Missions
Europe Has Big Plans for Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
Saturn's moon, Enceladus, is a gleaming beacon that captivates our intellectual curiosity. Its clean, icy surface makes it one of…
The Mars Science Helicopter Could be an Airborne Geologist on Mars
After over 70 successful flights, a broken rotor ended the remarkable and groundbreaking Ingenuity helicopter mission on Mars. Now, NASA…
It’s Time to Study Lunar Lava Tubes. Here’s a Mission That Could Help
The Moon is practically begging to be explored, and the momentum to do so is building. The Artemis Program's effort…
NASA Tests the New Starship Docking System
The Apollo Program delivered 12 American astronauts to the surface of the Moon. But that program ended in 1972, and…
When an Object Like ‘Oumuamua Comes Around Again, We Could be Ready With an Interstellar Object Explorer (IOE)
On October 19th, 2017, astronomers with the Pann-STARRS survey observed an Interstellar Object (ISO) passing through our system - 1I/2017…
NASA is Done Setting Fires Inside its Doomed Cargo Spacecraft
Fire on a spacecraft can be catastrophic. It can spread quickly in a confined space, and for trapped astronauts, there…
The Vera Rubin’s Keen Eye On Our Solar System Will Inspire Future Missions
When the interstellar object (ISO) Oumuamua appeared in our Solar System in 2017, it generated a ton of interest. The…
NASA’s JPL Lays Off Hundreds of Workers
In a disheartening turn of events, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has announced that it's laying off about 8% of its…
Atmosphere Pressure Changes Could Explain Mars Methane
One ongoing mystery on Mars is the sporadic detection of atmospheric methane. Since 1999 detections have been made by Earth-based…
Exploring the Solar System with Swarms of Microprobes
It's satisfying to sit back and take stock of all the places in the Solar System that we've explored. The…