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.
NicoElNino / Shutterstock
Cyberattacks are a growing threat to government and commercial spacecraft.
Covering the ground with rocks is actually a good way to grow some crops in poor soil.
Carl Lipo
Satellite data shows the amount of food the residents of the tiny Pacific island have grown over time, pointing to a small but stable population.
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.
ESA
Burnt-up satellites could dump hundreds of tonnes of aluminium in the stratosphere every year. An atmospheric chemist explains what that might mean
A military artist’s concept of an anti-satellite missile being launched from an F-15 Eagle aircraft.
Everett Collection/Shutterstock
Fears are growing that Russia may be trying to put a nuclear weapon into orbit.
NASA
Solar storms can play havoc with electrical grids, satellites and railway lines.
Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels
China’s Change'6 is going to explore the Moon’s far side and bring back precious lunar soil for scientists to study.
Artist’s impression of a fireball.
Triff / Shutterstock
The amount of space junk will increase as we continue to launch objects into space, but there are ways to curb damage on the ground.
A super-emitter methane leak in Iran captured by satellite.
NASA JPL-Caltech
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that can leak from oil and gas wells, pipelines and landfills. Satellites can spot the releases fast enough to get them fixed and help protect the climate.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from a launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 18, 2024 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Four private astronauts make their way to the International Space Station.
(AP Photo/John Raoux)
Space exploration is not a waste of resources, but a source of technological and medical advances, a tool for climate monitoring and a source of educational inspiration for youth.
metamorworks/Shutterstock
The Starfish Prime test in 1962 showed how dangerous it would be to detonate a nuclear weapon in space.
An artist’s rendition of the eclipse over a city.
(Shutterstock)
The sky is becoming more cluttered with satellites and space junk. This is affecting astronomical study, but will only have a minor effect — if any — on the viewing of the solar eclipse.
Existing models have over-estimated the role of north Africa as the primary source of global dust emissions for nearly 30 years.
GizemG/Shutterstock
New research reveals our understanding of dust’s role in the environment is far from settled.
Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets.
Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam
Powerful jets are launched from the most massive objects in our universe, but we don’t fully understand how. This measurement gets us a step closer to solving the mystery.
Landsat image of Lake Torrens, South Australia.
NASA Earth Observatory
Without satellites, we wouldn’t have much of the Earth and climate data we have today. And Australia is a world leader in satellite data.
Paul Fleet / shutterstock
We know particles from spacecrafts are in the stratosphere. But what this means for the ozone layer or the climate is still unknown.
Satellite radar data shows the complete destruction of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
Xu et al. (2024)
Satellite photography of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut shows block after block of destroyed buildings. Satellite radar provides a different view – a systematic look at the destruction of the whole city.
Andrzej Puchta / Shutterstock
The capability for attacking satellites in space using cyber technology is advancing fast
NicoElNino / Shutterstock
Destroying satellites in space can lead to cascades that are hard to predict.