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Blue Ghost Lander Lowers Orbit, Prepares for Lunar Touchdown on March 2
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully lowered its orbit to 120 km in preparation for a lunar touchdown on March 2. The spacecraft, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Mission teams are monitoring its orbit and finalizing descent plans, though commun...
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Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts
Solar sail satellites, harnessing sunlight for propulsion, are being developed to improve space weather forecasting. NOAA and NASA’s Solar Cruiser project aims to extend geomagnetic storm alert times by 50%, reducing risks to power grids, GPS, and air traffic. The new spacecraft, expected to launch in 2029, will move beyond traditional observatio...
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NASA's Juno Detects Io's Most Powerful Volcanic Eruption Yet
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has recorded the most powerful volcanic eruption on Io, Jupiter’s most volcanic moon. The eruption site, detected on 27 December 2024, is fueled by a massive magma chamber spanning 105,000 square kilometers. The heat energy released is estimated at 80 trillion watts, exceeding Earth’s total power output. The volcanic ac...
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AI Study Finds Organic Molecules on Ceres Likely Came from Asteroid Impacts
A new AI-driven study has challenged previous assumptions about the origin of organic molecules on Ceres. Scientists have mapped organic-rich areas using data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft and found no evidence linking these compounds to cryovolcanic activity. Instead, simulations suggest asteroid impacts from the outer belt likely delivered the ma...
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SpaceX and Vast Seek Research Ideas for Dragon and Haven-1 Space Station
SpaceX and Vast have called for research proposals for experiments aboard the upcoming Haven-1 space station and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The station is set to launch in August 2024, followed by a Crew Dragon mission carrying astronauts. Research will focus on human physiology in microgravity and autonomous experiments for low-Earth orbit. Sel...
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NASA Says Asteroid Bennu Samples Hold Secrets Of Life's Origins
The space rock was collected by a NASA spacecraft and transported to Earth in 2023.
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Chorus Waves Found Far From Earth Raise Concerns for Space Exploration
Chorus waves, energetic electromagnetic bursts resembling bird chirps, have been detected 100,000 miles from Earth, far beyond their usual range. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites observed these waves in a flatter region of Earth's magnetosphere, contradicting prior assumptions about their formation near strong magnetic gradients. The wav...
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Comet ATLAS Offers Stunning Display as It Nears the Sun
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) recently passed within 8 million miles of the Sun, capturing the attention of astronomers. Observed by NASA and ESA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the comet’s tail extended dramatically as it encountered intense solar winds, providing a unique opportunity to study the Sun’s impact on comets. The event, wh...
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NASA Rockets Set to Journey Through Flickering, Disappearing Auroras
NASA is set to launch two groundbreaking rocket missions in January 2025 to unravel the mysteries of auroras. The GIRAFF mission will study fast-pulsating and flickering auroras, while the Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor mission will focus on dark auroral patches or "black auroras." By using advanced instruments to measure electron activi...
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NASA's Solar Observatories Resume Data Operations After Flood Disruption
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) have resumed data operations following a flood at Stanford University on November 26, 2024. The incident damaged systems at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC), impacting access to critical solar data. Despite challenges, partial database restoration h...
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Solar Missions in 2025: Heliophysics Projects and Spacecrafts That Will Study the Sun
The study of the sun, its activity, and effects across the solar system will advance in 2025. With Solar Cycle 25 peaking, six NASA missions planned, and new research priorities outlined, scientists are poised to address long-standing questions about solar dynamics and their impacts. Missions such as IMAP, ESCAPADE, and PUNCH will investigate solar...
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NASA Confirms Successful Flyby of Parker Solar Probe, Completes Closest Sun Approach
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has set an unprecedented milestone, coming 3.8 million miles from the Sun at a speed of 430,000 mph. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft has utilised Venus flybys to perfect its orbit, enabling this historic feat. With advanced technology, it endures extreme temperatures, gathering critical data about solar wind and particle ...
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NASA's Solar Probe Safe After Closest-Ever Approach To Sun
NASA said on Friday that its Parker Solar Probe was "safe" and operating normally after successfully completing the closest-ever approach to the Sun by any human-made object.
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Parker Solar Probe's Closest Sun Flyby Sets Records, Signal Expected Soon
The Parker Solar Probe achieved the closest-ever sun flyby on Christmas Eve, reaching within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface and travelling at 430,000 miles per hour. Scientists are now waiting for a signal expected on December 27 to confirm the spacecraft’s health. Detailed telemetry and collected data are anticipated by January 1, with o...
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NASA Parker Solar Probe Makes Closest-Ever Approach to the Sun, Becomes Fastest Object Built by Humans
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made its closest-ever approach to the Sun on Tuesday, becoming the first man-made object to accomplish this feat. Parker should have travelled as close as 6.1 million kilometres to the Sun, gathering important data about its outer atmosphere. The confirmation about these feats should arrive by December 27, as the space a...
-
Blue Ghost Lander Lowers Orbit, Prepares for Lunar Touchdown on March 2
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has successfully lowered its orbit to 120 km in preparation for a lunar touchdown on March 2. The spacecraft, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Mission teams are monitoring its orbit and finalizing descent plans, though commun...
-
Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts
Solar sail satellites, harnessing sunlight for propulsion, are being developed to improve space weather forecasting. NOAA and NASA’s Solar Cruiser project aims to extend geomagnetic storm alert times by 50%, reducing risks to power grids, GPS, and air traffic. The new spacecraft, expected to launch in 2029, will move beyond traditional observatio...
-
NASA's Juno Detects Io's Most Powerful Volcanic Eruption Yet
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has recorded the most powerful volcanic eruption on Io, Jupiter’s most volcanic moon. The eruption site, detected on 27 December 2024, is fueled by a massive magma chamber spanning 105,000 square kilometers. The heat energy released is estimated at 80 trillion watts, exceeding Earth’s total power output. The volcanic ac...
-
AI Study Finds Organic Molecules on Ceres Likely Came from Asteroid Impacts
A new AI-driven study has challenged previous assumptions about the origin of organic molecules on Ceres. Scientists have mapped organic-rich areas using data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft and found no evidence linking these compounds to cryovolcanic activity. Instead, simulations suggest asteroid impacts from the outer belt likely delivered the ma...
-
SpaceX and Vast Seek Research Ideas for Dragon and Haven-1 Space Station
SpaceX and Vast have called for research proposals for experiments aboard the upcoming Haven-1 space station and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. The station is set to launch in August 2024, followed by a Crew Dragon mission carrying astronauts. Research will focus on human physiology in microgravity and autonomous experiments for low-Earth orbit. Sel...
-
NASA Says Asteroid Bennu Samples Hold Secrets Of Life's Origins
The space rock was collected by a NASA spacecraft and transported to Earth in 2023.
-
Chorus Waves Found Far From Earth Raise Concerns for Space Exploration
Chorus waves, energetic electromagnetic bursts resembling bird chirps, have been detected 100,000 miles from Earth, far beyond their usual range. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites observed these waves in a flatter region of Earth's magnetosphere, contradicting prior assumptions about their formation near strong magnetic gradients. The wav...
-
Comet ATLAS Offers Stunning Display as It Nears the Sun
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) recently passed within 8 million miles of the Sun, capturing the attention of astronomers. Observed by NASA and ESA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the comet’s tail extended dramatically as it encountered intense solar winds, providing a unique opportunity to study the Sun’s impact on comets. The event, wh...
-
NASA Rockets Set to Journey Through Flickering, Disappearing Auroras
NASA is set to launch two groundbreaking rocket missions in January 2025 to unravel the mysteries of auroras. The GIRAFF mission will study fast-pulsating and flickering auroras, while the Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor mission will focus on dark auroral patches or "black auroras." By using advanced instruments to measure electron activi...
-
NASA's Solar Observatories Resume Data Operations After Flood Disruption
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) have resumed data operations following a flood at Stanford University on November 26, 2024. The incident damaged systems at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC), impacting access to critical solar data. Despite challenges, partial database restoration h...
-
Solar Missions in 2025: Heliophysics Projects and Spacecrafts That Will Study the Sun
The study of the sun, its activity, and effects across the solar system will advance in 2025. With Solar Cycle 25 peaking, six NASA missions planned, and new research priorities outlined, scientists are poised to address long-standing questions about solar dynamics and their impacts. Missions such as IMAP, ESCAPADE, and PUNCH will investigate solar...
-
NASA Confirms Successful Flyby of Parker Solar Probe, Completes Closest Sun Approach
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has set an unprecedented milestone, coming 3.8 million miles from the Sun at a speed of 430,000 mph. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft has utilised Venus flybys to perfect its orbit, enabling this historic feat. With advanced technology, it endures extreme temperatures, gathering critical data about solar wind and particle ...
-
NASA's Solar Probe Safe After Closest-Ever Approach To Sun
NASA said on Friday that its Parker Solar Probe was "safe" and operating normally after successfully completing the closest-ever approach to the Sun by any human-made object.
-
Parker Solar Probe's Closest Sun Flyby Sets Records, Signal Expected Soon
The Parker Solar Probe achieved the closest-ever sun flyby on Christmas Eve, reaching within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface and travelling at 430,000 miles per hour. Scientists are now waiting for a signal expected on December 27 to confirm the spacecraft’s health. Detailed telemetry and collected data are anticipated by January 1, with o...
-
NASA Parker Solar Probe Makes Closest-Ever Approach to the Sun, Becomes Fastest Object Built by Humans
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made its closest-ever approach to the Sun on Tuesday, becoming the first man-made object to accomplish this feat. Parker should have travelled as close as 6.1 million kilometres to the Sun, gathering important data about its outer atmosphere. The confirmation about these feats should arrive by December 27, as the space a...
