NASA's James Webb Space Telescope secured atop rocket ahead of Dec. 24 launch
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope secured atop rocket ahead of Dec. 24 launch | NASA greenlights Axiom Space's 2nd private mission to International Space Station | NASA's Parker Solar Probe has touched the sun in daring mission milestone
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NASA's next big space telescope just took another step toward its highly anticipated launch this month. On Saturday (Dec. 11), the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope was secured atop the Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket that will send it into the final frontier from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
NASA has given the go-ahead to another private crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The agency will work with Axiom Space to find a window for the Houston-based company's second ISS mission, NASA officials said in an update Monday (Dec. 13). That flight, known as Ax-2, is currently scheduled to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida between fall 2022 and spring 2023.
The Parker Solar Probe has finally reached the atmosphere of the sun. The NASA spacecraft spent more than three years winding its way by planets and creeping gradually closer to our star to learn more about the origin of the solar wind, which pushes charged particles across the solar system.
Record-setting NASA astronaut Christina Koch is continuing her mission to inspire the next generation of explorers. As part of a long-duration mission, Christina Koch spent 328 days in space, marking the longest single spaceflight by a woman, and the second-longest after fellow NASA astronaut, Scott Kelly. While aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Koch participated in a variety of research investigations, including some student-run experiments. She spoke to Space.com about inspiring young people and how important it is to engage with kids through these types of experiments.
Water ice may be lurking just a few feet below the Martian surface at one of the Red Planet's most dramatic sites. That's according to new research based on data gathered by the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), part of the ExoMars mission operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos. ExoMars includes both TGO, which launched in 2016, and the Rosalind Franklin rover due to launch to Mars next year. Among the instruments aboard TGO is one called the Fine Resolution Epithermal Neutron Detector (FREND), which can detect hydrogen, one of the two elements that make up water. New analyses of FREND's data show high levels of hydrogen at a site called Candor Chaos, located near the heart of the massive canyon system dubbed Valles Marineris.
A lunar rock brought to Earth nearly half a century ago is revealing new information about the moon's complex history. NASA's Apollo 17 mission left the moon to return to Earth 49 years ago Tuesday (Dec. 14) and humanity hasn't been back to our natural satellite since. In a new study, researchers examined a moon rock collected by astronauts during Apollo 17. By measuring the composition of the rock, designated "troctolite 76535," scientists have found patterns that point to a 20-million-year cooling period during the moon's history, defying previous understanding of lunar evolution.
The Geminid meteor shower reached its peak Monday (Dec. 13), sparking amateurs and professionals alike to catch a few images of the show. At its peak, there can be as many as 100 to 150 meteors an hour. This year, skywatchers had a bright waxing moon to contend with, moving to a full phase on Saturday (Dec. 18), but it looks like at least a few bright meteors managed to outshine it. There may still be some bright meteors later in the week, too, so if you were clouded out or busy you may have a chance to see a few Geminids.
Fans of flashy interstellar odysseys can rejoice this holiday season as the premiere issue of Heavy Metal's "The Adventures of Adrienne James" sci-fi comic book series arrives later this month, carried by the cosmic wings of an enthusiastic pre-launch buzz. Written by Heavy Metal CEO Matt Medney ("Beyond Kuiper") and Bruce Edwards, "Adrienne James" is a nostalgic romp back to the grand era when sci-fi was still pulpy-good fun. It's being presented via Heavy Metal's "Elements" line on Dec. 29 and promises to satiate readers who've been hungering for a solid treasure hunt tale amid the stars.
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