SpaceX awarded a $178M contract for NASA’s mission to Jupiter’s moon

Elon Musk‘s aerospace firm SpaceX has been awarded a $178 million (£129 million) contract for NASA‘s first mission to Europa, Jupiter’s fourth largest moon.  SpaceX will provide ‘launch services’ for the Europa Clipper mission, which is due to blast off in October 2024 to study Europa through a series of fly-bys, NASA said.  The spacecraft will … Read more

NASA’s Perseverance rover is hunting for signs of life on Mars – and NASA will share initial results

NASA‘s Perseverance rover has officially started its search for ancient life on Mars and the US space agency will share the initial findings on Wednesday. According to a NASA statement, the $2.7 billion rover is using its seven-foot mechanical arm to analyze Martian rocks with X-rays and ultraviolet light. This allows the rover to ‘zoom … Read more

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has made its EIGHTH successful flight on the Red Planet 

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has made its EIGHTH successful flight on the Red Planet NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter completed its eighth successful flight on Mars  The 4-pound helicopter flew 525 feet (160meters) for 77.4 seconds. It landed roughly 440 feet (133.5m) away from Perseverance  It captures its own shadow, 14 days after its seventh flight By Chris … Read more

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope found a galaxy with a ‘LOPSIDED’ appearance

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope found a galaxy with a ‘LOPSIDED’ appearance because it’s being stretched and twisted by a neighboring star system The Hubble Space Telescope found  galaxy NGC 2276 is being twisted by a neighboring galaxy  Because of gravity, NGC 2300 is impacting NGC 22275 and causing it to  ‘strangely lopsided appearance,’ pulling its outer edges … Read more

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter completes a sixth flight despite some ‘unexpected motion’

NASA‘s Ingenuity Mars helicopter has survived its sixth flight on the Red Planet, but not everyone went to plan, with some ‘unexpected motion’ in the final few feet. This motion was from an ‘image processing issue’ but the 4lb copter ‘muscled through’ the final 213ft of its 703ft flight over the Martian surface, NASA JPL … Read more

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter to attempt its SIXTH flight on Mars next week

NASA‘s Ingenuity helicopter is going to attempt a sixth flight on Mars next week, reaching speeds of up to nine miles per hour and flying for over two minutes. This will be the first flight as part of the ‘operations demonstration phase’ that includes helping the Perseverance rover in its mission to find ancient signs … Read more

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter will attempt its SIXTH flight on Mars next week

NASA‘s Ingenuity helicopter is going to attempt a sixth flight on Mars next week, reaching speeds of up to nine miles per hour and flying for over two minutes. This will be the first flight as part of the ‘operations demonstration phase’ that includes helping the Perseverance rover in its mission to find ancient signs … Read more

NASA’s Kepler space telescope discovers FIVE double-sun planets that ‘could support alien life’ 

The Kepler mission has spotted thousands of exoplanets since 2014, with 30 planets less than twice the size of Earth now known to orbit within the habitable zones of their stars. Launched from Cape Canaveral on March 7th 2009, the Kepler telescope has helped in the search for planets outside of the solar system.  It … Read more

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission begins its 1.4 billion mile journey home from asteroid Bennu

NASA‘s OSIRIS-REx mission has embarked on its 1.4 billion-mile journey back to Earth after spending two years on asteroid Bennu.  OSIRIS-REx (the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) was the first NASA mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey the surface, and collect a sample to deliver to Earth.  The craft is carrying … Read more

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission will leave asteroid Bennu TODAY

NASA‘s OSIRIS-REx mission will leave asteroid Bennu today and begin its 1.4 billion mile, two year long journey back to the Earth, the space agency confirmed.    OSIRIS-REx (the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) was the first NASA mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey the surface, and collect a sample to deliver to … Read more