Discovery and exploration of the Solar System

For more than 45 years, the Voyager 1 spacecraft has been cruising through the cosmos, crossing the boundary of our solar system to become the first human-made object to venture to interstellar space. Iconic in every regard, Voyager 1 has delivered groundbreaking data on Jupiter and Saturn, and captured the loneliest image of Earth. But perhaps nothing is lonelier than an aging spacecraft that has lost its ability to communicate while traveling billions of miles away from home.Three Astronauts May Be Stranded on the ISS…

NASA is scaling back on its ambitious Mars Sample Return (MSR) program, fearing federal budget cuts to the space agency’s plan to bring back rock and dust from the Red Planet, which has come under heavy scrutiny for having unrealistic costs and timelines.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) reportedly laid off 100 contractors last week and implemented a hiring freeze as it braces for the new federal budget in 2024, the Los Angeles Times first reported. The space agency also…

NASA, in its relentless pursuit of space innovation, announced on Thursday the selection of 13 new projects for its 2024 Phase I awards under the Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. These awards, totaling up to $175,000 each, are granted to teams proposing advanced and unconventional space technologies.Will You Click Windows’ New Copilot Button?The NIAC program, known for funding groundbreaking concepts, has previously contributed to notable missions such as the Mars Ingenuity helicopter and instruments used in…

NASA just put its new propulsion system to the test, powering a 3D-printed rotating detonation rocket engine for a sustained burn that lasted three times as long as the first test.Gizmodo’s Top Five Gadgets of 2023The Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine, or RDRE, produced more than 5,800 pounds of thrust for a total of 251 seconds (a little longer than four minutes) during a recent test at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the space agency announced this week.NASA’s 3D-printed Rotating Detonation…

Six California lawmakers wrote to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson last week to oppose the agency’s recent cuts to the Mars Sample Return mission, which aims to bring samples collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars to Earth.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonThe letter was written by congresspeople Judy Chu, Laphonza Butler, Mike Garcia, and Young Kim, as well as California senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla. In the letter, the six legislators described the NASA move as “short-sighted and misguided,” and…

NASA is pulling back from its Mars Sample Return program (MSR) in order to develop a revised way of bringing the Martian rocks back to Earth after its original plan was deemed unrealistic. China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonDuring a meeting of the Planetary Science Advisory Committee on Monday, NASA officials announced that the space agency is pausing work on MSR in response to a recent report that called out the mission’s mounting costs and delays, Space Policy Online reported. Last week, three NASA centers…

NASA and electric vehicle startup Canoo Technologies have shown off the EV that will transport the next lunar astronauts to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center as part of next year’s Artemis II mission. The space agency unveiled the vehicle earlier this year, but on Sunday, it gave folks attending the Formula 1 race in Austin, Texas, a closer look at its stylish exterior and rather plush interior. Close-Up: Detailed views of one of @NASA's Artemis crew transportation vehicles, currently being debuted…

The majority of the American public seems largely concerned with the threat of incoming asteroids, believing that NASA should prioritize the monitoring of rocky objects that could hit Earth over going to the Moon or Mars, according to a new survey.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonA new survey by the Pew Research Center gauged people’s views of space exploration and their attitude towards NASA, private space companies, and the role of the U.S. as a leader in space. Although the majority of the people surveyed…

For more than two years, NASA’sPerseverance rover has been roaming Mars, drilling for rock samples that may hold clues to ancient life on the Red Planet, but the six-wheeled robot can only travel so far. Luckily, the rover recently got some extra help from a river that once flowed on the surface of Mars.Three Astronauts May Be Stranded on the ISS After Disturbing Soyuz Coolant LeakIn late June, NASA’s Perseverance rover sealed its 20th rock sample in an airtight titanium tube nestled inside its belly. This particular…

Three specially designed, fully electric, environmentally friendly crew transportation vehicles for Artemis missions arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week. The zero-emission vehicles, which will carry astronauts to Launch Complex 39B for Artemis missions, were delivered by Canoo Technologies of Torrance, California. NASA/Isaac Watson NASA has shown off a trio of new all-electric vehicles that will shuttle the next generation of lunar astronauts to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center.…