Tag: NASA
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For the first time in 51 years, NASA is training astronauts to fly to the Moon
The four astronauts assigned to soar beyond the far side of the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission settled into their seats inside a drab classroom last month at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was one in a series of noteworthy moments for the four-person crew since NASA revealed the names of the…
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Three ongoing missions study human side of Moon and Mars missions
While a lot of the focus when it comes to space travel beyond Earth orbit is on the spacecraft, multiple studies are underway to explore the human side of what NASA calls “Moon to Mars Exploration.” Those studies include physical health, mental health, and even training astronauts to recognize geology that could answer many questions…
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The Senate just lobbed a tactical nuke at NASA’s Mars Sample Return program
The US Senate on Thursday slashed the budget for NASA’s ambitious mission to return soil and rock samples from Mars’ surface. NASA had asked for $949 million to support its Mars Sample Return mission, or MSR, in fiscal year 2024. In its proposed budget for the space agency, released Thursday, the Senate offered just $300…
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Rover sampling finds organic molecules in water-altered rocks on Mars
Organic chemicals, primarily composed of carbon and hydrogen, underly all of life. They’re also widespread in the Universe, so they can’t be taken as a clear signature of the presence of life. That creates an annoying situation regarding the search for evidence of life on Mars, which clearly has some organic chemicals despite the harsh…
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NASA decides not to launch two already-built asteroid probes
Two small spacecraft should have now been cruising through the Solar System, on their way to study unexplored asteroids, but after several years of development and nearly $50 million in expenditures, NASA announced Tuesday the probes will remain locked inside a Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado. That’s because the mission, called Janus, was supposed to…
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Using Webb, scientists discover the most distant active supermassive black hole
Utilizing the infrared-sensitive instruments of the joint NASA/European Space Agency (ESA)/Canadian Space Agency (CSA) James Webb Space Telescope, a group of scientists has discovered the most distant active supermassive black hole to date. Located within a galaxy named CEERS 1019 — that existed just 570 million years after the formation of the universe — the…
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India, a growing space power, is forging closer ties with NASA
When India’s ambassador to the US signed up his country to the Artemis Accords last month, it signaled the world’s most populous nation—with a growing prowess in spaceflight—could be turning toward the United States as a partner in space exploration. India became the 27th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a non-binding set of principles…
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Seattle-area Space Summit features NASA leader and hints at new manufacturing institute
Participants at the Washington State Space Summit were able to get inside of an exact replica of the Blue Origin crew capsule. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) Sen. Maria Cantwell and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson met Wednesday at the Washington State Space Summit to hash out what’s needed to grow and strengthen the Pacific Northwest’s…
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NASA chief to visit Blue Origin for summit recognizing Seattle’s place in space
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announces Blue Origin’s selection on May 19 to build a human landing system for future Artemis missions to the moon. (NASA Photo / Aubrey Gemignani) NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will visit Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture in Kent, Wash., to get a firsthand look at the Seattle area’s growing space…
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NASA’s Mars Sample Return has a new price tag—and it’s colossal
During his final months as the chief of NASA’s science programs last year, there was one mission Thomas Zurbuchen fretted about more than any other—the agency’s ambitious plan to return rocks from Mars to Earth. He supported the Mars Sample Return mission and helped get it moving through the agency’s approval process. But the project…