News Archive / Missions
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NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope mission nears end
Jim SharkeyJune 17th, 2019While criticism of NASA's efforts frequently focuses on cost overruns or delays, what is sometimes missed is that many missions have far exceeded how long program managers had believed they would be operating. The Spitzer Space Telescope is one such mission, but like all good things, it too is nearing the end.
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Next NASA Mars mission to serve as pathfinder for astronauts
Cullen DesforgesJune 17th, 2019It’s no secret that sending the first astronauts to Mars will be a monumental challenge marked with many “firsts.” Given that NASA hasn't launched a manned mission beyond low-Earth orbit in 47 years - crews will need a guide to show them the way. Enter the next rover the U.S. space agency plans to send to the Red Planet.
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Pass the salt shaker: Key ingredient of life found on Europa
Laurel KornfeldJune 14th, 2019A new study has identified yellow regions on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa as sodium chloride or table salt, which may originate in the large moon's underground ocean.
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Design phase begins for Psyche mission to metal asteroid
Laurel KornfeldJune 13th, 2019NASA's Psyche mission to a unique metal asteroid has attained the important milestone of being approved to begin spacecraft design and construction.
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Mars 2020 spacecraft tested for flight, rover gets cameras
Joe LatrellJune 13th, 2019Leading up to a planned July 2020 launch date, NASA’s latest mission to Mars is currently undergoing testing. Both the spacecraft and its rover payload have been tested and have been equipped with new equipment in preparation for flight.
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Michigan company helping NASA speed up SLS development
Jim SharkeyJune 8th, 2019As NASA works to meet its goal of returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, a Michigan-based company is helping to accelerate the production of the space agency's Space Launch System (SLS) deep space rocket by providing one of the key tools needed to build the massive vehicle.
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Spitzer mosaic depicts family of stars
Laurel KornfeldJune 7th, 2019A brightly colored mosaic of nebulae in the constellation Cepheus captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope depicts a family of stars ranging from new to old.
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‘Flarewell’: Predictable Iridium flares nearing end
Cullen DesforgesJune 3rd, 2019Professional and backyard astronomers alike have been observing predictable streaks, or flares, across the night sky for the better part of two decades.
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First Astrobee robot completes initial checks aboard ISS
Jim SharkeyMay 30th, 2019The International Space Station's newest robotic helper, Astrobee, completed its first series of hardware tests aboard the outpost.
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OSIRIS-REx mission seeking citizen scientists’ help
Laurel KornfeldMay 29th, 2019NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is seeking help from citizen scientists in choosing a site on asteroid Bennu to collect surface samples to be returned to Earth.
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Observations indicate comets may have brought water to Earth
Laurel KornfeldMay 27th, 2019Observations of Comet Wirtanen by the world's largest airborne observatory support the notion that comets may have delivered water to Earth.
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Gas layer may be keeping Pluto’s subsurface ocean from freezing
Laurel KornfeldMay 25th, 2019A layer of gas located beneath Pluto's icy shell could be keeping the dwarf planet's subsurface ocean from freezing, according to a new study.
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Virgin Orbit conducts crucial hotfire test
Jim SharkeyMay 23rd, 2019Virgin Orbit announced the successful completion of a full mission duty cycle hotfire test of the first stage of its LauncherOne rocket.
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LRO identifies crash site of Beresheet lander
Laurel KornfeldMay 22nd, 2019The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged the crash site of SpaceIL's Beresheet lander, which impacted the Moon after a critical failure during its descent.
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Data shows Jupiter’s magnetic field changes over time
Laurel KornfeldMay 21st, 2019Jupiter's internal magnetic field undergoes changes over time, NASA's Juno orbiter confirmed after recent science flybys of the giant planet.
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Scientific paper speculates about formation of Ultima Thule
Laurel KornfeldMay 20th, 2019The first peer-reviewed academic paper about Ultima Thule based on New Horizons' flyby of the Kuiper Belt Object was published in the journal Science.
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Curiosity rover team maps route up Mount Sharp
Jim SharkeyMay 18th, 2019Since landing on the Red Planet in August 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover has been collecting data about the geology and chemistry of the Martian surface.
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InSight dust cleanings could provide new science
Jim SharkeyMay 16th, 2019Martian weather events like global dust storms can end missions operating on the Red Planet, but they can also be beneficial.
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Data reveals tectonic activity on the Moon
Laurel KornfeldMay 15th, 2019New images captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal recent tectonic activity on the Moon in the form of "wrinkled" hills and shallow trenches.
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Study shows ancient galaxies brighter than previously thought
Laurel KornfeldMay 11th, 2019The universe's earliest galaxies, which formed less than one billion years after the Big Bang, may have been significantly brighter than previously thought.
