The ExoMars joint space mission involves two phases, the first launched in 2016 with Schiaparelli lander and Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), while the second phase is scheduled for 2020 with a new lander and rover.
The NASA GOLD Mission observes the dynamic intermingling of space and Earth's uppermost atmosphere, seeking to understand what drives change in this critical region. The mission provides fast observations to monitor hour-by-hour changes in space weather and improves forecasting models for satellites, astronauts, and life on Earth.
The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) mission aims to monitor the flares and sunspots of small, cool stars, known as M dwarfs, to assess their habitability for planets. The spacecraft will use ultraviolet-sensitive detectors to study how stellar activity affects planetary environments.
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) will generate never-before-seen big pictures of the universe, enabling astronomers to explore mysteries like dark energy and galaxy evolution. The mission will also discover thousands of exoplanets, including rocky planets in the habitable zone.
NASA has selected the Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return and Dragonfly mission for concept development under the New Frontiers program. The CAESAR mission aims to return a sample from a comet to study its origin and history, while the Dragonfly mission will explore Saturn's moon Titan and its prebiotic chemistry.
The MAVEN mission helps answer the question of how long a rocky planet might be habitable by orbiting a red dwarf star. Based on Mars' atmospheric loss data, researchers estimated that such a planet's atmosphere could lose charged particles and neutral particles at significantly higher rates.
Scientists combined data from 16 NASA and LANL spacecraft to understand substorms, a phenomenon that can cause auroras, disrupt GPS communications, and damage power grids. The study revealed complex behavior during small substorms, highlighting the need for further research.
A new NASA mission concept aims to study why planets lose their atmospheres. The proposed Mechanisms of Energetic Mass Ejection-Explorer (MEME-X) mission will use Earth as a laboratory, focusing on the loss of mass in the upper atmospheric layers and its interaction with solar wind.
The proposed FOXSI mission will study the physical mechanisms behind solar flares and their impact on Earth. By analyzing X-ray radiation and particle acceleration, scientists aim to gain a deeper understanding of space weather and its effects on satellites and communications systems.
A NASA team is studying a CubeSat mission concept called Mini Lunar Volatiles Mission (MiLUV) to detect water on the lunar surface. The mission will use a laser spectrometer to measure surface reflectance at several wavelengths and gather data on the distribution and possible mobility of volatiles.
NASA has launched a fleet of missions to study the planets in our solar system, revealing unique features of each planet's magnetosphere. Earth's and other magnetospheres deflect charged particles away from the planet, but also trap energetic particles in radiation belts.
A proposed NASA mission employs lobster-eye optics to locate the source of gravitational waves, a key feature in understanding cosmic ripples. The Transient Astrophysics Observatory on the International Space Station aims to characterize and alert other observatories to these events.
Researchers from Germany's Technische Universität Braunschweig uncovered a crucial link between the formation of cometary 'dust pebbles' and planet accretion. The study, based on Rosetta mission data, reveals that these pebbles are concentrated by solar instability, leading to collapse and the birth of comets.
A team led by University of Iowa physicist Craig Kletzing has won $1.25 million from NASA to conceptualize a potential mission to study the interactions between the sun and Earth's magnetic fields. The mission, called TRACERS, aims to better understand how the solar wind affects our planet and its technology.
A new study recounts the life and work of Hisako Koyama, a pioneering female solar observer who created detailed sunspot drawings for over 40 years. Her archive was used to establish a continuous record of sunspots stretching back to 1610, shedding light on the solar cycle and its influence on Earth.
A team of researchers at Kansas State University is partnering with NASA to study the health and fitness levels of astronauts during emergency escape maneuvers. They are using a mock space capsule to test the strength, cardiovascular health, and aerobic capacity needed for a safe landing or escape.
The university's researchers compiled a large solar dataset from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory mission, making several hundred thousand solar events available to the public. The dataset has improved the quality of the data and will accelerate computer vision research on these solar images.
CU Boulder scientists, led by Professor Larry Esposito, will continue to study Saturn's rings, moons and atmosphere using the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) instrument on the Cassini-Huygens mission. The team has made numerous discoveries, including the detection of oxygen atoms in Saturn's system and water plumes from Enceladus.
Researchers analyzed Akatsuki data to uncover wind velocities with temporal and spatial variabilities in lower-to-middle cloud layers. The discovery of an equatorial jet near the equator has significant implications for understanding superrotation theories.
The James Webb Space Telescope will study the 'ocean worlds' of Europa and Enceladus, adding to previous observations by Galileo and Cassini orbiters. The telescope's high-resolution imagery and spectroscopic analysis will help unravel the mysteries of these moons' subsurface oceans and potential biosignatures.
The Global Precipitation Measurement mission detected extremely heavy rainfall in Tropical Storm Harvey, with rates reaching almost 5.8 inches per hour. The satellite's radar showed powerful convective storms west of the storm's center, creating a 3D image of the rainfall structure.
The Mars 2020 mission utilizes advanced techniques developed from studying early life on Earth to detect biosignatures in ancient Martian rocks. By mapping elemental and organic composition at high spatial resolution, scientists aim to determine if these features were formed by life.
A NASA-led CubeSat mission, CUVE, is designed to investigate the nature of a mysterious absorber in Venus' uppermost cloud layer. The mission will utilize ultraviolet-sensitive instruments and a novel carbon-nanotube light-gathering mirror to gather data.
The ISS-CREAM mission will study cosmic rays at energies above 1 billion electron volts, shedding light on their origins and properties. The experiment aims to measure the highest-energy particles yet detected in space, providing unparalleled insights into the interstellar neighborhood.
Scientists aim to understand how the moon got its 'tattoos' with a novel mission concept involving two connected CubeSats. The Bi-sat Observations of the Lunar Atmosphere above Swirls (BOLAS) mission could provide data on lunar hydrogen cycles and mechanisms for hydrogen implantation, shedding light on the formation of lunar swirls.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new terahertz laser design that boosts the power output of chip-mounted lasers by 80 percent, opening up new possibilities for medical and industrial imaging and chemical detection. The device has been selected by NASA for its Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory mission.
TESS will survey stars up to 100 times brighter than Kepler, finding thousands of new exoplanets around bright nearby stars. The mission will provide ideal targets for follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.
The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission has started its science operations on the International Space Station (ISS). It will help scientists understand the nature of neutron stars using X-ray measurements. The mission aims to determine how matter behaves in their interiors.
Researchers used satellite data to track and map the movement of earth before a landslide, detecting the devastating event in China's Sichuan Province. The team believes their technology can provide early warnings for landslides, potentially saving thousands of lives.
The University of Oklahoma has secured an $161 million NASA contract for a groundbreaking Earth science mission. The Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (GeoCarb) will monitor plant health and vegetation stress across the Americas, as well as probe carbon dioxide and methane exchange processes in the atmosphere.
The NASA-funded CHESS mission will study the earliest stages of star formation by analyzing light filtering through the interstellar medium. The mission aims to understand the lifecycle of stars and the structure of these vast clouds, which can help scientists pinpoint where they stand in the process of star formation.
Researchers applied novel method to test 'Einstein's equivalence principle' using rubidium atoms in quantum superposition states, confirming its validity with high precision. The study has potential applications in navigation, time measurements, and searching for mineral deposits.
The NICER mission will study neutron stars and pulsars, collecting X-rays to test theories of dense matter. The spacecraft will also demonstrate X-ray navigation using pulsar timing data.
Researchers found biochemical differences in astronauts with vision issues before space travel, suggesting a genetic predisposition. The study suggests that length of time in space may impact eye health and that further research is needed to resolve vision issues for astronauts.
University of Leicester astronomers' predictions of Jupiter's planetary phenomena have been confirmed by the Juno mission. The spacecraft has revealed an even more extreme environment than predicted, with intense radiation belts and powerful aurorae.
A NASA scientist is developing an instrument to search for signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa, leveraging experience from building a Mars instrument. The Ocean Worlds investigation will analyze molecular biosignatures in surface and subsurface samples.
NASA's Operation IceBridge expanded its Arctic ice survey range this year, covering a wider area than ever before with denser and more accurate measurements. The mission also explored the Eurasian half of the Arctic Basin and measured a newly formed crack on Petermann Glacier.
Scientists have identified the source of unexpected flashes of light reflecting off Earth's surface captured by NASA's EPIC camera. High-altitude ice crystals are the cause of these glints, which were previously thought to be limited to water on land or oceans.
Astronomers have obtained an exceptionally detailed map of the largest lava lake on Io, showing two waves of lava sweeping from west to east at about 3,300 feet per day. The temperature variation across the surface of the lake reveals a smooth gradient, with the western end at 270 Kelvin and the southeastern end at 330 Kelvin.
The petitSat mission aims to study the link between plasma enhancements and Medium-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (MSTIDs) in Earth's ionosphere. The satellite will measure plasma densities and ion distributions using two instruments, providing valuable insights into the transmission of GPS and radar signals.
A rocky super-earth, LHS 1140b, has been discovered orbiting an M-type star in the habitable zone, making it a promising candidate for atmospheric study and search for life. The planet's size and mass indicate a rocky composition, and its distance from the star allows for relatively cool temperatures.
The OSIRIS-REx mission successfully tested its asteroid search instruments, detecting multiple Main Belt asteroids two magnitudes fainter than expected. The spacecraft's MapCam imager performed flawlessly, demonstrating improved imaging capabilities that will aid in avoiding natural satellites around target asteroid Bennu.
A new study led by CU Boulder finds that comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has an extremely active surface with growing fractures, collapsing cliffs, and massive rolling boulders. The comet's surface underwent rapid changes due to the warming of its ice surface, causing it to sublimate and move massive rocks across its surface.
Operation IceBridge's ninth year in the Arctic will be its most extensive campaign yet, with two new research flights based out of Svalbard to survey the Eurasian sector. The mission aims to collect valuable data on polar ice changes and improve snowfall accumulation models.
NASA's Modular Unified Space Technology Avionics for Next Generation missions (MUSTANG) is a smaller, more capable 'brain' for smaller spacecraft. The system controls various functions, including command and data handling, attitude control, power, and propulsion.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured a unique image of Jupiter and its three largest moons, Callisto, Io, and Ganymede. The image showcases the planet's distinct bands and was taken at 76 million miles from Earth.
The public can participate in searching for undiscovered worlds in the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond. A new website, Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, uses brief movies made from WISE images to highlight moving objects, which can be discovered by human eyes.
The MMS spacecraft flies in a highly elliptical orbit around Earth, mapped in three dimensions using a tetrahedral formation. The mission uses GPS signals to calculate location and design maneuvers for precise control.
A multidisciplinary team combines drones with infrared cameras to monitor animal populations, reducing costs and increasing access. The new technique uses thermal imaging to identify species, potentially aiding conservation efforts against poaching and habitat destruction.
A new project from Liverpool John Moores University is using drones equipped with thermal cameras to help identify endangered species, such as rhinos and orang-utans. The technique involves analyzing thermal heat profiles to create a unique 'fingerprint' for each animal, allowing for more efficient conservation efforts.
A team of astronomers successfully observed the entire hydrogen coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using the LAICA telescope onboard the PROCYON spacecraft. The observations provide a unique opportunity to test coma models and estimate the total amount of water released by the comet per second.
NASA used its Global Precipitation Measurement mission to analyze heavy rainfall in southern Thailand, which resulted in record-breaking totals. The analysis showed extreme rainfall of over 700 mm over the Gulf of Thailand and greater than 500 mm on land., Rainfall has increased significantly over Thailand during this La Nina year.
The Lucy spacecraft will launch in 2021 and fly by six Trojan asteroids between 2025 and 2033, studying their geology, surface composition, and bulk properties. The mission aims to decipher the history of the solar system and provide critical knowledge about planetary origins.
Lucy will be the first spacecraft to study six Trojan asteroids orbiting Jupiter, providing insights into the solar system's origins. The mission aims to decipher the history of the outer planets and understand the causes of differences between Trojans.
A Rift Valley fever outbreak has been reported in Niger, with 64 human cases and 23 deaths confirmed. Umeå University's Osama Ahmed Hassan joined a UN expert mission to develop action plans to curb the spread of the disease. The mission aimed to implement short-, mid- and long-term strategies to prevent further outbreaks.
Scientists studying lunar sonic booms hope to answer whether mini shock waves on the moon are being generated by protons in the solar wind colliding with pockets of magnetic fields. The findings come from NASA's ARTEMIS mission, which has gathered high-fidelity measurements of the shock waves.
The University of Oklahoma will monitor plant health and vegetation stress throughout the Americas using a commercial communications satellite. The mission aims to examine natural sources and processes that control carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane in the atmosphere.
IRIS collects data on the temperature and movement of solar material to determine how it drives the constant changes on our sun. The mission aims to answer questions about coronal heating and solar activity, with recent studies suggesting distinct bomb-like events.
NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) is breaking records with a Guinness World Record for the highest altitude fix of a GPS signal, reaching 43,500 miles above Earth. The four MMS spacecraft maintain tight formations to map magnetic reconnection and study phenomena around the universe.
The Evolutionary Mission Trajectory Generator (EMTG) has been upgraded to simulate the full problem of designing a spacecraft, considering multiple performance criteria. This enables mission planners to optimize both trajectory and spacecraft design, especially for electrically propelled low-thrust missions.