Author: NeRD

The Wildgate reveal trailer looks like Sea of Thieves in space, with more interesting progression (video)

NeRD

Wildgate | Reveal Trailer – YouTube Watch On If you’re one of the millions of players who have sampled Sea of Thieves since its launch way back in 2018, and found yourself thinking “this is fun, but what if it was in space?”, some former Blizzard devs have got some great news for you. Wildgate looks like the kind of multiplayer, ship-vs-ship, loot-hunting action that’s made Sea of Thieves such a roaring success for the last eight years, except set in a frontier region of space called The Reach. In…

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Fram2 astronaut mission’s West Coast splashdown opens new era for SpaceX

NeRD

The West Coast is the best coast for Dragon landings, at least in SpaceX’s books. The company’s four-person Fram2 mission came to a successful end on Friday (April 4) with the splashdown of the Crew Dragon capsule “Resilience” off the coast of Southern California. That was a first for SpaceX, geography-wise: All 16 of its previous astronaut missions had hit the water off Florida, either in the Atlantic Ocean or in the Gulf of Mexico. Resilience is hauled aboard a recovery ship on April 4 after splashdown. (Image credit: SpaceX)…

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Jared Isaacman, Trump’s pick for NASA chief, to get Senate confirmation hearing on April 9

NeRD

Billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Trump administration’s pick to lead NASA, will appear before a Senate committee on April 9 for a confirmation hearing on whether he will be the next leader of the U.S. space program. Jared Isaacman, who made his billions as CEO of the Shift4 payment processing firm and has flown to space twice on SpaceX missions he financed himself, was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead NASA in December. But his confirmation path has been slow at a time when NASA is facing substantial challenges,…

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NASA’s Perseverance rover watches as 2 Mars dust devils merge into 1 (video)

NeRD

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured a giant dust devil devouring a smaller storm swirling close behind it on the rim of Jezero Crater. Martian dust devils are spinning columns of warm air that pick up dust and debris as they move across the surface of the Red Planet. Perseverance spied the two merging storms on Jan. 25, while exploring the western rim of Mars’ Jezero Crater at a location called “Witch Hazel Hill.” “Convective vortices — aka dust devils — can be rather fiendish,” Mark Lemmon, a Perseverance scientist at…

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How to see Venus light the sky as the bright ‘morning star’ through fall 2025

NeRD

Early morning risers who head out to work and school before sunrise are likely beginning to notice an extremely bright star-like object appearing low in the eastern sky just before the sun itself. What is somewhat amazing is that just a few weeks ago this object wasn’t there at all, but now it literally stands out with such brilliance as to almost command the attention of commuters who might be traveling in an easterly direction to “Look at me!” That radiant object is the planet Venus. In terms of morning…

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NASA Leaders to Participate in 2025 Space Symposium in Colorado

NeRD

Credit: NASA NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro and acting Associate Administrator Vanessa Wyche will lead the agency’s delegation at the 40th Space Symposium, Monday, April 7 through Thursday, April 10, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Petro will join Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Heather Pringle for a fireside chat to discuss NASA’s current priorities and partnerships at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 8. Additional NASA participation in the conference includes a one-on-one discussion with Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, and a lunar science and exploration panel featuring Lori…

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NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim

NeRD

NASA/Josh Valcarcel NASA astronaut Jonny Kim poses for a portrait while wearing a spacesuit on July 17, 2024. In his first mission, Kim will serve as a flight engineer during Expedition 72/73 on the International Space Station. He will launch aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on Tuesday, April 8. Chosen by NASA in 2017, Kim is a decorated naval officer and medical doctor. He completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate; training included technical and operational instruction in International Space Station systems, Extravehicular Activities Operations, T-38 flight training,…

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NASA Selects Finalist Teams for Student Human Lander Challenge

NeRD

NASA has selected 12 student teams to develop solutions for storing and transferring the super-cold liquid propellants needed for future long-term exploration beyond Earth orbit. The agency’s 2025 Human Lander Challenge is designed to inspire and engage the next generation of engineers and scientists as NASA and its partners prepare to send astronauts to the Moon through the Artemis campaign in preparation for future missions to Mars. The commercial human landing systems will serve as the primary mode of transportation that will safely take astronauts and, later, large cargo from…

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NASA Welcomes Gateway Lunar Space Station’s HALO Module to US

NeRD

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Gateway’s HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) arrives in Mesa, Arizona, after traveling from Italy, where Thales Alenia Space fabricated its primary structure. Delivered by cargo aircraft to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, HALO will be transported to Northrop Grumman’s facility in Gilbert for final outfitting. NASA/Josh Valcarcel A core component of Gateway, humanity’s first space station around the Moon, is now on American soil and one step closer to launch. In lunar orbit, Gateway will support NASA’s Artemis campaign to return…

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Hubble Studies a Nearby Galaxy’s Star Formation

NeRD

Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News…

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