 29 September 2024, Earth briefly welcomed asteroid 2024 PT5 as a second moon. Discovered by NASA's ATLAS, this small asteroid will exit Earth's orbit by mid-November 2024. Its fleeting presence offers astronomers valuable insights into tracking mini-moons and potential asteroid threats. As scientists explore these transient companions, they unco...
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NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Set to Explore Moon’s Water Cycle and Ice Locations
NASA’s upcoming Lunar Trailblazer mission aims to explore and map water on the Moon. Set for launch next year, this satellite will utilise advanced instruments to identify and measure water in various forms. It will investigate permanently shadowed craters and surface features to gather insights about lunar water's origins and its potential for f...
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NASA Unveils Nine Potential Landing Regions for Artemis III Moon Mission
NASA has identified nine candidate landing regions for the Artemis III mission, which marks humanity’s return to the Moon after fifty years. The selected regions are near the lunar South Pole, rich in scientific opportunities. These areas will be assessed for geological features and resource potential, especially water. Future missions will also ...
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NASA Discusses US Access To Lunar Rocks Retreived By China From Moon's Far Side
NASA and Chinese officials are engaged in talks to let American scientists analyze rocks retrieved by China from the moon's far side, according to the head of the US space agency.
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Bristol's System Could Revolutionise Lunar Exploration with Remote Rover Control
The University of Bristol has developed a teleoperation system enabling remote control of lunar rovers, potentially revolutionising how lunar missions are conducted. The system bypasses signal delays, enabling precise sample collection and assembly tasks. Haptic feedback simulates lunar conditions, giving operators a realistic sense of touch when p...
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ESA's Moonlight Program Aims To Establish Lunar Communication, Navigation
The Moonlight programme will consist of five satellites one for high-data-rate communications and four for navigation.
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Mars’ Moons Phobos and Deimos Could Be Asteroid Debris, New Study Reveals
New research proposes that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, could have originated from an asteroid torn apart by the planet’s gravity. Simulations show that this shredded asteroid could have formed a ring around Mars, eventually coalescing into the moons. The theory is being tested through the upcoming Mars Moons Exploration mission, which could...
-
Scientists Confirm Volcanic Eruptions on Moon’s Far Side in New Study
A recent study has confirmed the existence of volcanic eruptions on the Moon’s far side. By analysing lunar soil samples brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission, scientists discovered volcanic rock fragments dating to over 2.8 billion years ago. These findings reveal a long history of volcanic activity on the Moon’s far side, mirroring th...
-
Voyager 2's Historic Flyby of Uranus Exposes Rare Magnetic Distortion
A new analysis of Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus in 1986 reveals a unique magnetic anomaly caused by a rare solar wind event. Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech found that the solar wind’s impact on Uranus’s magnetosphere was a unique occurrence, influencing measurements of the planet’s magnetic field. The study also ...
-
NASA’s Juno Probe Captures Stunning Views of Jupiter’s Storms and Moon Amalthea
NASA’s Juno probe captured vibrant, high-contrast images of Jupiter’s stormy atmosphere and an up-close view of its moon, Amalthea, during the spacecraft’s 66th flyby on October 23. The images were processed by citizen scientists, enhancing the colours to showcase Jupiter’s unique cloud formations and highlighting details of Amalthea agains...
-
Indian CubeSat to Travel to the Moon Soon on Japanese Lander
India’s HEX20Labs has partnered with Japanese firm ispace for a mission to send a CubeSat into lunar orbit. Scheduled to launch on ispace's M2 mission, the Indian CubeSat will ride aboard the lander Resilience, aiming to orbit the Moon and conduct critical technology testing. This mission signifies a major stride in India’s cislunar exploration...
-
NASA Launches Power to Explore Essay Contest, Invites Students to Imagine Nuclear-Powered Moon Mission
NASA’s Power to Explore Challenge calls on U.S. students to submit ideas for moon missions powered by radioisotope systems. The contest encourages kindergarten through Year 12 students to envision a mission, detail objectives, and apply their unique “power” to achieve mission success. Entries are due by January 31, 2025, and grand prize winne...
-
India Targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 Sample Return Mission to Moon
India is planning its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, with a targeted launch in 2028. The mission aims to collect approximately 3 kilograms of lunar samples from the moon's south pole, specifically from areas rich in water ice. Following Chandrayaan-4, ISRO will collaborate with Japan on Chandrayaan-5, furthering India's ambitions in space explo...
-
SpaceX Reveals Futuristic Crew Cabins and Living Quarters for Artemis III Moon Mission
SpaceX has introduced detailed mock-ups of crew cabins, sleeping quarters, and research labs as part of its Human Landing System (HLS) Starship, designed for the Artemis III Moon landing in 2026. Located within the HLS nosecone at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas, these designs aim to maximise comfort and functionality for astronauts, supporting...
-
NASA's Voyager 2 Finds Clues of Ancient Ocean on Uranus' Moon Miranda
Recent analysis of images captured by NASA's Voyager 2 has suggested that Miranda, a moon orbiting Uranus, may have once contained a significant ocean beneath its icy exterior. Research led by Tom Nordheim at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory reveals that this ocean could have existed hundreds of millions of years ago, driven by tidal forces...
-
Earth’s Temporary Second Moon 2024 PT5 Bids Farewell as It Exits Orbit
On 29 September 2024, Earth briefly welcomed asteroid 2024 PT5 as a second moon. Discovered by NASA's ATLAS, this small asteroid will exit Earth's orbit by mid-November 2024. Its fleeting presence offers astronomers valuable insights into tracking mini-moons and potential asteroid threats. As scientists explore these transient companions, they unco...
-
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Set to Explore Moon’s Water Cycle and Ice Locations
NASA’s upcoming Lunar Trailblazer mission aims to explore and map water on the Moon. Set for launch next year, this satellite will utilise advanced instruments to identify and measure water in various forms. It will investigate permanently shadowed craters and surface features to gather insights about lunar water's origins and its potential for f...
-
NASA Unveils Nine Potential Landing Regions for Artemis III Moon Mission
NASA has identified nine candidate landing regions for the Artemis III mission, which marks humanity’s return to the Moon after fifty years. The selected regions are near the lunar South Pole, rich in scientific opportunities. These areas will be assessed for geological features and resource potential, especially water. Future missions will also ...
-
NASA Discusses US Access To Lunar Rocks Retreived By China From Moon's Far Side
NASA and Chinese officials are engaged in talks to let American scientists analyze rocks retrieved by China from the moon's far side, according to the head of the US space agency.
-
Bristol's System Could Revolutionise Lunar Exploration with Remote Rover Control
The University of Bristol has developed a teleoperation system enabling remote control of lunar rovers, potentially revolutionising how lunar missions are conducted. The system bypasses signal delays, enabling precise sample collection and assembly tasks. Haptic feedback simulates lunar conditions, giving operators a realistic sense of touch when p...
-
ESA's Moonlight Program Aims To Establish Lunar Communication, Navigation
The Moonlight programme will consist of five satellites one for high-data-rate communications and four for navigation.
