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Teghaza 001 Meteorite, a 'Rosetta Stone' for Early Mars, Discovered in Sahara Desert

Teghaza 001 Meteorite, a 'Rosetta Stone' for Early Mars, Discovered in Sahara Desert

A NASA-funded study has confirmed that the Teghaza 001 meteorite, an 800-gram rose-colored rock found in the Sahara Desert in 2022, originated from Mars over 4.1 billion years ago. This rare meteorite is considered a pristine fragment of the Red Planet’s primordial crust and is one of approximately 435 confirmed Martian meteorites on Earth. Researchers describe it as a geological 'Rosetta Stone' for early Mars. The meteorite crystallized from cooling magma in the Martian crust during the planet’s Noachian era. Spectroscopic and mineralogical data from the meteorite align with observations from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), pointing to 13 potential source areas, primarily in the heavily cratered southern highlands of Mars. It was ejected into interplanetary space following a massive asteroid or comet impact before eventually intersecting Earth’s orbit. Oxygen isotope analysis at the University of New Mexico confirmed its Martian origin.

Orbiter Detects Signs of Recent Volcanic Activity on Mars, Implications for Ancient Life

Orbiter Detects Signs of Recent Volcanic Activity on Mars, Implications for Ancient Life

An international team of researchers, utilizing data from the European and Russian ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter collected in 2021, has found evidence suggesting recent volcanic activity on Mars. The orbiter detected hydrogen chloride gas emissions, which scientists believe are being released from hot magma deep beneath the Martian surface. This discovery is supported by the identification of intriguing new fissures, thousands of feet in length, along the flanks of Alba Mons, the largest volcano on Mars by surface area. These fissures exhibit discolorations, which researchers hypothesize are mineral deposits left by seeping gases, similar to volcanic gas vents on Earth. This research challenges the long-held belief that Mars is geologically dead, indicating it may have retained enough internal heat to support volcanic activity until recently, and possibly still does. The findings were detailed in a new paper published in the journal Science Advances.

Caltech JPL's Historical Contributions to U.S. Space Exploration Highlighted in New Exhibition

Caltech JPL's Historical Contributions to U.S. Space Exploration Highlighted in New Exhibition

A new exhibition titled 'Dare Mighty Things: From Rocketry to Space Exploration at Caltech JPL' is showcasing the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) ninety-year history of contributions to rocketry and space exploration. The exhibition, drawing from the collections of both the Caltech Archives and Special Collections and the JPL Archives, traces the evolution of JPL's missions and the collaboration between JPL researchers and Caltech. Initially, in the 1930s, Caltech graduate students and rocket enthusiasts began small rocket engine experiments, attracting Army funding for rocket-assisted airplane takeoff. This led to the establishment of JPL in 1943. After the USSR launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, JPL built the first successful U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958. Following the establishment of NASA, JPL transitioned from Army work to designing uncrewed spacecraft for NASA, playing a pivotal role in lunar missions with Pioneer, Ranger, and Surveyor probes, and later sending Mariner probes to Venus and Mars. JPL...

Impulse Space Secures NASA Contracts for Moon Base Transportation Infrastructure

Impulse Space Secures NASA Contracts for Moon Base Transportation Infrastructure

Impulse Space, an in-space mobility company, has been awarded two task orders by NASA for its Moon Base program. These awards will utilize Impulse Space's fleet of spacecraft, including a highly throttleable lander, the Helios kick-stage, and the Mira performance maneuvering spacecraft, to establish transportation infrastructure for humanity's first permanent lunar outpost. Missions are slated to commence in 2028. The task orders fall under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. For the first task order, Impulse Space will act as the prime contractor, collaborating with SpaceX for a Falcon 9 rocket launch to deliver a NASA payload, with an option for Mira vehicles to transport additional payloads to cislunar space. The second task order designates Impulse Space as the prime contractor for a launch on Relativity's Terran R launch vehicle, where Impulse's Helios and lander vehicles will carry NASA payloads to their target cislunar orbits and test cargo de...

Russian-Led Team Suggests Ongoing Volcanic Activity on Mars, Implications for Life Search

Russian-Led Team Suggests Ongoing Volcanic Activity on Mars, Implications for Life Search

A Russian-led research team has presented new evidence suggesting that Mars may still harbor volcanic activity beneath its surface, despite the absence of observed eruptions. The study, published in Science Advances, focuses on repeated detections of hydrogen chloride (HCl) concentrated near Alba Mons, an ancient Martian volcano. The researchers propose that this gas could be seeping from underground magma chambers. The HCl was detected by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), a joint project between the European Space Agency and Russia's Roscosmos. The team, co-led by Aleksandr Trokhimovsky of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Daniel Mege of the Polish Academy of Sciences, also identified recent, narrow fractures in the area, some less than a meter wide. These fissures are believed to provide pathways for volcanic gases to escape into the atmosphere. The study suggests that gas escaping from underground magma could become trapped beneath ice during colder months and then r...

NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures Martian Dawn, Prepares for Yardang Layer Exploration

NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures Martian Dawn, Prepares for Yardang Layer Exploration

NASA's Curiosity rover captured a six-image panorama of Mount Sharp's yardang layer on Mars during dawn on August 11, 2026. The images, taken by the Mastcam at 8:30 a.m. local time on the mission's 4,982nd Martian day, provide the most detailed view to date of these wind-carved rock formations. Mount Sharp, also known as Aeolis Mons, stands 3.4 miles (5.5 km) tall within Mars' 96-mile-wide (154 km) Gale Crater. Since 2014, Curiosity has ascended approximately 0.6 miles (1 km) up its stratified slopes, analyzing each geological layer. Scientists are particularly interested in the yardang layer because its color and orientation differ from the surrounding material, suggesting it may have formed from volcanic ash that was subsequently sculpted by wind. The Curiosity rover is expected to reach the base of this yardang layer in 2027 to conduct further investigations.

NASA Invites Public to Send Names to Saturn's Moon Titan Aboard Dragonfly Mission

NASA Invites Public to Send Names to Saturn's Moon Titan Aboard Dragonfly Mission

NASA is offering the public an opportunity to have their names sent to Titan, Saturn's largest moon, as part of the Dragonfly rotorcraft mission. Individuals who submit their names will receive a personalized boarding pass and have their names placed on a microchip aboard the spacecraft. The Dragonfly mission is scheduled to launch in 2028 and will travel nearly a billion miles to reach Titan, with an expected arrival in 2034. The public has until January 15, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. EST to participate. Once on Titan, the rotorcraft will embark on a 3.3-year mission, flying across the moon's surface to investigate its chemistry and search for clues about the ingredients that may have contributed to the development of life. Titan is known for its rivers, lakes, changing seasons, and a landscape rich in organic material.

ExoMars Orbiter Detects Volcanic Gas Leakage from Mars's Largest Volcano, Alba Mons

ExoMars Orbiter Detects Volcanic Gas Leakage from Mars's Largest Volcano, Alba Mons

The European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has detected localized pulses of hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas emanating from fracture systems on the flanks of Alba Mons, Mars's largest volcano by surface area. This discovery, published in Science Advances on November 4, provides the first atmospheric chemistry evidence suggesting that Alba Mons may still be geologically active, challenging the long-held assumption that it is extinct. The HCl detections occurred during the Martian spring and summer, leading researchers to propose a 'seasonal pressure-valve' effect, where subsurface gases build up during winter under carbon dioxide frost and are released as the frost sublimates. The instrument used, the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS), is significantly more sensitive than previous thermal surveys, allowing for the detection of trace gases at concentrations 100 times fainter.

NASA's Voyager 1 Probe Recovers from Communications Glitch in Interstellar Space

NASA's Voyager 1 Probe Recovers from Communications Glitch in Interstellar Space

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, the most distant human-made object, has successfully recovered from a communications glitch that caused it to stop transmitting data to Earth for approximately 48 hours between October 18 and 20. The probe resolved the issue autonomously before engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) could send a remote fix. This incident marks the first time the spacecraft has experienced such a self-correction. Engineers are currently investigating the root cause of the communication loss, but initial findings suggest that one group of thrusters went offline, prompting its backups to activate automatically, a programmed response to detected anomalies. Voyager 1, launched in 1977 alongside its twin Voyager 2, continues its mission in interstellar space, nearly one light-day away from Earth, a milestone it is expected to reach on November 18, at a distance of 16.09 billion miles (25.89 billion kilometers).

Spacewalkers Successfully Install Final Roll-Out Solar Array on International Space Station

Spacewalkers Successfully Install Final Roll-Out Solar Array on International Space Station

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk successfully completed a spacewalk to install the eighth and final International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA). The spacewalk, which lasted six hours and 59 minutes, saw the astronauts deploy the new array on the 3B channel of the space station's starboard truss structure. This installation marks the completion of the power augmentation upgrades for the orbital outpost, a project that began in February 2021. Over the course of 18 spacewalks, astronauts have prepared power channel equipment and installed all eight IROSAs. These new arrays significantly increase the station's power generation capacity from 160 kilowatts to approximately 215 kilowatts, enhancing its operational capabilities. This spacewalk was Menon's fifth and Kutryk's second, and it was the 286th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Astronauts Complete Installation of Final Solar Array on International Space Station

Astronauts Complete Installation of Final Solar Array on International Space Station

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk successfully installed the eighth and final International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) during a seven-hour spacewalk. This mission marked the 101st U.S. spacewalk. The installation concludes a power-generation upgrade that commenced in 2021 and involved 18 spacewalks. These new compact deployable solar arrays are designed to supplement the ISS's original power system, addressing the increasing electrical demands from scientific experiments, life-support systems, and other onboard technology. The upgrade boosts the ISS's power-generation capacity from 160 kilowatts to 215 kilowatts. The spacewalk on November 5, 2026, followed an earlier spacewalk on October 29, 2026, where Kutryk and Menon also worked on installing a new roll-out solar array and performed preparatory tasks for the subsequent spacewalk.