Science

Three Fixes to Build Energy Projects Cleaner and Faster

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Reducing carbon emissions in the U.S. to net zero is achievable. It’s economically sustainable, environmentally essential, technologically feasible and, with some work, even politically viable. But to have a good chance of reaching net zero, we must change the way we regulate the construction of clean energy projects. We have all of the building blocks: … Read more

Soviet-era space shuttle carrier aircraft destroyed in Russian attack on Ukraine

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has destroyed a “large” part of its own space history, with reports now confirming the fate of an enormous aircraft that was originally built to transport Soviet space shuttles. Once the world’s largest flying machine by both wingspan and weight, the Antonov An-225 “Mriya” (“Dream”) was parked in an open-air hangar … Read more

NASA, SpaceX and Axiom will preview private Ax-1 ISS mission today: Watch live

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NASA, SpaceX and Houston company Axiom Space will discuss a landmark private space mission today (Feb. 28), and you can watch it live. Axiom Space plans to launch Ax-1, the first all-private crewed mission to the International Space Station, on March 30. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon capsule carrying four … Read more

New GOES-T weather satellite to offer scientists sharper eyes on Earth’s climate

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The GOES-T satellite is ready to take its place as part of the U.S.’s most sophisticated weather and environmental observation system. The satellite, which will be operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will launch on Tuesday (March 1) aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasting off from Cape Canaveral … Read more

U.N. panel warns of global warming’s toll on humans and nature | Science

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Over the past 70 years, humanity has made great strides on a number of metrics: increasing life expectancy, cutting hunger and disease, boosting education levels. But a prime engine of these gains—the burning of fossil fuels—now threatens to slow down global development, according to a new report today from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate … Read more

Tonga volcano eruption yields insights into asteroid impacts on Earth

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On Jan. 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean, generating a tsunami and triggering resulting wave action alerts around the world.  The underwater volcanic eruption spewed ash, steam, and gas a radius of over 160 miles (260 kilometers) and more than 12 miles (19 … Read more

What is the temperature on the moon?

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The moon is Earth‘s closest celestial neighbor, but the two bodies are worlds apart in terms of temperature.  The moon’s temperature can reach a boiling 250° Fahrenheit (120° Celsius or 400 Kelvin) during lunar daytime at the moon’s equator, according to NASA. Lunar daytime is roughly two Earth-weeks long, since the moon takes a little … Read more