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Japan’s Akatsuki Spacecraft Declared Inoperable, Marking End of Dedicated Venus Missions
Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft, which studied Venus for nearly a decade, has been declared inoperable by JAXA. Successfully orbiting in 2015 after an initial failure, Akatsuki uncovered major insights into Venus’s swirling clouds and atmosphere. Its mission’s end leaves a gap until NASA’s VERITAS and DAVINCI+ missions take over.
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NASA Shuts Down Public Communications on Website Amid US Budget Impasse
NASA’s online presence has gone dark as a U.S. budget lapse forces a government shutdown. Outreach, research, and grant work have stopped, while critical ISS and planetary defense operations persist. The silence recalls 2013’s shutdown, which caused widespread delays to missions and scientific projects.
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Lunar Samples Reveal Far Side of the Moon Is Cooler Than Near Side
China’s Chang’e 6 mission has revealed the moon’s far side is cooler than its near side, with samples showing a 180°F difference in formation temperatures. Researchers suggest uneven distribution of radioactive elements shaped these contrasts, offering the first physical evidence of a deep interior thermal divide in lunar history.
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NASA Prepares 2025 Carruthers Mission to Explore Earth’s Hidden Hydrogen Halo
NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, launching in 2025, will capture ultraviolet light from hydrogen atoms to map Earth’s faint geocorona. Operating a million miles sunward, it will study how solar activity drives atmospheric loss, improves satellite protection, and reveals clues to planetary habitability, providing critical insight for fut...
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NASA Confirms Discovery of 6,000 Exoplanets Beyond Our Solar System
NASA has confirmed 6,000 exoplanets beyond our solar system, highlighting three decades of accelerating discovery. From scorching hot Jupiters to worlds with jewel-like clouds, the catalog reflects cosmic diversity. Future missions aim to identify true Earth analogs and investigate signs of life across distant planetary systems.
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Exoplanets Explained: How Astronomers Find Worlds Orbiting Stars Beyond the Sun
Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars outside our solar system, hidden by stellar glare and detected indirectly. Astronomers identify them by tracking star wobbles or dips in brightness during planetary transits. NASA’s Kepler mission revealed thousands, with TESS now expanding the search. These discoveries confirm that planetary systems are abun...
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Mars' Interior Holds Evidence Of Violent Early History, NASA Scientists Confirm
NASA scientists have discovered massive fragments of ancient planetary collisions buried deep in Mars' mantle, using seismic data from the InSight lander.
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Researchers Discover New Plasma Wave in Jupiter’s Auroral Skies
Scientists at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have detected a new plasma wave in Jupiter’s aurora using NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The finding, published in Physical Review Letters, reveals how Jupiter’s magnetic field shapes auroral activity differently from Earth. The study opens new directions for understanding planetary auroras and m...
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India's 15-Year Space Plan: 103 Satellites, Chandrayaan-8, Indian On Moon
India is preparing for a transformative leap in space exploration and satellite technology.
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NASA Missions Uncover a Diverse Galaxy of Super-Earths, Raising New Questions About Planetary Evolution
Super-Earths are among the most common planets in the galaxy, yet none exist in our solar system. Larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, they range from ocean-covered worlds to scorched, atmosphere-less rocks. Some orbit within habitable zones, making them prime candidates for life. NASA’s Kepler and TESS missions, along with upcoming telesc...
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'HOPE' In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Mars, A "Rehearsal" For Future
Located at an altitude of 4.3 kilometres above sea level, Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) is designed to simulate Mars-like conditions and will serve as a testbed for future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.
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ISRO Sets Up Station In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Moon, Mars
ISRO’s HOPE station in Ladakh will serve as a testing ground for future Moon and Mars missions by simulating extreme space-like conditions on Earth.
-
New Study Reveals Mars Faced Heavy Rains: Possible Clue to Ancient Life
The revelation that Mars once had Earth-like rainfall reshapes our understanding of planetary evolution. The insights support the theory that early Mars was far more hospitable than previously believed, possibly housing primitive life forms. The findings could guide future missions like NASA’s Perseverance in locating signs of fossilised organism...
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Uranus Found Emitting Internal Heat, Reviving Hopes for Flagship NASA Mission
Astronomers have discovered that Uranus emits 12% more heat than it receives from sunlight, contradicting past data from Voyager 2. The internal warmth likely comes from leftover energy in the planet’s core, offering clues to its tilt and interior structure. This unexpected heat has intensified calls for a flagship NASA mission to Uranus. Scienti...
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Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
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Japan’s Akatsuki Spacecraft Declared Inoperable, Marking End of Dedicated Venus Missions
Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft, which studied Venus for nearly a decade, has been declared inoperable by JAXA. Successfully orbiting in 2015 after an initial failure, Akatsuki uncovered major insights into Venus’s swirling clouds and atmosphere. Its mission’s end leaves a gap until NASA’s VERITAS and DAVINCI+ missions take over.
-
NASA Shuts Down Public Communications on Website Amid US Budget Impasse
NASA’s online presence has gone dark as a U.S. budget lapse forces a government shutdown. Outreach, research, and grant work have stopped, while critical ISS and planetary defense operations persist. The silence recalls 2013’s shutdown, which caused widespread delays to missions and scientific projects.
-
Lunar Samples Reveal Far Side of the Moon Is Cooler Than Near Side
China’s Chang’e 6 mission has revealed the moon’s far side is cooler than its near side, with samples showing a 180°F difference in formation temperatures. Researchers suggest uneven distribution of radioactive elements shaped these contrasts, offering the first physical evidence of a deep interior thermal divide in lunar history.
-
NASA Prepares 2025 Carruthers Mission to Explore Earth’s Hidden Hydrogen Halo
NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, launching in 2025, will capture ultraviolet light from hydrogen atoms to map Earth’s faint geocorona. Operating a million miles sunward, it will study how solar activity drives atmospheric loss, improves satellite protection, and reveals clues to planetary habitability, providing critical insight for fut...
-
NASA Confirms Discovery of 6,000 Exoplanets Beyond Our Solar System
NASA has confirmed 6,000 exoplanets beyond our solar system, highlighting three decades of accelerating discovery. From scorching hot Jupiters to worlds with jewel-like clouds, the catalog reflects cosmic diversity. Future missions aim to identify true Earth analogs and investigate signs of life across distant planetary systems.
-
Exoplanets Explained: How Astronomers Find Worlds Orbiting Stars Beyond the Sun
Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars outside our solar system, hidden by stellar glare and detected indirectly. Astronomers identify them by tracking star wobbles or dips in brightness during planetary transits. NASA’s Kepler mission revealed thousands, with TESS now expanding the search. These discoveries confirm that planetary systems are abun...
-
Mars' Interior Holds Evidence Of Violent Early History, NASA Scientists Confirm
NASA scientists have discovered massive fragments of ancient planetary collisions buried deep in Mars' mantle, using seismic data from the InSight lander.
-
Researchers Discover New Plasma Wave in Jupiter’s Auroral Skies
Scientists at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have detected a new plasma wave in Jupiter’s aurora using NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The finding, published in Physical Review Letters, reveals how Jupiter’s magnetic field shapes auroral activity differently from Earth. The study opens new directions for understanding planetary auroras and m...
-
India's 15-Year Space Plan: 103 Satellites, Chandrayaan-8, Indian On Moon
India is preparing for a transformative leap in space exploration and satellite technology.
-
NASA Missions Uncover a Diverse Galaxy of Super-Earths, Raising New Questions About Planetary Evolution
Super-Earths are among the most common planets in the galaxy, yet none exist in our solar system. Larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, they range from ocean-covered worlds to scorched, atmosphere-less rocks. Some orbit within habitable zones, making them prime candidates for life. NASA’s Kepler and TESS missions, along with upcoming telesc...
-
'HOPE' In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Mars, A "Rehearsal" For Future
Located at an altitude of 4.3 kilometres above sea level, Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) is designed to simulate Mars-like conditions and will serve as a testbed for future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.
-
ISRO Sets Up Station In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Moon, Mars
ISRO’s HOPE station in Ladakh will serve as a testing ground for future Moon and Mars missions by simulating extreme space-like conditions on Earth.
-
New Study Reveals Mars Faced Heavy Rains: Possible Clue to Ancient Life
The revelation that Mars once had Earth-like rainfall reshapes our understanding of planetary evolution. The insights support the theory that early Mars was far more hospitable than previously believed, possibly housing primitive life forms. The findings could guide future missions like NASA’s Perseverance in locating signs of fossilised organism...
-
Uranus Found Emitting Internal Heat, Reviving Hopes for Flagship NASA Mission
Astronomers have discovered that Uranus emits 12% more heat than it receives from sunlight, contradicting past data from Voyager 2. The internal warmth likely comes from leftover energy in the planet’s core, offering clues to its tilt and interior structure. This unexpected heat has intensified calls for a flagship NASA mission to Uranus. Scienti...
-
Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
