NASA InSight: A Plan to Get the Mole Moving Again
NASA InSight scientist/engineer Troy Hudson gives us the game plan for getting the mission's heat probe, also known as the "mole," digging again on Mars.
View ArticleNASA Chopper Ready for a Spin on Mars
Can we fly on Mars? The laws of physics may say it's near impossible, but actually flying a heavier-than-air vehicle on the Red Planet is much harder than that.
View ArticleWhat's Up - July 2019
As NASA marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, here are five things to know about the Moon that you can share with others.
View ArticleLanding NASA's Mars 2020 Rover with Terrain Relative Navigation
The Mars 2020 mission is facing the most challenging landing yet on the Red Planet.
View ArticleNASA Climbing Robot Scales Cliffs and Looks for Life
LEMUR belongs to a new generation of robots being built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that can crawl, walk and even climb rock walls.
View ArticlePit Crew for Mars: NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Gets Some Wheels (time lapse)
A team of engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, install the legs and wheels — otherwise known as the mobility suspension — on the Mars 2020 rover.
View ArticleWhat's Up - August 2019
In the August sky, look for the "shooting stars" of the annual Perseid meteor shower for some stargazing delights.
View ArticleName NASA's Next Mars Rover!
The Mars 2020 Rover is preparing to launch to the Red Planet in July 2020, but it doesn't have a name yet.
View ArticleBuilding NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover
See NASA’s next Mars rover quite literally coming together inside a clean room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
View ArticleWhat's Up - September 2019
What's Up for September? Following the crescent Moon, the September equinox and — wait — where did Mars go?
View ArticleNASA InSight's Robotic Arm Helps Out its Mole on Mars
NASA's InSight lander on Mars is trying to use its robotic arm to get the mission’s heat flow probe, or mole, digging again.
View ArticlePreview: Season 2, Episode 0
The upcoming season will feature stories of asteroid exploration.
View ArticleWhat's Up - November 2019
Highlights of the November sky include how to watch as Mercury transits the Sun.
View ArticleSeason Two, Episode 5: Catch a Falling Star
Why are missions like OSIRIS-REx bringing pieces of an asteroid back home?
View ArticleNeptune Moon Dance (animation)
See how the odd orbits Neptune's inner moons Naiad and Thalassa enable them to avoid each other, as they race around the planet. Researchers call it a "dance of avoidance."
View ArticleMars Science Teams Investigate Ancient Life in Australia
Could Mars ever have supported life?
View ArticleSeason Two, Episode 7: Planet Asteroid
What's in a name? Whether you call it a planet or an asteroid, missions that explore small worlds are always exciting.
View ArticleWhat's Up - December 2019
What can you see in the December sky? Beautiful pairings of Venus, Saturn and Mars with the crescent Moon throughout the month, at sunrise and sunset.
View ArticleSeason Two, Episode 9: Hunting in the Dark for Monsters
Finding black rocks in the darkness of space isn’t easy, but new methods could help spot them all.
View ArticleFirst Drive Test of NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover
On Dec. 17, 2019, engineers took NASA’s next Mars rover for its first spin.
View ArticleNASA's New Planet Tracker, NEID
A new NASA-funded planet-hunting instrument has been installed on the WIYN telescope, on Arizona’s Kitt Peak.
View ArticleNASA's Spitzer Space Telescope: Unveiling the Universe
After 16 years of unveiling the infrared universe, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has left a singular legacy.
View ArticleNASA Advances Plans to Bring Samples Back From Mars
Collecting samples from Mars and bringing them back to Earth is a historic undertaking that starts with the launch of NASA's Mars 2020 rover.
View ArticleWhat's Up - March 2020
Looking for astronomy highlights for March 2020? This month, early risers enjoy a planetary grouping of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the early morning sky.
View ArticleCuriosity’s 1.8 Billion-Pixel Panorama on Mars
NASA Curiosity Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada guides this tour of the rover's view of the Martian surface.
View ArticleWhat's Up - April 2020
What are some astronomy highlights in the sky in April 2020? This month, Venus visits the Pleiades; Mars, Jupiter and Saturn begin their breakup; and we ask, "What is the Moon illusion?"
View ArticleUnderwater ‘White Smoker’ Vents: Is This Where Life Began?
Where did life originate on Earth? Could the process hold clues for finding life elsewhere?
View ArticleWhat's Up - May 2020
What astronomy highlights can you see in the sky in May 2020? Venus, Sirius and the Milky Way. With so many of us staying home these days, here's a look into the sky at dusk and dawn.
View ArticleWorking Remotely: How Astronauts Upgraded a Complex Experiment in Space
By chilling atom clouds to just above absolute zero, or the coldest temperature matter can reach, Cold Atom Lab enables scientists to directly observe unique atomic behaviors.
View ArticleShake, Rattle and Roll: Testing NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover lives up to its name by enduring a series of tests to prepare for its journey to the Red Planet.
View ArticleMars 2020 Perseverance Rover Sample Caching System
Watch as NASA-JPL engineers test the Sample Caching System on the Perseverance Mars rover.
View ArticleGetting NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover to Launch During the COVID-19...
Getting a Mars rover built, tested and to the launch pad is a feat that requires the dedication of hundreds of team members.
View ArticleWhat's Up - June 2020
What are some skywatching highlights you can see in June 2020? Look for the Summer Triangle rising in the east after sundown, keep tabs on the morning planets and June 20 brings the solstice.
View ArticleWhat's Up - July 2020
What's Up for July? How about some moons with those giant planets? Mars after midnight. And are the stars of Mars the same as ours?
View ArticleNASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter: The First Aircraft on Mars
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter will make history's first attempt at powered flight on another planet next spring.
View ArticleGetting Perseverance to the Launch Pad
In February 2020, NASA’s Perseverance Rover began its long journey to Mars by first traveling across the United States.
View ArticleMission Overview: NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is heading to the Red Planet to search for signs of ancient life, collect samples for future return to Earth and help pave the way for human exploration.
View ArticleNASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Launches With Your #CountdownToMars
To get ready for the launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, NASA invited the public to join a global, collective #CountdownToMars project.
View ArticleNASA's Perseverance Rover Launches to Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Rover began its long journey to Mars today by successfully launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a ULA Atlas V rocket.
View ArticleWhat's Up - August 2020
What are some skywatching highlights in August 2020? See the Moon posing with various planets throughout the month, plus catch the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower.
View ArticleWhat's Up - September 2020
What are some skywatching highlights in September 2020? Spot the Moon together with Mars and Venus, along with the flickering star Fomalhaut, which had itself a planet...until it didn't!
View ArticleWhat's Up - October 2020
What are some skywatching highlights in October 2020? Not one, but two, full moons; Mars at opposition; and finding the Andromeda galaxy.
View ArticleSentinel-6 Michael Freilich Satellite Family Tree
The joint U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is the next in a line of Earth-observing satellites that will collect the most accurate data yet on sea level and how it changes over time.
View ArticlePreparing to Land Perseverance
To prepare the Perseverance rover for its date with Mars, NASA’s Mars 2020 mission team conducted a wide array of tests to help ensure a successful entry, descent and landing at the Red Planet.
View ArticleNASA and SpaceX Launch U.S.-European Mission to Monitor World’s Ocean
The ocean-observing Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....