Aerospace Archives - Page 3 of 8 - Scitke

NASA Unveils Photos Depicting Two Supermassive Black Holes Coming Together

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Ngoma Manuel

In a newly released image from NASA, the galaxy known as NGC 6240 features two supermassive black holes currently merging. The image combines fresh X-ray data from the Chandra Observatory (displayed in red, orange, and yellow) with an optical image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, first published in 2008. The two merging black holes, […]

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NASA Rover Finds Possible Evidence of Ancient Life on Mars

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Jorge Paka

Over four years after landing, NASA’s Perseverance Rover may have made key progress in its search for ancient microbial life. In July, the rover found an arrowhead-shaped rock called Cheyava Falls, with colorful patches in a valley likely carved by water. Possible Microbial Traces Spark Debate, NASA Shares Findings for Wider Review NASA scientists suspect

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ORNL Confronts the Control Challenges of Nuclear Rocket Engines

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Samilton Santos

How do you manage a nuclear propulsion system in space? The answer is: with extreme care. To address this, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created a simulated nuclear reactor test platform designed to advance the development of engines capable of taking astronauts to Mars and beyond. The Transportation Barrier in Space Exploration

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Study Reports Discovery of The Universe’s Largest Structure

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Marcílio Santos

Astronomers have discovered “Quipu,” possibly the universe’s largest structure, spanning 1.3 billion light-years—over 13,000 times the Milky Way’s size, Live Science reports. The Controversy of the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall Previously, the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall—situated 10 billion light-years from Earth and spanning a similar length—was regarded as the universe’s largest structure. However, scientists still

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Sunlight Alone Keeps These Tiny Aircraft Aloft

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Jorge Paka

Earth’s mesosphere is often called a “no-fly zone.” The air there is far too thin for conventional aircraft. But new ultralight devices might challenge that limitation, staying aloft with nothing more than sunlight. Photophoresis as a Key to Mesosphere Flight This approach relies on photophoresis — a gas flow that occurs when light strikes an

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Robotic Spaceplane Flies to the Edge of Space to Monitor Spy Satellites

Aerospace, Space & Environment, Tech / Samilton Santos

Who monitors the watchers and spies on the spy satellites? The answer lies in an optical payload called Morning Sparrow, developed by Scout Space. Carried aboard Dawn Aerospace’s Aurora spaceplane, this sensor system traveled to the edge of space to capture imagery of low-orbit reconnaissance satellites. From Rare Eyes in the Sky to a Crowded

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SpaceX to Launch Italian Scientific Research to Mars

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Ngoma Manuel

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has signed a new agreement to transport Italian scientific experiments aboard its Starship megarocket on upcoming Mars missions, as announced Thursday. “Italy is heading to Mars!” said Teodoro Valente, president of the Italian Space Agency, in a post on X. He noted that the experiments will be part of the first Starship

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NASA Identifies Key Unanswered Questions In The Study Of Exoplanets

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Marcílio Santos

Science is fueled by our curiosity to comprehend the world. When understanding something new demands major effort and resources, it helps to have a strategic framework that researchers in a specific field can collectively support—even if they differ on specific points. In astronomy and space science, such strategies often come as Decadal Surveys from the

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SpaceX is now Facing Two new Lawsuits Claiming Retaliation over Safety Concerns

Aerospace, Space & Environment / Ana Manuel

Veteran supervisor Robert Markert claims he warned SpaceX leadership that part of the rocket fairing recovery process posed a serious risk of “serious injury or death.” According to a recently filed lawsuit, he claims the company dismissed his concerns in favor of a more cost-effective method. Just a few months later, he lost his job.

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Rocket Engine for First Interplanetary Launch Successfully Tested on Earth

Aerospace, Space & Environment, Tech / Samilton Santos

Northrop Grumman has completed a successful ground test of the rocket motor that could power the first-ever orbital launch from another planet. This solid-fuel booster is a key component in the effort to bring geological samples back from Mars. Mars Sample Return: A Global Scientific Endeavor The Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission stands as one

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