Scientists disagree on how fast the universe is expanding, and new tech is making it worse

Usually new tech brings us closer to understanding more of the universe, but in the field of cosmology, one uncertainty is only getting worse.

Space     Georgina Torbet     November 19, 2023

NASA’s wild plan to launch a rocket from Mars is ‘like something from an amusement park’

How do you launch a rocket from Mars? NASA's jaw-dropping plan involves pitching it in the air and igniting it aloft.

Space     Georgina Torbet     October 22, 2023

Measure twice, laser once. Meet the scientists prodding NASA’s first asteroid sample

Now that NASA has wrangled a chunk of asteroid back to Earth, a team of scientists is busy photographing, crushing, and even shooting lasers at the dust.

Space     Georgina Torbet     October 13, 2023

How one NASA lander decoded secrets lying beneath the surface of Mars

Using new instruments and clever science, the Mars Insight lander left us with incredible new insight into the belly of the red planet.

Space     Georgina Torbet     October 7, 2023

Is that asteroid a problem? Meet the planetary defense squad that decides

Earth is surrounded by potential threats like asteroids and comets, but a team of NASA scientists is always on the lookout.

Space     Georgina Torbet     September 20, 2023

This team of legged robots could be the future of Mars exploration

We've sent wheeled rovers and even helicopters to Mars, but to explore its hidden depths, it will take robotic legwork.

Space     Georgina Torbet     September 9, 2023

What comes after Webb? NASA’s next-generation planet-hunting telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope only launched recently, but scientists are already plotting a planet-hunting telescope that will help find worlds like our own.

Space     Georgina Torbet     September 20, 2023

We can’t see dark matter, but there is an ingenious way to map it

Dark matter isn’t visible to the human eye, or even telescopes, but there is an ingenious way to map its presence across the universe.

Space     Georgina Torbet     July 27, 2023

Could the key to living in space be … a good lighting system?

Lighting is typically more of an afterthought when it comes to space habitats, but as it turns out, it may just be the most important part

Space     Georgina Torbet     July 20, 2023

Here’s why scientists think life may have thrived on the ‘hell planet’ Venus

Venus is one of the most brutally inhospitable places in our solar system, but many scientists think life could have thrived there at one point. Here's why.

Space     Georgina Torbet     July 16, 2023

Inside the crazy plan to scoop up and bring home a bit of the Venus atmosphere

Most missions collect samples and analyze them in situ with relatively basic instruments. This mission takes a totally different approach.

Space     Georgina Torbet     July 15, 2023

SpaceCamp, the amazing 1986 film, is stuck in a streaming black hole

Released months after the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, SpaceCamp disappeared from pop culture despite a standout cast and legendary composer.

Space     Phil Nickinson     July 4, 2023

The art and science of aerobraking: The key to exploring Venus

Slowing a spacecraft down takes tons of fuel, so scientists are eager to try something different on Venus: slowing down with the help of the planet's atmosphere

Space     Georgina Torbet     June 25, 2023

NASA’s latest method for hunting exoplanets? Enlisting amateurs

NASA has a new program that gathers data from millions of amateur astronomers, and it could be a game-changer for astronomy.

Space     Georgina Torbet     June 11, 2023

Inside the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, home of the world’s largest digital camera

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory houses the world's largest digital camera. Here's how it'll help astronomers explore the cosmos

Space     Georgina Torbet     May 11, 2023

How NASA’s astronaut class of 1978 changed the face of space exploration

NASA's 1978 astronaut class was a turning point for the agency, and it set the stage for the more diverse and inclusive space program we have today

Space     Georgina Torbet     April 9, 2023

How will NASA keep Mars astronauts safe from cosmic radiation? Here’s the plan

Space is full of dangerous cosmic radiation, and in order to send astronauts to Mars, we'll need to protect them from it. Here's how.

Space     Georgina Torbet     December 17, 2022

How the James Webb Space Telescope creates images of ‘invisible’ interstellar objects

NASA doesn't just point a telescope at space and snap a photo. JWST's data needs to be translated from infrared to visible light — then it becomes an image.

Space     Georgina Torbet     October 9, 2022

What exactly makes an exoplanet ‘habitable’?

Astronomers have been on the hunt for habitable planets outside of our own solar system for decades -- but what exactly counts as habitable?

Space     Georgina Torbet     September 1, 2022

Here’s what the James Webb Space Telescope will set its sights on next

Now that the James Webb Space Telescope has sent back its first images of deep space, you might be wondering what's coming next. Here's the scoop!

Space     Georgina Torbet     July 23, 2022

How NASA’s DAVINCI probe will withstand the hellish conditions of Venus

Venus's acidic, high-pressure atmosphere is one of the most inhospitable places in our solar system -- and NASA is building a probe that can withstand it

Space     Georgina Torbet     June 10, 2022

This is how NASA measures rising sea levels from space

NASA has been monitoring Earth's sea levels from orbit for over 30 years. Here's why measuring from space is actually easier than doing it terrestrially.

Space     Georgina Torbet     April 25, 2023

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