Orbital Sciences
- All
- News
-
Mars Orbiters Take Rare Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Zooming Past Red Planet
ExoMars TGO captured a series of images with its Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS).
-
NASA’s Juno Probe Faces Silence as Mission Ends Amid Government Shutdown
NASA’s Juno probe, orbiting Jupiter since 2016, may have stopped operating after its latest extension expired during the U.S. government shutdown. The mission, which unveiled Jupiter’s interior, polar storms, and moons, awaits confirmation—though NASA cannot verify its status until funding and communications resume.
-
NASA's Juno Probe Unlocked Mysteries Of Jupiter, But It May Already Be Dead
The mission was extended until September 2025, allowing for additional orbits and flybys of Jupiter's moons like Ganymede, Europa and Io.
-
ESA Expands Deep Space Network with New Australian Antenna
ESA’s New Norcia 3 antenna in Western Australia boosts global deep-space communication. The €62.3 million project will support missions like Hera and Juice while enhancing cooperation with Australia, NASA, and ISRO, ensuring broader coverage for interplanetary spacecraft.
-
First Supermoon Of The Year Is Approaching. Here's What To Know
The moon will appear slightly larger and brighter Monday night during what's known as a supermoon.
-
Hidden Asteroids Near Venus Pose Long-Term Threat To Earth, Study Reveals
Some of the asteroids could intersect Earth's path within a few thousand years, posing a collision risk.
-
NASA Advances Toward Artemis II Launch With Orion Stage Adapter Integration on SLS Rocket
NASA has integrated the Orion stage adapter with the Artemis II SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center. The adapter connects Orion to the rocket and will deploy four international CubeSats in orbit. This milestone brings the Artemis II mission closer to its April 2026 launch and supports ongoing work for Artemis III hardware development.
-
James Webb Offers First Glimpse Into How Moons Are Built Around Distant Planets
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected carbon-bearing molecules in a moon-forming disk surrounding CT Cha b, a massive planet-like object orbiting a young star 625 light-years away. The discovery marks the first measurement of its kind and offers clues to how moons like those around Jupiter and Saturn might have formed.
-
NOAA’s GOES-19 Satellite Records Rare Eclipse With Distorted Lunar Path
On Sept. 21, 2025, GOES-19’s CCOR-1 coronagraph recorded a natural lunar eclipse. The Moon’s trajectory appeared curved due to a satellite yaw-flip. Unlike L1-based coronagraphs, GOES-19’s orbit enabled this rare capture, helping scientists refine imaging systems and improve understanding of the Sun’s corona.
-
Asteroid 2024 YR4 Raises Concerns Over Moon Impact; Scientists Consider Nuclear Defence
Asteroid 2024 YR4 is drawing global attention as a possible lunar impactor in 2032. Though the chances of Earth impact have dropped, a collision with the Moon could still create dangerous orbital debris. Scientists stress preparedness, exploring deflection missions and nuclear defense strategies.
-
SpaceX Launches NROL-48 for NRO’s Proliferated Satellite Architecture
SpaceX successfully launched NROL-48 on Sept. 22, 2025, for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission deployed small satellites into orbit, supporting the “proliferated architecture,” a strategy to boost resilience by using many small spacecraft for surveillance and intelligence.
-
Earth’s Oxygen Explains Mysterious Rust Formation on the Moon
Despite lacking air and water, the Moon hosts hematite—an oxidized iron mineral. Scientists discovered Earth’s escaping oxygen drives this rusting process during the Moon’s passage through the magnetotail. Observations from Chandrayaan-1 and NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter confirm hematite patches where Earth wind suppresses hydrogen an...
-
SpaceX Falcon 9 Deploys 28 Next-Generation Starlink V2 Mini Satellites
SpaceX launched 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites Sept. 21, 2025, from Florida. The Falcon 9’s first stage, on its 11th mission, landed on a drone ship. This was SpaceX’s 119th launch of the year, further expanding its Starlink mega-constellation to over 8,000 active satellites in orbit.
-
Dead Star's Supernova Explosion Could Be Visible From Earth During Daytime, Study Predicts
When the two stars eventually smash into each other, the supernova explosion would be visible from Earth, even during daytime.
-
Not Like Venus Or Mars, Distant Exoplanet May Have Atmosphere Like Earth's
A distant exoplanet might have an atmosphere similar to Earth's, early observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest. It is part of a group of planets orbiting a star called TRAPPIST-1, about 40 light-years away from Earth.
-
Mars Orbiters Take Rare Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Zooming Past Red Planet
ExoMars TGO captured a series of images with its Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS).
-
NASA’s Juno Probe Faces Silence as Mission Ends Amid Government Shutdown
NASA’s Juno probe, orbiting Jupiter since 2016, may have stopped operating after its latest extension expired during the U.S. government shutdown. The mission, which unveiled Jupiter’s interior, polar storms, and moons, awaits confirmation—though NASA cannot verify its status until funding and communications resume.
-
NASA's Juno Probe Unlocked Mysteries Of Jupiter, But It May Already Be Dead
The mission was extended until September 2025, allowing for additional orbits and flybys of Jupiter's moons like Ganymede, Europa and Io.
-
ESA Expands Deep Space Network with New Australian Antenna
ESA’s New Norcia 3 antenna in Western Australia boosts global deep-space communication. The €62.3 million project will support missions like Hera and Juice while enhancing cooperation with Australia, NASA, and ISRO, ensuring broader coverage for interplanetary spacecraft.
-
First Supermoon Of The Year Is Approaching. Here's What To Know
The moon will appear slightly larger and brighter Monday night during what's known as a supermoon.
-
Hidden Asteroids Near Venus Pose Long-Term Threat To Earth, Study Reveals
Some of the asteroids could intersect Earth's path within a few thousand years, posing a collision risk.
-
NASA Advances Toward Artemis II Launch With Orion Stage Adapter Integration on SLS Rocket
NASA has integrated the Orion stage adapter with the Artemis II SLS rocket at Kennedy Space Center. The adapter connects Orion to the rocket and will deploy four international CubeSats in orbit. This milestone brings the Artemis II mission closer to its April 2026 launch and supports ongoing work for Artemis III hardware development.
-
James Webb Offers First Glimpse Into How Moons Are Built Around Distant Planets
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected carbon-bearing molecules in a moon-forming disk surrounding CT Cha b, a massive planet-like object orbiting a young star 625 light-years away. The discovery marks the first measurement of its kind and offers clues to how moons like those around Jupiter and Saturn might have formed.
-
NOAA’s GOES-19 Satellite Records Rare Eclipse With Distorted Lunar Path
On Sept. 21, 2025, GOES-19’s CCOR-1 coronagraph recorded a natural lunar eclipse. The Moon’s trajectory appeared curved due to a satellite yaw-flip. Unlike L1-based coronagraphs, GOES-19’s orbit enabled this rare capture, helping scientists refine imaging systems and improve understanding of the Sun’s corona.
-
Asteroid 2024 YR4 Raises Concerns Over Moon Impact; Scientists Consider Nuclear Defence
Asteroid 2024 YR4 is drawing global attention as a possible lunar impactor in 2032. Though the chances of Earth impact have dropped, a collision with the Moon could still create dangerous orbital debris. Scientists stress preparedness, exploring deflection missions and nuclear defense strategies.
-
SpaceX Launches NROL-48 for NRO’s Proliferated Satellite Architecture
SpaceX successfully launched NROL-48 on Sept. 22, 2025, for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission deployed small satellites into orbit, supporting the “proliferated architecture,” a strategy to boost resilience by using many small spacecraft for surveillance and intelligence.
-
Earth’s Oxygen Explains Mysterious Rust Formation on the Moon
Despite lacking air and water, the Moon hosts hematite—an oxidized iron mineral. Scientists discovered Earth’s escaping oxygen drives this rusting process during the Moon’s passage through the magnetotail. Observations from Chandrayaan-1 and NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter confirm hematite patches where Earth wind suppresses hydrogen an...
-
SpaceX Falcon 9 Deploys 28 Next-Generation Starlink V2 Mini Satellites
SpaceX launched 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites Sept. 21, 2025, from Florida. The Falcon 9’s first stage, on its 11th mission, landed on a drone ship. This was SpaceX’s 119th launch of the year, further expanding its Starlink mega-constellation to over 8,000 active satellites in orbit.
-
Dead Star's Supernova Explosion Could Be Visible From Earth During Daytime, Study Predicts
When the two stars eventually smash into each other, the supernova explosion would be visible from Earth, even during daytime.
-
Not Like Venus Or Mars, Distant Exoplanet May Have Atmosphere Like Earth's
A distant exoplanet might have an atmosphere similar to Earth's, early observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest. It is part of a group of planets orbiting a star called TRAPPIST-1, about 40 light-years away from Earth.
