Science

NASA engineers pushed next-generation Mars helicopter rotor blades past the speed of sound during March tests at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, achieving Mach 1.08 in simulated atmospheric conditions. The breakthrough boosts lift capability by 30 percent, paving the way for future aerial science missions to the Red Planet. Engineers testing prototype aircraft hardware for future … Read more

Scientists using the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Maui have discovered Kelvin-Helmholtz instability whirlpools on the Sun’s photosphere. Announced on August 5, 2026, the breakthrough combines high-resolution imaging with computer simulations to explain how magnetic energy builds up to drive solar flares and space weather. Researchers operating the world’s most powerful solar facility … Read more

Researchers tracking 12 people during a 10-month overwintering mission at Concordia Station in Antarctica discovered that frequent physical contact increased interpersonal tension rather than social support. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the findings reveal critical social dynamics that could impact future crewed missions to Mars. Long-duration space missions demand that … Read more

Following a January 2025 deep-space mission, the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket collided with the moon on August 5, 2026. Traveling at roughly 5,400 mph, the 4-ton spent hardware struck near Einstein Creator, prompting international orbiters to hunt for impact evidence. How a 2025 Deep-Space Mission Led to a Lunar Impact When … Read more

Skywatchers can spot prominent craters and landing sites before the August 28 Full Moon begins the next cycle. The lunar cycle approaches its final transition as the illuminated side of the Moon turns away from Earth, rendering the natural satellite virtually invisible in the night sky. This point in the lunar calendar leaves only a … Read more

Four environmental groups petitioned the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday to reverse its approval of Reflect Orbital’s plan to launch the Earendil-1 demonstration satellite, which will carry a 59-foot mirror to beam on-demand sunlight to Earth, citing risks to astronomy, wildlife, and human eye safety. The pushback centers on a July 9, 2026, regulatory decision … Read more

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and The Times of India successfully completed a 6-hour, 27-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Thursday, August 6, 2026. The extravehicular activity marked the seventh and final set of mounting hardware installations required for the station’s new solar arrays, marking a key milestone in augmenting the orbiting laboratory’s power … Read more

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal, according to NASA. Observers located within this narrow path of totality will experience a temporary darkening of the skies as the Moon completely obscures the Sun, briefly … Read more

A four-tonne, spent Apnews Falcon 9 upper stage has collided with the moon at a speed of 5,400 mph (8,700 kph). The rocket body, which is more than 40 feet (12 meters) long and stands the height of a five-storey building, drifted off course for a year before making impact on Wednesday near Einstein Crater … Read more

Ancient human hunters and scavengers across Eurasia and North America selectively targeted female woolly mammoths between 30,000 and 20,000 years ago, according to a recent ancient DNA analysis of 521 mammoth remains published in the journal Current Biology. Genetic Evidence Reveals a Striking Female Bias at Ice Age Sites For more than a century, archaeologists … Read more

Astronomers have discovered a wandering supermassive black hole shredding a star approximately 30,000 light-years away from its host galaxy’s center. The discovery marks the first optical tidal disruption event found in the outskirts of a host galaxy, challenging long-held theories about where these cosmic phenomena occur. Astronomers Detect First Peripheral Tidal Disruption Event The phenomenon, … Read more