Page 15 - Nasa

China plans to build its first moon base powered by nuclear energy by 2028

China plans to build its first base on the moon by 2028, ahead of landing astronauts there in subsequent years as the country steps up its challenge to NASA's dominance in space exploration

James Webb telescope reveals exoplanet atmosphere as never seen before

New observations of WASP-39 b reveal a never-before-seen molecule in the atmosphere of a planet sulfur dioxide among other details.The telescope's array of highly sensitive instruments was trained on the atmosphere of a "hot Saturn" -- a planet about as massive as Saturn orbiting a star some 700 light-years away -- known as WASP-39 b. While JWST and other space telescopes, including Hubble and Spitzer, previously have revealed isolated ingredients of this broiling planet's atmosphere, the new readings provide a full menu of atoms, molecules, and even signs of active chemistry and clouds."The clarity of the signals from a number of different molecules in the data is remarkable," says Mercedes Lopez-Morales, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and one of the scientists who contributed to the new results."We had predicted that we were going to see many of those signals, but still, when I first saw the data, I was in awe," Lopez-Morales adds.The ...

Nasa Orion spacecraft makes closest flyby of Moon at 130 kms distance

NASA's Orion spacecraft has successfully performed its first Moon flyby as part of the uncrewed Artemis I mission, to pass within 130 kms of the lunar surface

Nasa's Orion capsule buzzes moon, last big step before lunar orbit

NASA's Orion capsule reached the moon Monday, whipping around the back side and passing within 80 miles (128 km) on its way to a record-breaking lunar orbit. The close approach occurred as the crew capsule and its three test dummies were on the far side of the moon. Because of the half-hour communication blackout, flight controllers in Houston did not know if the critical engine firing went well until the capsule emerged from behind the moon, more than 232,000 miles (375,000 km) from Earth. It's the first time a capsule has visited the moon since NASA's Apollo programme 50 years ago, and represented a huge milestone in the $4.1 billion test flight that began last Wednesday. Orion's flight path took it over the landing sites of Apollo 11, 12 and 14 humanity's first three lunar touchdowns. The moon loomed ever larger in the video beamed back earlier in the morning, as the capsule closed the final few thousand miles since blasting off last Wednesday from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre

James Webb Telescope spots Cosmic hourglass; unveils beginning of new star

This view of L1527 provides a window into what our Sun and solar system looked like in their infancy

NASA's Webb Space telescope spots early galaxies hidden from Hubble

NASA's Webb Space Telescope is finding bright, early galaxies that until now were hidden from view, including one that may have formed a mere 350 million (35 crore) years after the cosmic-creating Big Bang. Astronomers said on Thursday that if the results are verified, this newly-discovered throng of stars would beat the most distant galaxy identified by the Hubble Space Telescope, a record-holder that formed 400 million (40 crore) years after the universe began. Launched last December as a successor to Hubble, the Webb telescope is indicating stars may have formed sooner than previously thought -- perhaps within a couple million years of creation. Webb's latest discoveries were detailed in the Astrophysical Journal Letters by an international team led by Rohan Naidu of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The article elaborates on two exceptionally bright galaxies, the first thought to have formed 350 million years after the Big Bang and the other 450 million (45 crore)

NASA's Artemis mission on way to Moon after launch by giant new rocket

A space capsule hurtled toward the moon on Wednesday for the first time in 50 years, following a thunderous launch of NASA's mightiest rocket in a dress rehearsal for astronaut flights. No one was on board this debut flight, just three test dummies. The capsule is headed for a wide orbit around the moon and then a return to Earth with a Pacific splashdown in about three weeks. After years of delays and billions in cost overruns, the Space Launch System rocket roared skyward, rising from Kennedy Space Center on 8.8 million pounds (4 million kilograms) of thrust and hitting 100 mph (160 kph) within seconds. The Orion capsule was perched on top and, less than two hours into the flight, busted out of Earth's orbit toward the moon. It was pretty overwhelming, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. We're going out to explore the heavens, and this is the next step." The moonshot follows nearly three months of vexing fuel leaks that kept the rocket bouncing between its hangar and the pad. .

NASA's mightiest moon rocket Artemis 1 blasts off 50 years after Apollo

NASA's new moon rocket blasted off on its debut flight with three test dummies aboard early Wednesday, bringing the US, a big step closer to putting astronauts back on the lunar surface for the first time since the end of the Apollo programme 50 years ago. If all goes well during the three-week, make-or-break shakedown flight, the rocket will propel an empty crew capsule into a wide orbit around the moon, and then the capsule will return to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific in December. After years of delays and billions in cost overruns, the Space Launch System rocket thundered skyward, rising from Kennedy Space Centre 4 million kilograms of thrust and hitting 160 kph within seconds. The Orion capsule was perched on top, ready to bust out of Earth orbit toward the moon not quite two hours into the flight. The moonshot follows nearly three months of vexing fuel leaks that kept the rocket bouncing between its hangar and the pad. Forced back indoors by Hurricane Ian at the end

NASA fuelling new moon rocket for launch after leaks, hurricanes

NASA began fuelling its new moon rocket on Tuesday for a middle-of-the-night launch, its third try to put an empty capsule around the moon for the first time in 50 years. Fuel leaks plagued the first two attempts in late summer, then a pair of hurricanes caused more delays. While engineers never pinpointed the cause of the escaping hydrogen, they altered the fuelling process to minimise leakage and were confident that all the plumbing in the 322-foot (98-metre) rocket would remain tight and intact. NASA added an hour to the operation to account for the slower fill-up, vital for reducing pressure on the fuel lines and keeping the seals in place. It seemed to work, with no major leakages reported during the early stages. "So far, everything is going very smoothly," said assistant launch director Jeremy Graeber about an hour into fuelling. The rocket was being gassed up with nearly one million gallons (3.7 million litres) of super-cold hydrogen and oxygen. After more than four hours,

Skyroot to signal India's SpaceX moment on Fri with Vikram-S rocket launch

The mission, named 'Prarambh', will be the first launch of a privately developed and operated launch vehicle from the country

NASA: Moon rocket endured hurricane, set for 1st test flight next week

NASA's moon rocket needs only minor repairs after enduring a hurricane at the pad and is on track for its first test flight next week, a top official said on Friday. Right now, there's nothing preventing us" from attempting a launch on Wednesday, said NASA's Jim Free, an associate administrator. The wind never exceeded the rocket's design limits as Hurricane Nicole swept through Kennedy Space Centre on Thursday, according to Free. But he acknowledged if the launch team had known in advance that a hurricane was going to hit, they likely would have kept the rocket indoors. The rocket was moved out to the pad late last week for its USD 4.1 billion demo mission. Gusts reached 100 mph (160 kph) atop the launch tower, but were not nearly as strong farther down at the rocket. Computer models indicate there should be no strength or fatigue issues from the storm, even deep inside the rocket, Free noted. NASA had been aiming for an early Monday launch, but put it on hold for two days becau

NASA again delays Artemis I Moon mission launch due to tropical storm

NASA was monitoring Nicole and has decided to re-target a launch for the Artemis I mission for November 16

Last lunar eclipse of 2022: Why does the Moon appear red during this event

Unlike solar eclipses, there are no harmful rays emitted during a lunar eclipse, so it's safe to watch it with the naked eyes

Nasa again gears up for Artemis I Moon mission launch attempt on Nov 14

After several failed attempts, the US space agency is hopeful that on November 14, it will be able to finally launch the Artemis I Moon mission into space

Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse on November 8; here's all you need to know

Commonly known as the Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth and receives light only first filtered by Earth's atmosphere

NASA prepares to bid goodbye to Mars InSight lander in next few weeks

Russia called a Security Council meeting on its claims last Thursday, which the United States and its Western allies vehemently dismissed

NASA's Mars lander captures stunning meteoroid impact, spots more ice

NASA's InSight lander has captured a stunning meteoroid impact on Mars that occurred last year. Boulder-size blocks of water ice can be seen around the rim of an impact crater

Nasa kicks off study to unravel unidentified aerial phenomena or UFOs

NASA has kicked off a study to help scientists learn more about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) or UFOs (unidentified flying objects).

Nasa set to break sound barrier again for faster air travel in future

NASA innovators are poised to break the sound barrier again, this time in a very different way that could make it possible for all of us to one day travel by air just as fast as any of the X-1 pilots

SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts splash down in Atlantic after 170 days in orbit

NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts, who spent 170 days in orbit aboard the Dragon spacecraft, completed the agency's fourth commercial crew mission to the International Space Station