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NASA has accelerated its DAVINCI atmospheric probe mission to Venus, now set for a December 2030 launch, a year earlier than previously scheduled. Its sister mission, the VERITAS orbiter, is slated to launch in November 2032, while ESA's EnVision orbiter is also planned for 2032, and Rocket Lab hopes to send a privately funded cloud-sampling probe as early as next year.
NASA has published details of its SPEARS project, which is developing batteries using solid ceramic or polymer materials instead of liquid electrolytes found in standard lithium-ion cells. The goal is to create batteries that can endure the Moon's extreme temperature swings, from 212°F daytime highs to minus 328°F lows at the lunar south pole, for use in future Artemis missions and Mars exploration.
A new study using NASA satellite measurements concludes that human activity is significantly depleting groundwater reserves worldwide. Researchers say the data reveal declining water levels across multiple regions, pointing to unsustainable extraction rates tied to agriculture, drinking water demand, and other uses.
NASA says its Perseverance rover has now traveled 28.10 miles (45.22 km) on Mars, surpassing Opportunity's previous record of 28.06 miles (45.16 km). Perseverance reached the mark in about five and a half years, far faster than Opportunity's nearly 15-year run, and is now heading toward a site called Idubi to study ancient terrain.
NASA has published more than 800GB of science data from the Artemis II mission on its 'Artemis II: Sights & Sounds of Science' website. The release includes over 11,000 photos and videos, more than 8.5 hours of audio recordings, and crew-annotated images, including one marking observed impact flashes on the Moon's dark side.
NASA has released a new dataset from the Artemis II mission, including photographs, drawings, annotations and verbal observations recorded by the four astronauts as they orbited the Moon. Notably, the crew reported seeing five extremely faint flashes of light while on the Moon's far side, later confirmed by scientists as impacts from small rocky fragments striking the lunar surface. The crew also documented varied surface colors, from grays and browns to green and blue hues.
NASA released a 360-page request for proposals asking US companies to develop commercial space stations that could replace the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit as early as 2030. Industry responses are due December 8, with NASA planning to select two or more contractors by April, each guaranteed at least $100 million in this initial phase.
NASA has published nearly a terabyte of scientific data from the Artemis II mission, including 11,000 full-resolution images and videos, 8.5 hours of recorded astronaut observations, handwritten notes, transcripts, and Orion capsule camera footage. The agency also issued three accompanying reports detailing lunar science findings and operations from the mission, and made the archive accessible through its Planetary Data System.
Margaret Hamilton, who led the team writing onboard flight software for NASA's Apollo lunar missions and helped establish software engineering as a discipline, has died at 90. She worked at MIT from 1959 into the mid-1970s before founding her own software companies, and authored more than 130 publications over her career.
Margaret Hamilton, who coined the term 'software engineering' and led development of NASA's Apollo on-board flight software in the 1960s, has died at age 90. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and was later depicted as a LEGO minifig in the 'Women of NASA' set alongside astronauts Mae Jemison and Sally Ride.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said in a Monday media appearance that he was skeptical the US actually landed on the Moon, citing a conspiracy-theory class he took at UNC. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman responded on social media, saying he has 'the receipts' proving the landings happened.
Margaret Hamilton, who directed the software development team for NASA’s Apollo program at MIT, passed away on September 30 at age 90. She was instrumental in establishing software engineering as a formal discipline and authored over 130 publications. Her work earned her numerous awards, including the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing her role in enabling humans to land on the moon.