NASA’s Perseverance Rover Gives High-Definition Panoramic View of Landing Site
NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover got its first high-definition look around its new home in Jezero Crater on Feb. 21, after rotating its mast, or “head,” 360 degrees, allowing the rover’s Mastcam-Z instrument to capture its first panorama after touching down on the Red Planet on Feb 18.
The cost of avoiding collision
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Information for all visitors to ESA sites
Information for all visitors to ESA sites ;
Space Station Science Highlights: Week of February 15, 2021
Scientific investigations conducted aboard the International Space Station the week of Feb. 15 included studies of flame spread in confined spaces, direct RNA sequencing from tissue samples, and acoustic monitoring of equipment.
NASA to Host Briefings, Interviews for Next Crew Rotation Mission with SpaceX
NASA will highlight the second crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the International Space Station with a pair of news conferences beginning 12:30 p.m. EST Monday, March 1.
Chandra Studies Extraordinary Magnetar
In 2020, astronomers added a new member to an exclusive family of exotic objects with the discovery of a magnetar. New observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory help support the idea that it is also a pulsar, meaning it emits regular pulses of light.
Imagining Another Earth
This artist's concept shows exoplanet Kepler-1649c orbiting around its host red dwarf star.
New Research Launching to Space Station Aboard Northrop Grumman’s 15th Resupply Mission
Experiments that use worms to study muscle loss, examine how astronauts sleep, and test high-powered computers in space, along with more scientific studies and supplies, are ready for launch to the International Space Station on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft.
NASA Science, Cargo Launches on 15th Northrop Grumman Resupply Mission to Space Station
A Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft is en route to the International Space Station with approximately 8,000 pounds of science investigations and cargo after launching at 12:36 p.m. EST Saturday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. About three hours after launch, the spacecraft’s solar arrays successfully deployed to collect su
Assessing The Habitability Of Planets Around Old Red Dwarfs
A study using Chandra and Hubble has given new insight to how habitable planets that orbit the most common type of stars in the Galaxy might be.
Kepler-1649c: Earth-Size, Habitable Zone Planet Hides in Plain Sight
This artist's illustration shows what Kepler-1649c could look like from its surface.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sends Sneak Peek of Mars Landing
Less than a day after NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover successfully landed on the surface of Mars, engineers and scientists at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California were hard at work, awaiting the next transmissions from Perseverance.
The Recipe for Powerful Quasar Jets
Some supermassive black holes launch powerful beams of material, or jets, away from them, while others do not. Astronomers may now have identified why.
Space Station Science Highlights: Week of January 25, 2021
Aboard the International Space Station the week of Jan. 25, crew members performed scientific experiments that included testing technology for producing nutrients on demand and tracking cargo, and a study on improving the food menu in space.
Media event: ESA seeks new astronauts
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Reclusive Neutron Star May Have Been Found in Famous Supernova
Astronomers now have evidence from two X-ray telescopes (Chandra and NuSTAR) for a key component of a famous supernova remnant. This latest study shows that a "pulsar wind nebula" created by such a neutron star may be present.
NASA Takes Steps to Reduce Aviation Emissions, Invigorate US Economy
NASA is seeking proposals for ground and flight demonstrations of integrated megawatt-class powertrain systems for subsonic aircraft.
ESA plans mission to explore lunar caves
In a first step towards uncovering the Moon's subterranean secrets, in 2019 we asked for your ideas to detect, map and explore lunar caves. Five ideas were selected to be studied in more detail, each addressing different phases of a potential mission.
35 Years Ago: Launch of Mir Space Station’s First Module
On Feb. 19, 1986, the Soviet Union launched the first module of the Mir space station. Called the Mir base block or core module, this first element provided living accommodations, life support, command and control, and communications systems.
About Half of Sun-Like Stars Could Host Rocky, Potentially Habitable Planets
According to new research using data from NASA’s retired planet-hunting mission, the Kepler space telescope, about half the stars similar in temperature to our Sun could have a rocky planet capable of supporting liquid water on its surface.
NASA Awards SETI Institute Contract for Planetary Protection Support
NASA has awarded the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, a contract to support all phases of current and future planetary protection missions to ensure compliance with planetary protection standards.
Space Station Science Highlights: Week of February 8, 2021
The week of Feb. 8, crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted a number of scientific investigations including mapping microbes on the station and studying plant growth in space.
NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover Provides Front-Row Seat to Landing, First Audio Recording of Red Planet
New video from NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover chronicles major milestones during the final minutes of its entry, descent, and landing (EDL) on the Red Planet on Feb. 18 as the spacecraft plummeted, parachuted, and rocketed toward the surface of Mars.
On the Hunt for a Missing Giant Black Hole
Astronomers are searching for signs of a supermassive black hole in the galaxy cluster Abell 2261. Scientists think this galaxy underwent a merger with another galaxy, which could have caused a newly formed larger black hole to be ejected. Astronomers do not yet know what happened to this giant black hole.
NASA’s TESS Enables Breakthrough Study of Perplexing Stellar Pulsations
Astronomers have detected elusive pulsation patterns in dozens of young, rapidly rotating stars thanks to data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
NASA Invites Public to Share Excitement of Northrop Grumman’s 15th Commercial Resupply Services Launch
NASA is inviting the public to take part in virtual activities and events ahead of the launch of Northrop Grumman’s 15th commercial resupply services mission (NG CRS-15) for NASA.
NASA TV Coverage Scheduled for Upcoming Spacewalks, Briefing
Three crew members from Expedition 64 will conduct two spacewalks working in pairs Sunday, Feb. 28, and Friday, March 5, to continue upgrades on the International Space Station.
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Critical For GPS, Seen In Distant Stars
An effect predicted by Albert Einstein has been identified in a double star system about 29,000 light years from Earth.
Spacewalkers Complete Multi-Year Effort to Upgrade Space Station Batteries
Spacewalkers Complete Multi-Year Effort to Upgrade Space Station Batteries
Week in images: 15 - 19 February 2021
Week in images: 15 - 19 February 2021 ;
How Earth Climate Models Help Scientists Picture Life on Unimaginable Worlds
Thousands of computers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are tasked with running sophisticated climate models to predict Earth’s future climate. Collectively known as NASA's Discover supercomputer, they’re now also sussing out whether any of the more than 4,000 curiously weird planets beyond our solar system could support life.
Earth from Space: Lusaka, Zambia
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Lusaka – the capital and largest city of Zambia.
Join the new era of exploration as an ESA astronaut
For the first time in over a decade, the European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking new astronauts to join humankind’s greatest adventure for the benefit of Earth.
International Space Station Archives Fuel New Scientific Discoveries
When scientists complete an experiment aboard the International Space Station, the ramifications of that work have just begun. NASA carries on a legacy of decades of biological research data, fueling new discoveries long after studies wrap up in space.
NASA Awards Contract for Engineering, Programmatic Support Services
NASA has awarded the Spectrum and Resource Management, Engineering and Programmatic Support Services (SpectRE) contract to Agile Decision Sciences LLC of Beltsville, Maryland.
Greener way to get satellites moving
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Planetary Sleuthing Finds Triple-Star World
Years after its detection, astronomers have confirmed a planet called KOI-5Ab orbiting in a triple-star system with a skewed configuration.
Rare Blast’s Remains Discovered in Milky Way Center
Astronomers may have found our galaxy’s first example of an unusual kind of stellar explosion. This discovery, made with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, adds to the understanding of how some stars shatter and seed the universe with elements critical for life on Earth.
Galaxies Hit Single, Doubles, and a Triple (Growing Black Holes)
When three galaxies collide, what happens to the huge black holes at the centers of each? A new study using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and several other telescopes reveals new information about how many black holes are furiously growing after these galactic smash ups.
Gravity Assist: Puffy Planets, Powerful Telescopes, with Knicole Colon
NASA astrophysicist Knicole Colon describes her work on the Kepler, Hubble, TESS and Webb missions, and takes us on a tour of some of her favorite planets.
Space Station 20th: STS-98 Delivers Destiny to the International Space Station
After more than three months living and working aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Expedition 1 crew of NASA astronaut William P. Shepherd, Yuri P. Gidzenko, and Sergei K. Krikalev of Roscosmos received their second group of visitors.
NASA to Reveal New Video, Images from Mars Perseverance Rover
NASA will hold a virtual briefing at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST) today to unveil the “How to Land on Mars” video, which will present first-of-its-kind footage the Perseverance rover captured as it touched down on the Red Planet Feb. 18. The agency also will show new images the rover took on the Martian surface.
A Cosmic Amethyst in a Dying Star
On Earth, amethysts can form when gas bubbles in lava cool under the right conditions. In space, a dying star with a mass similar to the Sun is capable of producing a structure on par with the appeal of these beautiful gems.
AAS Names 29 NASA-Affiliated Legacy Fellows
Twenty-nine scientists working at or affiliated with NASA have been named Fellows of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the major organization of professional astronomers in North America.
Space Station Science Highlights: Week of February 1, 2021
Scientific investigations conducted aboard the International Space Station the week of Feb. 1 included testing new life-support technology, studying plant growth, and comparing flammability of different materials in space.
How to use space to conserve history
Space can help to identify historic landscapes and conserve cultural buildings. Find out how by joining a free ESA digital workshop introduced by UNESCO’s chief cultural heritage manager alongside ESA's director general.
Earth-Size, Habitable Zone Planet Found Hidden in Early NASA Kepler Data
A team of transatlantic scientists, using reanalyzed data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope, has discovered an Earth-size exoplanet orbiting in its star's habitable zone, the area around a star where a rocky planet could support liquid water.
Touchdown! NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Safely Lands on Red Planet
The largest, most advanced rover NASA has sent to another world touched down on Mars Thursday, after a 203-day journey traversing 293 million miles (472 million kilometers).
Kepler's Supernova Remnant: Debris from Stellar Explosion Not Slowed After 400 Years
Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to record material blasting away from the site of an exploded star at speeds faster than 20 million miles per hour.
Explore the Jezero neighbourhood
Flyover movies, elevation maps, 3D views and detailed colour scenes: ESA’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter missions have provided imagery of Jezero Crater and the surrounding region in support of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing on 18 February 2021.
Week in images: 08 - 12 February 2021
Week in images: 08 - 12 February 2021 ;
ESA moves forward with Harmony
Following the selection of three Earth Explorer candidate missions to enter a first feasibility study in September 2018, ESA has chosen one of the candidates, Harmony, to move to the next phase of development. Harmony is envisaged as a mission with two satellites that orbit in formation with one of the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites to address key scientific questions related to ocean, ice and land dynamics.
Getz on the run
Using a 25-year record of satellite observations over the Getz region in West Antarctica, scientists have discovered that the pace at which glaciers flow towards the ocean is accelerating. This new research, which includes data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission and ESA’s CryoSat mission, will help determine if these glaciers could collapse in the next few decades and how this would affect future global sea-level rise.
