NASA

NASA Is Cracking Open a 50-Year-Old Vacuum-Sealed Tube of Lunar Gas And Soil

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The Apollo missions to the Moon brought a total of 2,196 rock samples to Earth. But NASA has only just started opening one of the last ones, collected 50 years ago. For all that time, some tubes were kept sealed so that they could be studied years later, with the help of the latest technical … Read more

Could Mars ever have supported life? This NASA challenge wants your help to find out

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NASA and crowdsourcing platform HeroX have launched a $30,000 challenge to find better ways to analyze data relating to Mars‘ potential to host life. The deadline to make your submission is April 18, and you can review the full competition eligibility requirements, along with the HeroX challenge page, to get more information. The goal is … Read more

Celebrate Pi Day 2022 with these epic NASA math challenges for March 14

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If you ever feel like you’re spinning in circles, the annual pi day is a great moment to remind yourself of the power of such thinking. NASA celebrates the famous mathematical ratio each year on March 14 (3/14), which is meant to represent the 3.14 constant that results when you divide a circle’s circumference by … Read more

NASA says it supports employees’ use of pronouns amid online criticism

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NASA is voicing support for its employees’ right to be addressed by their name and pronouns as criticisms flare online.  Claims recently surfaced online that NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland removed employees’ pronouns from ID badges. Now, the space agency has made a public statement about its stance on employee names and pronouns.  … Read more

NASA says it supports employees’ use of preferred pronouns amid online criticism

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NASA is voicing support for its employees’ right to be addressed by their preferred name and pronouns as criticisms flare online.  Claims recently surfaced online that NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland removed employees’ preferred pronouns from ID badges. Now, the space agency has made a public statement about its stance on employee preferred … Read more

Mars: Curiosity rover discovers diverse cache of organic minerals

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Organic molecules and clay minerals found in Gale Crater could be a sign of ancient Martian life, but it isn’t possible yet to rule out that they are products of inorganic processes Space 10 March 2022 By Alex Wilkins The Gale Crater as viewed through a camera on NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS The Curiosity … Read more

Mars: Perseverance rover measures speed of sound on Mars for the first time

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Using a laser to strike rocks and a built-in microphone, NASA’s Perseverance rover has measured changes in the speed of sound on Mars due to temperature affecting the atmosphere Space 9 March 2022 By Alex Wilkins An illustration of NASA’s Perseverance rover NASA/JPL-Caltech The speed of sound on Mars has been measured for the first … Read more

Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly giving back Russian spaceflight medal

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Scott Kelly has found another way to protest Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The former NASA astronaut has been a vocal opponent of the invasion, expressing his displeasure with Russian aggression frequently via Twitter, and in Russian to boot. (All astronauts who visit the International Space Station must speak English and Russian, and Kelly has … Read more

Meteor streaks through Jupiter’s atmosphere as NASA spacecraft watches

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When a rogue meteor careened through the atmosphere of Jupiter last year, it caught the attention of NASA’s Juno spacecraft in orbit around the giant planet. The brief and sudden flash in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere was spotted by NASA’s Juno spacecraft in April 2020. But, while the burst of light didn’t last long, it drew … Read more