Space and Spaceflight

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By Popular Mechanics

Space
Why Aren't There More Habitable Planets? Blame Red Dwarfs
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
Even if a planet is in the habitable zone, a young star can wreak havoc on its atmosphere. One of the most exciting discoveries in astronomy over the last several years has been the explosion in exoplanet
NASA
NASA Is Preparing for a Fake Asteroid Impact
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
At an upcoming planetary defense conference, NASA, FEMA, and a collection of other agencies will attempt to defend the Earth from a hypothetical asteroid. As far as deadly apocalypse scenarios go, perhaps
Space
NASA and France Find Evidence of Marsquakes
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
Working together, two space agencies find evidence that has eluded scientists for years. French scientists have discovered what they believe to be the first known evidence of a Marsquake. While scientists
Space
Japan Is Testing Earth's Asteroid Defense System
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
In order to figure out how asteroids explode, JAXA fired a projectile at one. From the giant comet that once wiped out 75 percent of life to the equally intimidating sucker that once killed off Téa Leoni,
SpaceX
SpaceX's Explosive 'Anomaly' Could Delay the U.S.'s Return To Crewed Spaceflight
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
The U.S. hasn't launched a crewed space mission for nearly 8 years—and now we might have to wait a bit longer. SpaceX has not had a very good week. Initially things were looking good with the successful
Space
Giant Meteor Explodes Over East Coast
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
The green fireball was seen by hundreds of people from Vermont to South Carolina. If you were on the East Coast and looking up at the sky on Tuesday night, you might have seen a green fireball shoot across
Space
NASA Found the Oldest Molecules in the Universe
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
Helium hydride has been hiding for 13 billion years. Scientists finally found it. In the beginning, there was a big bang. And then, around 100,000 years later, helium and hydrogen combined for the first
Solar System
Earth Was Hit by an Interstellar Asteroid Years Ago, Scientists Claim
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
Researchers calculate that an asteroid from beyond our solar system burned up in the atmosphere in 2014. Two years ago, our solar system received an unexpected visitor from elsewhere in the galaxy. Astronomers
NASA
NASA's Newest Planet-Hunting Telescope Has Already Found an Earth-like World
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
NASA's TESS telescope was only launched a year ago, and is designed to find small Earth-sized exoplanets that may support life. Over the last few years, we’ve discovered so many planets around other stars
SpaceX
SpaceX Loses its Rocket Booster to Rough Seas
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
After pulling off a perfect triple rocket landing, SpaceX fell victim to misfortune. Last week, SpaceX launched the second-ever Falcon Heavy rocket and landed all three first-stage boosters. Unfortunately,
Space
Cassini Found That Titan Has Lakes of Methane Resting on Giant Mesas
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
The lakes form with processes similar to some that occur on Earth, scientists believe. NASA is releasing more information gleaned from the Cassini spacecraft's final mission, focusing on Saturn's moon
SpaceIL
SpaceIL Will Try Again After Last Week's Failed Moon Landing
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
Israeli company SpaceIL is not giving up on its goal of becoming the first private company to land on the moon. On Thursday, Israeli company SpaceIL attempted to become the first private company to land
Space
Behind the Scenes of the First Black Hole Photo
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
Taking the first ever photo of a black hole required an incredible amount of coordination and planning. On Wednesday, scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project unveiled the first ever photo a
Space
Watch SpaceIL Land a Spacecraft on the Moon Right Now
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
The Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL will hopefully become the first private company ever to land a craft on the lunar surface. If everything goes according to plan today, an uncrewed spacecraft will land on
Space
The First Results From NASA's Historic Twin Study Are Here
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
A year on the ISS will alter an identical twin in very small ways. Space changes a person, but not as much as you might think. That's the lead result from NASA's major Twins Study, a yearlong project examined
Space
Lockheed Martin's New Lunar Lander Wants To Put Humans on the Moon by 2024
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
With a 2024 deadline looming, Lockheed Martin reimagined its lunar lander concept for a speedier timetable. Lockheed Martin has announced a new design for a human-rated lunar lander. The design comes days
Space
SpaceX Is Ready to Launch the Falcon Heavy for the Second Time Ever
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
The company hopes they've fixed the problem with the initial launch and all three boosters will land properly. SpaceX is preparing to launch its Falcon Heavy rocket for the second time, hoping for the
Space
How They Got the Black Hole Picture That Changed Science
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
A picture that's worth a thousands "whoas." An international team made of more than 200 astronomers working for a decade-plus have captured a picture of a black hole named Pōwehi. The picture marks the
Space
We've Seen a Black Hole Directly for the First Time
Popular Mechanics - By John Wenz
A supermassive black hole of our galaxy has been revealed. We've detected black holes time and time again, but we've always relied on indirect evidence to do so. But that all changed today with the first-ever
Space
Scientists Found Loads of Bacteria and Fungi on the ISS
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
The International Space Station is home to all kinds of potentially dangerous bacteria, but scientists are unsure whether they still pose a threat in 0g. Turns out there is ample life off-planet. The Space
Space
SpaceIL Spacecraft Snaps Stunning Images of the Far Side of the Moon
Popular Mechanics - By Paige Szmodis
Beresheet just became the first Israeli and privately-financed spacecraft to enter the moon’s orbit. Israeli nonprofit SpaceILsuccessfully inserted its spacecraft, Beresheet, into the moon’s orbit yesterday—and
Space
How a Second Look At 40-Year-Old Studies Helped Explain Solar Wind
Popular Mechanics - By David Grossman
Yes, blobs. From the sun. Solar wind isn't really wind. Wind is moving air, and there's no air in space. In preparation for a NASA probe heading towards the sun to study the still-mysterious phenomena,
Space
Curiosity Watched Two Eclipses on Mars. Here's What It Saw.
Popular Mechanics - By Andrew Moseman
The rover just watched Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars, pass in front of the sun. The two moons of Mars put on a show in March. During the span of two weeks, the Curiosity rover watched both Phobos
Space
Scientists Rule Out Hawking Theory for Source of Dark Matter
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
A group of scientists have disproved Stephen Hawking's proposed explanation for mysterious dark matter. Dark matter remains one of the biggest mysteries in physics. Scientists know the mysterious substance
Space
Watch the Hayabusa Spacecraft Blow Up an Asteroid Tonight
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
The spacecraft will launch an explosive, create an artificial crater, and collect a sample to bring back to Earth. Later tonight, a spacecraft over 200 million miles away will make history by blowing an
Space
Scientists Think They've Found a Dead Planetary Core Orbiting a Dead Star
Popular Mechanics - By John Wenz
Literally and figuratively...very metal. There's something strange orbiting a dead star 450 light years from Earth. Spotted in a cloud of debris not acting like it should, the likely culprit is improbable—but
Science (India)
India's Anti-Satellite Test Could Threaten the International Space Station
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
The country shot down a missile last week, which has created a cloud of debris that risks damaging or destroying the ISS. Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country’s space agency
Space
NASA: Lunar 'Gateway' Is Still Our Best Bet for Putting Boots on the Moon
Popular Mechanics - By Anatoly Zak
NASA's directive to put astronauts on the moon has some experts sensing doom the long-planned Gateway project—here’s why it could be a blessing in disguise. When NASA got its marching orders last week
Space
We Might Be About to See the First Ever Photo of a Black Hole
Popular Mechanics - By Avery Thompson
An announcement next week by the European Southern Observatory might contain the first-ever photo of a black hole's event horizon. Next week, the European Southern Observatory is going to make a big announcement,