Explore

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby, Sets Course for Metal-Rich Asteroid

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby, Sets Course for Metal-Rich Asteroid

NASA's Psyche spacecraft successfully completed a close approach to Mars on May 15, 2026, coming within 2,864 miles of the planet's surface. This maneuver utilized Mars' gravity to increase the spacecraft's speed by 1,000 miles per hour and adjust its orbital plane, setting it on a direct path to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. The flyby allowed the mission team to calibrate the spacecraft's instruments, including imagers and spectrometers, by capturing images and data from Mars. The spacecraft is now on course to reach the asteroid Psyche, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, by summer 2029.

NASA Concludes MAVEN Mars Mission After 11 Years of Groundbreaking Discoveries

NASA Concludes MAVEN Mars Mission After 11 Years of Groundbreaking Discoveries

NASA has officially ended the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission after 11 years of operation. Originally launched in November 2013, MAVEN was tasked with studying the Martian atmosphere and its interactions with solar wind. The mission, which lasted a decade longer than initially planned, provided significant insights into how Mars lost much of its atmosphere and surface water billions of years ago. Despite efforts to reestablish communication after a signal loss in December 2025, NASA's review board determined that the spacecraft was in an unrecoverable state. MAVEN's achievements include measuring atmospheric sputtering, observing solar wind effects, and studying Martian dust storms, all of which have contributed to understanding planetary habitability and atmospheric loss.

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby, Advances Toward Metal-Rich Asteroid

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby, Advances Toward Metal-Rich Asteroid

NASA's Psyche spacecraft has successfully completed a flyby of Mars, coming within 2,864 miles of the planet's surface. This maneuver provided a gravity assist, boosting the spacecraft's speed by 1,000 miles per hour and adjusting its orbital plane. The spacecraft is now on course to reach the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, by summer 2029. During the flyby, Psyche's instruments were calibrated, capturing unique images of Mars and gathering data to prepare for its mission at the asteroid.

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Exhibits Unusual Methane Outgassing

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Exhibits Unusual Methane Outgassing

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected methane outgassing from the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, marking the first time this gas has been identified on an interstellar object. Observations were made after the comet reached its closest point to the sun, causing increased outgassing due to solar heating. The presence of methane, along with a high abundance of carbon dioxide relative to water, suggests that 3I/ATLAS formed in a different environment compared to comets in our solar system. These findings provide valuable insights into the conditions of other planetary systems and the formation of interstellar objects.

Olympus Mons: Mars' Massive Volcano and Its Geological Significance

Olympus Mons: Mars' Massive Volcano and Its Geological Significance

Olympus Mons, located on Mars, is the largest known volcano in the solar system. It rises approximately 22 kilometers above the surrounding plains, with a base covering an area equivalent to the state of Arizona. This shield volcano's gentle slopes are a result of repeated low-viscosity lava flows. The absence of plate tectonics on Mars and its lower gravity have allowed Olympus Mons to grow to its immense size over billions of years. The summit features a complex of overlapping calderas, and the base is surrounded by a steep escarpment, the origins of which are still debated among scientists.

Astrobiologists Surveyed on Potential Extraterrestrial Life Findings on Mars and Exoplanet K2-18b

Astrobiologists Surveyed on Potential Extraterrestrial Life Findings on Mars and Exoplanet K2-18b

Recent scientific announcements have sparked discussions about the potential discovery of extraterrestrial life. In 2025, researchers reported possible biological activity on the exoplanet K2-18b, based on atmospheric signatures. Similarly, NASA announced potential biosignatures on Mars from a rock sample named 'Cheyava Falls'. These findings have led to extensive media coverage and public interest. To gauge scientific opinion, a survey was conducted among astrobiologists to understand their views on these claims. The survey revealed cautious optimism, with a small percentage of scientists agreeing that extraterrestrial life had probably been found. The majority remained skeptical or neutral, highlighting the complexity and uncertainty inherent in interpreting such evidence.

‘Lost World’ Evidence Found Inside Rare Meteorite

‘Lost World’ Evidence Found Inside Rare Meteorite

A rare meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert could be the first evidence of a long-lost planetary world from the early solar system. Scientists studying the space rock found unusual mineral patterns formed under extreme pressure, suggesting it came from a moon-sized body larger than previously believed. Researchers say the ancient world may have been destroyed in violent collisions over 4.5 billion years ago, leaving behind fragments that eventually landed on Earth.

Meteorite Discovery in Sahara Desert Reveals Evidence of Ancient Solar System World

Meteorite Discovery in Sahara Desert Reveals Evidence of Ancient Solar System World

A rare meteorite, known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774, was discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2019. This meteorite is classified as an angrite, one of the oldest volcanic rocks in the solar system. Researchers have found that it contains a unique chemical signature, suggesting that some of the solar system's earliest worlds developed differently from other rocky planets. The study, led by Aaron Bell from the University of Colorado Boulder, indicates that the parent body of this meteorite was much larger than previously thought, possibly rivaling the moon in size. The meteorite's composition and the pressure conditions under which it formed suggest it originated from a large celestial body, rather than a small asteroid.

NASA Concludes MAVEN Mars Mission After Communication Failure

NASA Concludes MAVEN Mars Mission After Communication Failure

NASA has officially ended the MAVEN mission after the spacecraft lost contact with Earth in December 2025. MAVEN, launched in 2013, was the first mission dedicated to studying the Martian atmosphere and its interactions with the Sun. The spacecraft entered an uncontrolled spin after passing behind Mars, which led to a loss of power and communication. Despite efforts to recover the spacecraft, it was deemed unrecoverable. The mission provided valuable data on Mars' atmospheric loss and its climate history, contributing significantly to our understanding of the planet's evolution and potential habitability.

NASA Ceases Efforts to Recover MAVEN Spacecraft After Loss of Signal

NASA Ceases Efforts to Recover MAVEN Spacecraft After Loss of Signal

NASA has announced the cessation of efforts to recover the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft after it lost contact with Earth. The spacecraft, which had been orbiting Mars since 2014, was expected to re-establish communication after a routine occultation on December 6, 2025. However, the signal was never regained, prompting NASA to initiate contingency plans to restore contact. Despite these efforts, the mission was declared over, and decommissioning activities have begun. MAVEN was launched in 2013 to study the interaction between the Martian atmosphere and solar wind, and it exceeded its expected mission duration by several years. The exact cause of the communication failure remains unknown, though engineers have managed to recover some telemetry data that might provide insights into the spacecraft's final moments.

James Webb Telescope Identifies Most Distant Dormant Black Hole, Offering Insights into Early Universe

James Webb Telescope Identifies Most Distant Dormant Black Hole, Offering Insights into Early Universe

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the most distant dormant black hole known, located in a galaxy called MRG-M0138, over 10 billion light-years from Earth. This discovery, published in the journal Science, provides a new perspective on black hole evolution in the early universe. The black hole, weighing as much as six billion suns, is dormant and not interacting with surrounding gas, making it invisible in all wavelengths of light. Researchers used gravitational lensing to track star motions around the black hole, a technique typically used for closer galaxies. This finding is part of a broader study of early-universe galaxies using the James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA Ends MAVEN Mission After Loss of Communication with Mars Orbiter

NASA Ends MAVEN Mission After Loss of Communication with Mars Orbiter

NASA has concluded the mission of the MAVEN orbiter after losing contact with the spacecraft in December 2025. MAVEN, which stands for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, was launched in 2013 to study the Martian atmosphere and its interaction with solar wind. Despite attempts to reset the spacecraft's systems, communication could not be reestablished. The orbiter provided valuable data on atmospheric escape processes, such as 'sputtering,' which have implications for understanding Mars' climate history and atmospheric evolution. The mission, initially planned for one year, was extended multiple times due to its success in gathering critical scientific data.