Exoplanet map initiative earns NASA support for University of Iowa physicistLos Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 14, 2025 University of Iowa physicist David Nataf will lead a NASA-funded research project focused on producing detailed three-dimensional maps for the study of exoplanets and their host stars. Nataf and his team will address the challenge posed by interstellar extinction, the dimming and reddening of starlight by dust, which obscures observations of exoplanets. Their work will rely heavily on data
A galaxy with earliest star signatures found during cosmic noonTokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 15, 2025 Researchers led by the Department of Astronomy at Tsinghua University have identified a galaxy labeled CR3, which shows evidence of containing stars from the earliest phase of the universe. The team used data from the James Webb Space Telescope, the Very Large Telescope, and the Subaru Telescope to examine CR3. It is situated almost 11.5 billion years in the past, at the epoch known as cosmic no
Haystack scientists study recent geospace storms and light showsBoston MA (SPX) Nov 15, 2025 The northern lights, or aurora borealis, one of nature's most spectacular visual shows, can be elusive. Conventional wisdom says that to see them, we need to travel to northern Canada or Alaska. However, in the past two years, New Englanders have been seeing these colorful atmospheric displays on a few occasions - including this week - from the comfort of their backyards, as auroras have been vi
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 29 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space CenterThis is the first of planned back-to-back Falcon 9 launches from Florida, roughly three hours apart. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-89 mission is scheduled for 10:08 p.m. EST (0308 UTC).
A solar prominence hovers over the SunThe Sun is always mesmerising to watch, but Solar Orbiter captured a special treat on camera: a dark ‘prominence’ sticking out from the side of the Sun.
Chinese Space Station Crew Safely Home After Swapping CapsulesChina’s three-man Shenzhou-20 space station crew landed safely this morning (EST) in the Shenzhou-21 capsule. Their Shenzhou-21 colleagues remain aboard Tiangong-3 with the Shenzhou-20 capsule that apparently was damaged by […]
AI enables tailored education for medical students at scaleLos Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 13, 2025 Researchers at Dartmouth have demonstrated that artificial intelligence platforms can provide individualized academic support for large student populations. The study tracked 190 medical students who used an AI teaching assistant called NeuroBot TA in a Neuroscience and Neurology course. NeuroBot TA employs retrieval-augmented generation, anchoring answers to curated course materials and reducin
Nanometer precision ranging demonstrated across 113 kilometers sets new benchmark for space measurementTokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 08, 2025 Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, led by professors Jian-Wei Pan, Hai-Feng Jiang, and Qiang Zhang, have achieved nanometer-level absolute distance measurement over a 113-kilometer path using a bistatic dual-comb ranging (BDCR) approach. This technique attained a precision of 82 nanometers within 21 seconds, establishing a new standard for high-precision long-dis
China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts return to Earth after delayBeijing (AFP) Nov 14, 2025 Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday, state TV footage showed, after a delay caused by their spacecraft being struck by debris in orbit. The Tiangong space station, the crown jewel of China's space programme, is crewed by teams of three astronauts who are exchanged every six months. The return of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft and crew were planned for November 5, after the S
Solar storm brings new chance of vivid auroras, signal disruptionsWashington (AFP) Nov 13, 2025 Spectacular displays of auroras at abnormally low latitudes were expected again Wednesday night into Thursday, a result of intense solar activity which also carries risks to communication networks. After kicking off earlier this week, the rare event could continue until Thursday, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The phenomenon, which could be se
Our Solar System Is Moving Faster Than ExpectedBielefeld, Germany (SPX) Nov 14, 2025 How fast and in which direction is our solar system moving through the universe? This seemingly simple question is one of the key tests of our cosmological understanding. A research team led by astrophysicist Lukas Bohme at Bielefeld University has now found new answers, ones that challenge the established standard model of cosmology. The study's findings have just been published in the journal
Atlas 5 rocket launches U.S. communications satelliteWashington DC (UPI) Nov 13, 2025 Following a handful of troubling valve issues that pushed a launch back for a week, an Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 10:04 p.m. EST on Thursday night, carrying a communications satellite for Viasat. The 6-ton Viasat 3 satellite will be deployed from the Atlas rocket about 3 1/2 hours after launch, and eventually reach geostationary orbit
Blue Origin launches NASA Mars mission and nails booster landingCape Canaveral (AFP) Nov 14, 2025 Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on Thursday with NASA twin spacecraft destined for Mars aboard, and in a breakthrough nailed the landing of its booster. The launch was stalled for days over weather both on Earth and in space, but it was worth the wait: in the rocket's second-ever flight, Blue Origin managed to recover the booster for reuse. Ecstatic ch
NASA, Blue Origin Launch Two Spacecraft to Study Mars, Solar WindA pair of NASA spacecraft ultimately destined for Mars will study how its magnetic environment is impacted by the Sun. The mission also will help the agency prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) spacecraft launched at 3:55 p.m. EST, Thursday, aboard a Blue Origin New […]
Blue Origin Nails It — NG-2 Makes a Landing, ESCAPADE Enroute to MarsBlue Origin not only had a successful launch today and sent two NASA cubesats on their way to Mars, but landed their New Glenn-2 first stage on a barge at […]
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4695-4701: Searching for Answers at Monte GrandeWritten by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 Curiosity has successfully drilled its 44th hole on Mars, which is a major milestone in our investigation of the enigmatic “boxwork unit,” a region of resistant ridges surrounding pits or “hollows” of less-resistant rock. The drilling took place […]
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4689-4694: Drill in the Boxwork Unit is GO!Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, APXS Payload Uplink/Downlink Lead, University of New Brunswick Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 Curiosity has been investigating the “boxwork unit” for several months now. Readers might remember we drilled at the edge of the boxwork at “Altadena,” back in June. Since then, we have driven just under a kilometer […]
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4682-4688: Seven Mars YearsWritten by Diana Hayes, Graduate Student at York University, Toronto Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 This week was one of seasonal changes and milestones for the mission. As was mentioned several weeks ago, Mars has now moved out of its “cloudy season” and is transitioning into the “dusty season” as the planet moves […]
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4675-4681: Deciding Where to Dig Into the BoxworksWritten by Michelle Minitti, MAHLI Deputy Principal Investigator at Framework Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 Before Curiosity landed 13 years ago, the science team eyed all the geologic wonders scattered across the flanks of Mount Sharp and looked forward to the day when we could put the rover to work on them. We […]
Blue Origin launches twin Mars probes for NASA as New Glenn makes first landingBlue Origin launched its second heavy-lift New Glenn rocket Thursday, putting two small NASA satellites onto a long, looping course to Mars to learn more about how the sun has slowly blown away the red planet's once thick atmosphere.




















