NASA
Space
New Six-planet Solar System Found in Our Galaxy
Astronomers have discovered a rare in-sync solar system with six planets in our Galaxy, the Milky Way, which is untouched by outside forces since their birth billions of years ago.
The find, announced on Nov. 29, can help explain how...
Space
US Military to Blast Nuclear Reactor Into Space
For the first time since 1965, the US military is gearing up to launch a nuclear reactor into space.
In space exploration, using fission power for a nuclear reactor makes a lot of sense. Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) engines, like...
Space
NASA Uses Two Worlds to Test Future Mars Helicopter Designs
Scientists have tested futuristic aircraft ideas on two planets: Earth and Mars. Right here on Earth at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, they tried out a brand-new rotor for future Mars helicopters.
This rotor can spin almost as...
Business
Bezos Beats Musk to Mars as NASA Chooses Blue Origin
NASA announced Wednesday that it will send two scientific spacecraft to Mars aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket in August 2024.
Musk's SpaceX company was initially set to carry the NASA payload on a Falcon Heavy rocket in October of...
History
Earthrise, the True Origins of the Photo of the Century
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The impact of Apollo 8’s “Earthrise” photo, the view of the Earth from the Moon, now seems even greater than that of the first landing of Apollo 11, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin explored the lunar surface for...
Space
NASA and Japan to Launch World’s First Wooden Satellite
NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are teaming up to send the first-ever wooden satellite, called LignoSat, into space. Their goal is to make space travel more eco-friendly.
This unique satellite about the size of a coffee mug...
Space
Saturn’s Rings Will Disappear From View in 2025, NASA Says
NASA has confirmed that the seven distinct rings of Saturn will disappear from view in March 2025, a phenomenon caused by the planet's rotation on an axis.
Saturn, a gas giant that is 4 billion years old, isn't the only...
Space
Commercial Spaceplane Almost Ready for Flight
The first Dream Chaser spaceplane designed for orbit is shaping up nicely. Custom ceramic tiles cover its foldable wings and fuselage, protecting the spacecraft from intense heat during its return to Earth. The landing gear is in place, and...
Science
Orionoid Meteor Shower to Peak Tonight
The Orionoid meteor shower, which NASA described as "one of the most beautiful showers," is set to peak today.
The Orionoids, named after the Orion constellation, are celebrated by NASA for their brightness and speed. The meteors can travel at...
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greek Mathematician Apollonius and His Insoluble Problem
Apollonius of Perga (Greek: Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Περγαῖος) who lived from 240 BC to c. 190 BC, was a brilliant ancient Greek mathematician, geometer and astronomer known for his work on conic sections. He was born in Perga, an ancient Greek city...