Tag Archives: NASA

The so-called “Leopard spot” marks a mineral known on Earth for its production by microbes – Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS Two minerals, known almost exclusively to be linked with microbial metabolism, have been found in a recent drill sample by the Perseverance rover. They sparked a flurry of excitement, and NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy was quick to …

Congress Expresses Concern About NASA/DoD Relationship  NASA Watch Source link

Our sun has unexpectedly begun to ramp up its activity, which could lead to more severe solar storms that cause blackouts and disrupt global communications. NASA revealed that our solar system‘s home star had been getting quieter and weaker for about 20 years, but that surprisingly changed in 2008 and scientists are still trying to figure out why. Scientists found that …

Scheduled to launch by April 2026, Artemis II will mark the first crewed lunar mission in over half a century. It’s a critical step in NASA’s long-term goal of returning humans to the Moon and eventually reaching Mars. The mission is part of the larger Artemis program, which aims to reestablish a sustained human presence beyond Earth’s orbit. Artemis II …

About Those NASA Interns  NASA Watch Source link

File (Aug. 6, 2024) — Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft, with its prominent cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays, is pictured awaiting its capture by the Canadarm2 robotic arm commanded by Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick of NASA. The maneuver marked the 50th free-flying capture for the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Image: NASA Northrop Grumman’s new Cygnus XL spacecraft will no longer …

A recent analysis of the Sapphire Canyon mudstone core, drilled by NASA’s Perseverance rover in July 2024, adds new and convincing evidence to the ongoing search for life on Mars. The study describes minerals and textures that – on Earth – are often linked to microbial activity. At the same time, the authors stress that some unknown, nonbiological chemistry could …

Did NASA Find Signs of Ancient Life on Mars—or Is It Another False Alarm?  The Wall Street Journal In a Rock on Mars, NASA Sees ‘Clearest Sign of Life’ So Far  The New York Times Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars  Nature NASA Says Mars Rover Discovered Potential Biosignature Last Year  NASA (.gov) NASA has found a Martian rock with what …

The Trump administration issued an executive order late last month, quietly declaring that NASA will operate as a national intelligence and security agency going forward. The order stipulates that the agency will now “have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.” It’s a major departure for the agency, which has historically focused on space exploration, as …

In just over a month, Air Force Maj. Ross Elder will take part in a special NASA mission, during which he and three other crew members will spend more than a year living and working in an environment meant to simulate a future habitat on the surface of Mars. Currently an Air Force test pilot, Elder will lead the mission, …