With NASA’s Mars Explorer and Europe’s Mars Express missions well on their way to the Red Planet, many are forgetting the Japanese Nozomi spacecraft which was launched almost five years ago. It should have reached Mars a long time ago but a failed flyby of Earth forced the spacecraft to make another trip around to get enough speed. In April last year a solar flare damaged the spacecraft’s heating system and disrupted communications. Even if it makes a final flyby of Earth this week, engineers will need to fix its broken systems so that it can go into orbit around Mars. If everything is fixed, Nozomi is expected to reach Mars in late December 2003 or early 2004.
Earth is naked without its protective barrier. The planet's magnetic shield surrounds Earth and shelters…
No human being will ever encounter a black hole. But we can't stop wondering what…
The Sun is increasing its intensity on schedule, continuing its approach to solar maximum. In…
Does another undetected planet languish in our Solar System's distant reaches? Does it follow a…
It's that time again. NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) has announced six concepts that will…
On Friday, May 3rd, the sixth mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Chang'e-6) launched…