Space Exploration News – Latest Headlines

Cracks in Pluto's moon could indicate it once had an underground ocean

If the icy surface of Pluto's giant moon Charon is cracked, analysis of the fractures could reveal if its interior was warm, perhaps warm enough to have maintained a subterranean ocean of liquid water, according to a new study.

June 13, 2014 Read more

NASA experiments recreate aromatic flavors of Titan

NASA scientists have created a new recipe that captures key flavors of the brownish-orange atmosphere around Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

June 13, 2014 Read more

Space weather report for an alien world (w/video)

For the first time, ESA is providing regular space-weather reports for a spacecraft orbiting another planet.

June 13, 2014 Read more

'Guinea pig' in space

Alexander Gerst has been living and working in microgravity since 29 May 2014, and the focus of his initial research on the International Space Station (ISS) is currently himself.

June 12, 2014 Read more

Mining data archives yields haul of 'red nuggets'

The world of astronomy has changed. An astronomer used to have to travel to a remote location and endure long, cold nights, patiently guiding a telescope to collect precious photons of light. Now, a proliferation of online archives allows astronomers to make discoveries from the comfort of their own offices. By mining such archives, a team of astronomers has found a treasure trove of 'red nugget' galaxies.

June 11, 2014 Read more

Gigantic explosion buried in dust: Alma probes environment around gamma ray bursts (w/video)

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a team of researchers reports the first-ever detection of molecular gas in two galaxies that were previously rocked by gamma ray bursts (GRBs), the brightest explosions in the Universe. These new observations revealed that the molecular gas was concentrated toward the centers of the galaxies, while the GRBs occurred in unusual environments that were surprisingly bereft of gas yet rich in dust.

June 11, 2014 Read more

The solar wind breaks through the Earth's magnetic field

Space is not empty. A wind of charged particles blows outwards from the Sun, carrying a magnetic field with it. Sometimes this solar wind can break through the Earth's magnetic field. Researchers now have an answer to one of the questions about how this actually occurs.

June 11, 2014 Read more

Map of universe questioned; dwarf galaxies don't fit standard model

Dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxies defy the accepted model of galaxy formation, and recent attempts to wedge them into the model are flawed, reports an international team of astrophysicists. A new study pokes holes in the current understanding of galaxy formation and questions the accepted model of the origin and evolution of the universe.

June 11, 2014 Read more

National panel urges 'putting human boots' on Mars

After 18 months of research and deliberation, the Committee on Human Spaceflight - a diverse national group of scientists and professionals convened by Congressional request - issued a 285-page report June 4 on whether Earth-bound humans should continue exploring space.

June 10, 2014 Read more

First images from exoplanet hunter SPHERE

The European SPHERE instrument has been successfully installed on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) and has achieved first light. This powerful new facility can directly image gas-giant exoplanets and dust discs orbiting nearby stars (up to 300 light years away) with unparalleled precision and contrast.

June 10, 2014 Read more

'Hello, world!' NASA beams video from space station via laser

The high-definition video via laser transmission from space to ground, stating 'Hello, World!' was the first of its kind for the Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science from the International Space Station.

June 9, 2014 Read more

55-year old dark side of the moon mystery solved

The Man in the Moon appeared when meteoroids struck the Earth-facing side of the moon creating large flat seas of basalt that we see as dark areas called maria. But no 'face' exists on farside of the moon and now, Penn State astrophysicists think they know why.

June 9, 2014 Read more

Turbulent black holes: Fasten your seatbelts - gravity is about to get bumpy

New research shows that gravitational fields around black holes might eddy and swirl.

June 5, 2014 Read more

Two planets orbit nearby ancient star

An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of two new planets orbiting a very old star that is near to our own Sun. One of these planets orbits the star at the right distance to allow liquid water to exist on its surface, a key ingredient to support life.

June 5, 2014 Read more

Moon formed after collision of planets

Scientists have resolved an isotopic difference between the Earth and the Moon. The slight variation in oxygen isotopes confirms the 'Giant impact' hypothesis of Moon formation, according to which the Moon formed from the debris of a giant collision between the Earth and another proto-Planet about 4.5 billion years ago.

June 5, 2014 Read more

NASA invites universities to submit innovative early-stage technology proposals

NASA is seeking proposals from universities to advance the agency's plans for exploration to deep space and Mars. The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit the space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

June 4, 2014 Read more

Surprisingly strong magnetic fields challenge black holes' pull

A new study of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies has found magnetic fields play an impressive role in the systems' dynamics. In fact, in dozens of black holes surveyed, the magnetic field strength matched the force produced by the black holes' powerful gravitational pull.

June 4, 2014 Read more

NASA should maintain long-term focus on Mars as 'horizon goal' for human spaceflight

Arguing for a continuation of the nation's human space exploration program, a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council concludes that the expense of human spaceflight and the dangers to the astronauts involved can be justified only by the goal of putting humans on other worlds.

June 4, 2014 Read more