Astronauts are many things. They’re often scientists, engineers, or pilots. And in the case of NASA astronaut Don Pettit, he’s also an astrophotographer. Pettit is currently on his third stay…
Category: Space
ALMA observes dusty site of planet formation
Composite images of PDS 70 in pseudo color. The left panel shows previous ALMA observations at 0.87 mm, and the right panel shows new ALMA observations at 3 mm. The…
India practices pulling its Gaganyaan astronaut capsule out of the sea (photos)
India continues to perfect hardware and recovery procedures for its Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. Last week, the nation recovered a mock Gaganyaan crew module onto a ship’s well deck, which…
NASA honors Algerian parks with Martian namesakes
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain NASA’s mapping of Mars now bears the names of three iconic Algerian national parks, Algerian physicist Noureddine Melikechi, a member of the US space agency’s largest…
Strategic alliance brings high-energy nuclear electric propulsion closer to reality
Rendering of VASIMR in flight around Mars. Credit: Ad Astra Rocket Company Propulsion technologies are the key to exploring the outer solar system, and many organizations have been working on…
‘We are preparing to make history:’ NASA’s Parker Solar Probe gears up for epic sun flyby on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will swoop within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) of the sun’s surface at a whopping 430,000 mph (690,000 kph), breaking its own…
Sunny days on Mars come with a weather warning: Dust storms ahead!
The weather report from Mars may soon come with a forecast for dust storms, following the discovery that, in 78% of cases, a Red Planet dust storm is preceded by…
Astronomers discover more dark comets
This artist’s concept shows interstellar object 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua) after its discovery in 2017. While itself not a dark comet, ‘Oumuamua’s motion through the solar system has helped researchers better…
