Space news for NeRDs
NASA/Don Pettit On Jan. 10, 2025, NASA astronaut Don Pettit posted two images of the Los Angeles fires from the International Space Station. Multiple destructive fires broke out in the hills of Los Angeles County in early January 2025, fueled by a dry landscape and winds that gusted up to 100 miles per hour. See satellite imagery of the fires. Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit
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Space2Sea Antarctica marks the inaugural voyage in a series produced by FUTURE of SPACE (FoS). This innovative journey blends Earth’s uncharted territories with the inspiring narrative of human curiosity and exploration. It encapsulates the core mission of FoS to: Embrace New Frontiers, Celebrate the Human Experience, and Elevate the Conversation. Student journalist Gabe Castro-Root of American University is chronicling the mission for FoS. You can read his latest dispatch below. By the beginning of 2025, Valeriia Subotina and Mariia Chekh will be back at war. The two Ukrainian soldiers have…
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6 min read NASA Research To Be Featured at American Astronomical Society Meeting In this mosaic image stretching 340 light-years across, Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) displays the Tarantula Nebula star-forming region in a new light, including tens of thousands of never-before-seen young stars that were previously shrouded in cosmic dust. The most active region appears to sparkle with massive young stars, appearing pale blue. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team From new perspectives on the early universe to illuminating the extreme environment near a black hole, discoveries from…
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Mars will make its closest approach to Earth this weekend while rising to its highest point in the night sky. On Sunday (Jan. 12), the Red Planet will make its close approach of Earth at 8:32 a.m. EST (13:32 GMT). This event, known as perigee, causes Mars to appear bigger and brighter in the sky than usual, offering skywatchers an excellent viewing opportunity, according to In-the-Sky.org. Mars will be visible from New York City beginning around 5:43 p.m. EST (2243 GMT), when it reaches an altitude of 7 degrees above…
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A collage of artist concepts highlighting the novel approaches proposed by the 2025 NIAC awardees for possible future missions. Credit: NASA/Left to Right: Saurabh Vilekar, Marco Quadrelli, Selim Shahriar, Gyula Greschik, Martin Bermudez, Ryan Weed, Ben Hockman, Robert Hinshaw, Christine Gregg, Ryan Benson, Michael Hecht NASA selected 15 visionary ideas for its NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) program which develops concepts to transform future missions for the benefit of all. Chosen from companies and institutions across the United States, the 2025 Phase I awardees represent a wide range of aerospace concepts.…
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An experimental satellite made of wood has been deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) to test how the renewable, sustainable material withstands the harsh orbital environment. The satellite, designed and built by Kyoto University and Japanese wood processing company Sumitomo Forestry, is called LignoSat, a reference to the organic polymer lignin, which is prevalent in wood cells. The 1U cubesat — a cube measuring 4 inches (10 centimeters) on a side — will remain in space for about six months before it gets pulled back into Earth’s atmosphere by…
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As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One lander will carry 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Moon’s near side. Credit: Firefly Aerospace Carrying NASA science and technology to the Moon as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 is targeting launch Wednesday, Jan. 15. The mission will lift off on a SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space…
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2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A collage of artist concepts highlighting the novel approaches proposed by the 2025 NIAC awardees for possible future missions. NASA/Left to Right: Saurabh Vilekar, Marco Quadrelli, Selim Shahriar, Gyula Greschik, Martin Bermudez, Ryan Weed, Ben Hockman, Robert Hinshaw, Christine Gregg, Ryan Benson, Michael Hecht Phase I Phillip AnsellHydrogen Hybrid Power for Aviation Sustainable Systems (Hy2PASS)University of IllinoisUrbana, IL 61801-29572025 Phase I Ryan BensonConstruction Assembly DestinationThinkOrbital Inc.Boulder, CO 80303-00012025 Phase I Martin BermudezLunar Glass Structure (LUNGS): Enabling Construction of Monolithic…
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1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist concept highlighting the novel approach proposed by the 2025 NIAC awarded selection of LEAP – Legged Exploration Across the Plume. NASA/Justin Yim Justin YimUniversity of Illinois We propose Legged Exploration Across the Plume (LEAP), based on the Salto jumping robot as a novel multi-jet robotic sampling concept for Enceladus to be deployed from Enceladus Orbilander. If successful, LEAP will enable collection of pristine, ocean-derived material directly from Enceladus’s jets and measurement of particle properties across multiple jets by…
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2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist concept highlighting the novel approach proposed by the 2025 NIAC awarded selection of the Fusion-Enabled Comprehensive Exploration of the Heliosphere concept NASA/Ryan Weed Ryan WeedHelicity Space LLC This proposal aims to revolutionize space exploration by developing a constellation of spacecraft powered by the Helicity Drive, a compact and scalable fusion propulsion system. This innovative technology will enable rapid, multi-directional exploration of the heliosphere and beyond, providing unprecedented insights into the Sun’s vast influence on our solar system and…
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