Media accreditation is open for the launch of the next SpaceX delivery of NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
Read MoreMonth: May 2021
Dark matter could be destroying itself inside the bellies of exoplanets
Large gaseous exoplanets could be filled with self-destructing dark matter. And now, a team of researchers has proposed using the soon-to-be-launched James Webb Space Telescope to scan distant behemoths in the galaxy for potential heating effects that could arise from the mysterious substance, which outweighs regular matter by almost 6 to 1 in the universe. Physicists know dark matter exists because it tugs gravitationally on stars and galaxies. But, so far, the invisible material has foiled every attempt to better understand its properties. Many theories of dark matter propose that…
Read MoreSpace junk is blocking our view of the stars, scientists say
The night sky is becoming increasingly filled with shiny satellites and space junk that pose a significant threat to our view of the cosmos, as well as astronomical research, a new study warns. The researchers found that the more than 9,300 tons (8,440 metric tons) of space objects orbiting Earth, including inoperative satellites and chunks of spent rocket stages, increase the overall brightness of the night sky by more than 10% over large parts of the planet. Such an increase would mean large swathes of the planet are considered light…
Read MoreThe youngest exoplanet found by the Hubble telescope is the size of Jupiter (and still growing)
The Hubble Space Telescope has peered out into the cosmos and spotted its youngest exoplanet yet, a giant world 379 light-years from Earth that’s still growing. Planets form as dust and gas, swirling around in a circumstellar disk surrounding their star, collides and condenses to slowly become a “ball.” Far out in the constellation Centaurus, Hubble has spotted a planet still coming together. The young gas giant exoplanet, designated PDS 70b, is “just” 5 million years old, Hubble scientists said. While the planet is still gathering mass, pulling it from…
Read MoreSpaceX’s Crew-1 astronaut mission to the International Space Station in photos
SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission, the first operational mission of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, sent four astronauts on a round trip to the International Space Station for NASA. The mission lifted off on Nov. 14, 2020, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It returned to Earth with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico on May 2, 2021. You can see the latest updates here. Here, the Crew-1 astronauts, including NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins and JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, pose…
Read MoreSpaceX Crew Dragon makes 1st nighttime splashdown with US astronauts since Apollo era
A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts returned to Earth early Sunday (May 2) with an ocean splashdown off the Florida coast, successfully completing the company’s first full-fledged crewed mission to the International Space Station. The astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission for NASA splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City at 2:56 a.m. EDT (0656 GMT), with a recovery ship swiftly retrieving their Crew Dragon capsule from the sea. The spacecraft landed on target, marking the first nighttime splashdown of a U.S. crewed flight in 53…
Read MoreSpaceX’s Crew-1 astronaut mission for NASA: Live updates
Refresh 2021-05-02T08:31:34.566Z Crew-1 splashdown live coverage concludes SpaceX and NASA have confirmed that all four crewmembers have now left the Crew Dragon capsule and are getting ready to board a helicopter to head back to shore. NASA TV’s live coverage of the Crew-1 mission’s return has concluded, and a post-splashdown news conference is scheduled for 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT). Watch it live here, courtesy of NASA TV. 2021-05-02T07:49:01.151Z One astronaut left inside Crew Dragon (Image credit: SpaceX) NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Shannon Walker have emerged from the Crew…
Read MoreCrew-1 Astronauts Safely Splash Down After Space Station Mission
Four astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, completing NASA’s first commercial crew, long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station. The return comes nearly six months after the crew members arrived at the microgravity laboratory and also marks the longest-duration mission of a crewed American spacecraft to date
Read MoreSen. Bill Nelson Statement on National Space Council
The following is a statement from Sen. Bill Nelson, who the U.S. Senate confirmed as the 14th NASA administrator on April 29, regarding the announcement Saturday that Vice President Kamala Harris will chair the National Space Council:.
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