SpaceX to undergo 4th test launch of its 37-storey Starship rocket

SpaceX to undergo 4th test launch of its 37-storey Starship rocket

Hot on the heels of the successful crewed launch of Boeing’s new CST-100 Starliner on Wednesday, we have another rocket launch: This time it’s SpaceX’s massive Starship. This is the fourth test flight of the rocket — which will be uncrewed — that SpaceX founder Elon Musk hopes will one day take astronauts to Mars. The 120-minute … Read more

Discovery alert: An Earth-sized planet with 17-hour year found

Discovery alert: An Earth-sized planet with 17-hour year found

NEW DELHI: In an exciting development, scientists have discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet, SPECULOOS-3 b, orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star approximately 55 light-years from Earth. On the cosmic scale, this distance is relatively close, highlighting the growing potential for discovering more exoplanets in our stellar neighborhood.SPECULOOS-3 b is nearly identical in size to Earth, offering intriguing … Read more

‘Robotic transport system’: Nasa announces plans to build first railway system on Moon

‘Robotic transport system’: Nasa announces plans to build first railway system on Moon

NEW DELHI: Nasa is preparing to send astronauts back to the moon and has announced its plan to construct first lunar railway system, known as FLOAT (Flexible Levitation on a Track). Engineers at Nasa ‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California are currently developing the FLOAT system.According to Nasa’s blog post, the project is designed … Read more

China Launches First Probe To Collect Samples From Far Side Of Moon

China Launches First Probe To Collect Samples From Far Side Of Moon

China launched a probe on Friday to collect samples from the far side of the Moon, a world first as Beijing pushes ahead with an ambitious programme that aims to send a crewed lunar mission by 2030. A rocket carrying the Chang’e-6 lunar probe blasted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in southern China’s … Read more

Commentary: China’s new moon mission is a rare example of countries working together

Commentary: China’s new moon mission is a rare example of countries working together

In the current era of increased geopolitical tensions, the Chang’e-6 mission is a rare example of constructive international collaboration. The probe carries instruments contributed by France, Italy, Pakistan and Sweden. The Swedish payload was developed with funding from the European Space Agency (ESA). This may seem surprising given the current state of world affairs. But … Read more

Running horizontally could help future lunar settlers stay in shape on the Moon

Running horizontally could help future lunar settlers stay in shape on the Moon

Scientists have taken a clue from a carnival stunt known as the Wall of Death to help future astronauts on the moon stay healthy. But instead of riding motorcycles, moon colonists will simply run around the walls. For decades, carnival goers have been thrilled at the spectacle of stunt drivers taking motorcycles and even cars up … Read more

China blasts off on mission that could provide 1st samples of far side of the moon

China blasts off on mission that could provide 1st samples of far side of the moon

China on Friday launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side. It is the latest advance in China’s increasingly sophisticated space exploration program, which is now competing with the U.S., still … Read more

China sending probe to less-explored far side of moon

China sending probe to less-explored far side of moon

TAIPEI, Taiwan —  China is preparing to launch a lunar probe Friday that would land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into geological and other differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side. The unprecedented mission would be the latest advance in the increasingly … Read more

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter down but definitely not out

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter down but definitely not out

Last January, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made its final flight with a landing that damaged at least one of its rotor blades and left it permanently grounded. But while it can no longer fly, it will continue to operate as a stationary Martian weather station. Ingenuity landed on Mars on February 18, 2021, under the belly of the … Read more

No planet comes close to the life-giving properties of planet Earth — at least not yet

No planet comes close to the life-giving properties of planet Earth — at least not yet

With the discovery of more than 5,600 planets orbiting other stars and images from robots we have sent to all the planets in our solar system, it is becoming abundantly clear that Earth is unique among worlds. Almost all of the exoplanets scientists have discovered since the 1990s fall into four main types: gas giants like Jupiter … Read more