NASA Astrobiology: Probing for Life in the Icy Crusts of Ocean Worlds
A technique for scanning Mars rocks for microscopic fossils of ancient life is also being developed to hunt for microbes in the deep ice of…
JPL
NASA Satellites Detect Signs of Unrest Years Before Volcanic Eruptions
New research methods may lead to earlier predictions of volcanic eruptions. Although there are telltale signs that a volcano is likely to erupt in the…
NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Needs a Flight Control Software Update Before First Flight on Mars
The Ingenuity team has identified a software solution for the command sequence issue identified on Sol 49 (April 9) during a planned high-speed spin-up test…
NASA’s Mars Odyssey Orbiter: 20 Historic Years of Mapping the Red Planet
For two decades, the longest-lived spacecraft at the Red Planet has helped locate water ice, assess landing sites, and study the planet’s mysterious moons. NASA’s…
Historic First Flight of Mars Helicopter Delayed by NASA – Here’s Why
Based on data from the Ingenuity Mars helicopter that arrived late Friday night, NASA has chosen to reschedule the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s first experimental flight…
A Radio Telescope Built in a Crater on the Moon – And Other Innovative NASA Tech Concepts Being Researched
JPL’s Lunar Crater Radio Telescope advanced concept is among the projects that have been selected for further research and development. NASA encourages researchers to develop…
NASA’s Mars Helicopter to Make Historic First Flight Attempt – “Martian Wright Brothers Moment”
The small rotorcraft’s “Wright brothers moment” is one Mars day away. NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is two days away from making humanity’s first attempt at…
POINTER: Seeing Through Walls to Help Locate Firefighters Who Need Rescuing
A unique positioning technology is being developed to pinpoint firefighters inside buildings where other positioning technologies fail. When mounting a rescue inside a building, firefighters…
Epic Mars Selfie: NASA’s Perseverance Rover With the Ingenuity Helicopter
NASA’s newest Mars rover used a camera on the end of its robotic arm to snap this shot of itself with the Ingenuity helicopter nearby….
NASA Perseverance Rover’s First Weather Report From Jezero Crater on Mars
Perseverance’s MEDA will help us understand how to prepare astronauts for a future on the Red Planet. The weather often plays a role in our…
Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Other NASA Skywatching Tips for April 2021
April Highlights Morning planets, a sunset arch, and finding Leo the lion… April 7: Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon form a lovely trio in the…
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Survives First Frigid Martian Night on Its Own
Making it through the frigid Martian temperatures after being deployed by NASA’s Perseverance rover is a major milestone for the small rotorcraft. NASA’s Ingenuity Mars…
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Prepares for Takeoff
Beginning April 2021, the window opens for the first flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. (Currently, the first flight is expected no earlier than April…
It’s Cold on Mars – What Temperatures As Low as -130°F Mean for NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter
Within a few days, Ingenuity will be on the surface of Mars. Until now it has been connected to the Perseverance rover, which allowed Ingenuity…
Crucial Data on Mars Landings Collected by Sensors During Successful Arrival of NASA’s Perseverance
MEDLI2 was one of the crucial technologies onboard the rover’s protective aeroshell that helped document the entry, descent, and landing of the spacecraft. “Tango delta….
Europa Clipper – NASA’s Mission to Search for Life on Jupiter’s Moon Europa – Just Hit a Significant Milestone
Jupiter’s moon Europa may have the potential to harbor life. The spacecraft will use multiple flybys of the moon to investigate the habitability of this…
NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Snaps Stunning Selfie With ‘Mont Mercou’
The rover also snapped a pair of panoramas to create a 3D view of the stark cliff face featured in the selfie. At the start…
NASA’s Metal Mission: Final Assembly of Psyche Spacecraft Begins – Destined to Explore a Metal-Rich Asteroid
Set to launch next year, the agency’s Psyche spacecraft will explore a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. A major…