This microscopic grain is older than the solar system.
Sachiko Amari
Most presolar grains were destroyed in the formation of the universe. But some survived on meteorites.
The Chang'e 6 minirover Weibo took this image of the lander by autonomously driving away and photographing it.
CNSA
The far side of the Moon has a very different composition from the near side − so researchers are eager to see what stories these samples will tell.
A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches from West Texas, US on 31 March 2022.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Having its first citizen go into space would demonstrate Nigeria’s capabilities, build expertise, and bring the benefits of space exploration and development.
The Moon is about one-fourth the size of Earth.
Jackal Pan/Moment via Getty Images
It’s a fundamental requirement for life on Earth. But how does water exist on such a forbidding world as the Moon?
An illustration of a recurrent nova in a system like T CrB that includes a red giant and white dwarf.
David A. Hardy/PPARC
Your favorite TV show isn’t the only place where guest stars might appear. Keep an eye on the sky for the second half of 2024 and you might be able to witness a rare astronomical event.
Artist impression of ESA’s Hera mission to Didymos and Dimorphos.
ESA/Science Office
NASA’s DART was the first time we tried planetary defence – attempting to redirect an asteroid. The data from this landmark mission is still yielding new insights today.
Artist’s concept of Gliese 12 b and its central star.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)
The groundbreaking discovery of a temperate Earth-size planet just 40 light-years away may hold the key to understanding stellar habitability.
NASA GSFC
New US legislation could force Nasa to include enhanced cybersecurity for all its spacecraft.
NASA
The spacecraft’s return has been delayed while experts study helium leaks and thruster problems.
Most of the blue points in this sky survey image are accreting supermassive black holes emitting strong X-rays.
Fan Zou (Penn State) and the XMM-SERVS Collaboration
X-rays emitted around black holes can tell astrophysicists about how fast they’re growing.
A Martian meteorite in cross-polarized light. This meteorite is dominated by the mineral olivine. Each grain is about half a millimeter across.
James Day
These rare rocks come in a few different types, which can tell geologists about Mars’ volcanic past and hint at its potential habitability.
NASA
Magnetism and gravity both shape the boundaries of our cosmic neighbourhood.
Stellarium Web Online Star Map
Astronomers and stargazers around the world are excited to witness a rare event that only happens once every 80 years – a recurrent nova.
A composite image showing the distribution of dark matter, galaxies and hot gas in the core of a merging galaxy cluster.
(NASA Goddard)
Cosmology does not need dark matter or dark energy in an expanding universe that allows the constants of nature to evolve, and light loses energy as it travels vast distances.
Complex space systems like the International Space Station could be vulnerable to hackers.
NASA
Sabotaged space stations, falsified space probe data and faked alien contact are just a few of the scenarios a report on space cybersecurity outlines.
Crew members from the Inspiration4 mission. New research looks at the biological effects of their short trip to space.
SpaceX
A set of papers published in Nature contain groundbreaking research into how even quick jaunts to space can affect an astronaut’s health.
The Orion capsule from NASA’s Artemis I mission splashes down.
NASA via AP
Safely landing a spacecraft that’s falling from the sky very quickly is easier said than done.
NicoElNino / Shutterstock
Cyberattacks are a growing threat to government and commercial spacecraft.
Some planets, such as Saturn, have more than a hundred moons, while others, such as Venus, have none.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute via AP
It’s not a competition, but if it were, Saturn would be winning.
A schematic shows a perovskite solar cell being irradiated with a damaging (red) and a healing (green) proton beam.
Ahmad Kirmani using Blender
Spacecraft exteriors that automatically heal from radiation damage would change the game − one material shows promise.