China's new space suit takes to the stageXinhua/Wang Quanchao China aims to send astronauts to the Moon by around 2030 and recently showcased the new spacesuits they’ll be using. During a media event, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) demonstrated the suits with two astronauts testing them out for the cameras. Based on current plans, the...
Credit: NASA What began as a weeklong mission for U.S. astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore has stretched into a months-long stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Their eight-day mission, which started on June 5, has already lasted over two months and may continue even longer. Delayed Return Due to Spacecraft Issues Williams and Wilmore launched...
For nearly six decades, astronauts have been gazing down at our planet from the vantage point of space. What they see and capture through their lenses is not just beautiful imagery; it's a valuable scientific record and a source of profound inspiration. The Continuous Record Since November 2000, when the International Space Station (ISS) became a...
Astronauts will encounter time dilation effects during their mission. Credit: Unsplash. When astronauts embark on a journey to Mars, the phenomenon of time dilation becomes a significant aspect of their experience. This anticipated occurrence, where time passes at different rates for observers in motion or under the influence of gravitational fields, prompts the question: How...
Super Heavy just before captureSpaceX In an impressive display of space engineering, SpaceX achieved a groundbreaking milestone. At around 7:31 am CT, they successfully captured a Super Heavy booster using their launch tower after it deployed a Starship second stage into orbit and performed a controlled reentry. After following space launches since the Mercury missions, I...
Rendering of what a watery Mars may have looked likeNASA Data gathered by NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars is revealing new information about how the Red Planet became uninhabitable in the distant past, attributed to a changing climate that led to the evaporation of surface water or its entrapment as ice. Not too long ago, the...
The view from the ISS as it orbits over the termination line known as the twilight zoneNASA A daily photo taken from September 2023 to September 2024 offers an intriguing view of the twilight zone transition caused by the Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt during its orbit around the Sun. Without the Earth's axial tilt, we wouldn't...
The Super Magdrive gives us ACME vibesMagdrive The most prevalent metal known to humanity is iron. It can be found everywhere, not just on Earth but also in space. Astro engineers have recently discovered how to utilize iron—and nearly any metal, for that matter—as plasma rocket fuel. It's well-established that certain metals can ignite explosively. Lithium...
Credit: Pixabay Fortunately, NASA is advancing plans to implement a standardized time zone on the Moon. The proposed Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) would help schedule missions and explorations, making future efforts to establish a permanent base on the lunar surface somewhat easier. While the concept has been previously discussed, NASA has announced plans to collaborate with...
View from the orbiting Polaris Dawn spacecraftSpaceX After completing its first day in orbit, the Polaris Dawn mission is set to conduct the first-ever private spacewalk. Two astronauts are scheduled to exit the Dragon spacecraft Resilience at 2:23 am EDT. Here's how to watch. Launched at 5:23 am EDT on September 10, 2024, from Complex 39A...
