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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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NASA's TRACERS Satellites Begin Solar Wind Study Despite SV1 Glitch
NASA launched its twin TRACERS satellites on July 23, 2025, to study how solar wind causes magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetosphere. However, a power issue on one spacecraft, SV1, has caused intermittent communication. Engineers believe the issue relates to sunlight availability on its solar panels and plan recovery efforts in August. Meanwhi...
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Solar Sail Spacecraft Could Boost Space Weather Warnings by Nearly 60 Minutes
A solar sail spacecraft could extend space weather warnings from 40 to 60 minutes, offering vital lead time before solar storms strike. Part of the SWIFT mission, this satellite will orbit farther than any current monitor, using sunlight for propulsion. The system aims to better protect satellites, astronauts, and power grids from geomagnetic disru...
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NASA’s TRACERS Mission Successfully Launches to Explore Earth’s Magnetic Field and Solar Wind Interactions
NASA's latest launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base saw the TRACERS mission successfully lift off, one day after a delay due to FAA airspace restrictions. The mission promises valuable insights into solar wind interactions and space weather impacts.
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NASA’s Twin TRACERS Satellites Will Monitor Space Weather to Shield Earth from Solar Storms
NASA’s TRACERS satellites will fly in tandem through Earth’s polar cusps to study magnetic storms and solar wind effects. The mission aims to improve predictions of space weather events that threaten satellites, power grids, and astronauts, offering new insight into magnetic reconnection and helping protect vital systems from the hazards of int...
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China’s Tianwen 2 Probe Snaps Striking Views of Earth and Moon While En Route to Asteroid
China’s Tianwen 2 spacecraft, now millions of kilometers from Earth, captured distant images of Earth and the moon as it journeys to asteroid Kamo'oalewa. Set to collect samples by 2026 and return them in 2027, the mission could reveal insights into the solar system’s formation—before continuing on to a second deep-space target, comet 311P/PA...
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NASA's New Horizons Proves Deep-Space Navigation via Stellar Parallax
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft accomplished a world-first by performing a deep-space stellar navigation test using stellar parallax. On April 23, 2020, while 438 million miles from Earth, it imaged nearby stars Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359. From the spacecraft’s distant viewpoint, the stars appeared slightly shifted compared to Earth-based obs...
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Two Spacecraft Recreate Artificial Solar Eclipses to Observe the Sun’s Superhot Corona
Twin satellites in ESA’s Proba-3 mission have successfully recreated artificial solar eclipses from space to examine the sun’s million-degree corona. The breakthrough will allow continuous observations of the sun’s outer atmosphere, offering rare insights that natural eclipses on Earth can’t provide. The mission marks a major step in solar ...
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Adani Group Commissions India's First Off-Grid Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant
Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL) on Monday announced the successful commissioning of India's first off-grid 5 MW Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant in Kutch, Gujarat, marking a major milestone in the nation's clean energy transition.
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ESA's Proba-3 Unveils First-Ever Artificial Solar Eclipse Images from Precision Satellite Formation
ESA’s Proba-3 mission has captured the first artificial solar eclipse from space using two satellites flying in precise formation. This breakthrough allows frequent, high-resolution imaging of the sun’s corona, bypassing the rarity of natural eclipses. The mission opens new frontiers in solar physics and space weather research with open access ...
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Solar Orbiter Captures First-Ever Close-Up of Sun’s South Pole, Revealing Magnetic Field Chaos
In a historic first, ESA’s Solar Orbiter has imaged the Sun’s elusive south pole, exposing a tangle of magnetic fields and solar winds. The mission marks a major leap in understanding space weather and the 11-year solar cycle that influences Earth’s environment.
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Video: Solar Orbiter Spacecraft Reveals Sun's South Pole For The First Time
The robotic Solar Orbiter spacecraft has obtained the first images ever taken of our sun's two poles as scientists seek a deeper understanding of Earth's host star, including its magnetic field, its 11-year cycle of activity and the solar wind.
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NASA’s IMAP Spacecraft Gears Up for Mission to Explore Solar System’s Edge
NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) has begun final preparations at Kennedy Space Center for a launch no earlier than September 2025. The mission will position IMAP at Lagrange Point 1, a million miles from Earth, to study the solar wind and the edge of the heliosphere. The spacecraft, built by Johns Hopkins APL, will fly al...
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Asteroid Vesta May Be a Fragment of a Lost Planet, Say Scientists
Vesta, once believed to be a stalled protoplanet, may be a fragment of a long-lost differentiated planet. Using refined gravity data from NASA’s Dawn mission, scientists found it lacks a dense core, suggesting it was ejected during a primordial impact. This revised view may apply to other asteroids and reshape planetary formation theories.
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NASA's TRACERS Mission Rescheduled for 2025 to Explore Solar Wind and Earth's Magnetic Field
NASA has delayed its TRACERS mission to no earlier than 2025 to provide additional preparation time for the crew. The mission will send twin satellites to explore how solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, particularly through a process called magnetic reconnection. These high-speed solar particles can trigger auroras and impact satellite...
-
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...
-
NASA's TRACERS Satellites Begin Solar Wind Study Despite SV1 Glitch
NASA launched its twin TRACERS satellites on July 23, 2025, to study how solar wind causes magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetosphere. However, a power issue on one spacecraft, SV1, has caused intermittent communication. Engineers believe the issue relates to sunlight availability on its solar panels and plan recovery efforts in August. Meanwhi...
-
Solar Sail Spacecraft Could Boost Space Weather Warnings by Nearly 60 Minutes
A solar sail spacecraft could extend space weather warnings from 40 to 60 minutes, offering vital lead time before solar storms strike. Part of the SWIFT mission, this satellite will orbit farther than any current monitor, using sunlight for propulsion. The system aims to better protect satellites, astronauts, and power grids from geomagnetic disru...
-
NASA’s TRACERS Mission Successfully Launches to Explore Earth’s Magnetic Field and Solar Wind Interactions
NASA's latest launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base saw the TRACERS mission successfully lift off, one day after a delay due to FAA airspace restrictions. The mission promises valuable insights into solar wind interactions and space weather impacts.
-
NASA’s Twin TRACERS Satellites Will Monitor Space Weather to Shield Earth from Solar Storms
NASA’s TRACERS satellites will fly in tandem through Earth’s polar cusps to study magnetic storms and solar wind effects. The mission aims to improve predictions of space weather events that threaten satellites, power grids, and astronauts, offering new insight into magnetic reconnection and helping protect vital systems from the hazards of int...
-
China’s Tianwen 2 Probe Snaps Striking Views of Earth and Moon While En Route to Asteroid
China’s Tianwen 2 spacecraft, now millions of kilometers from Earth, captured distant images of Earth and the moon as it journeys to asteroid Kamo'oalewa. Set to collect samples by 2026 and return them in 2027, the mission could reveal insights into the solar system’s formation—before continuing on to a second deep-space target, comet 311P/PA...
-
NASA's New Horizons Proves Deep-Space Navigation via Stellar Parallax
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft accomplished a world-first by performing a deep-space stellar navigation test using stellar parallax. On April 23, 2020, while 438 million miles from Earth, it imaged nearby stars Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359. From the spacecraft’s distant viewpoint, the stars appeared slightly shifted compared to Earth-based obs...
-
Two Spacecraft Recreate Artificial Solar Eclipses to Observe the Sun’s Superhot Corona
Twin satellites in ESA’s Proba-3 mission have successfully recreated artificial solar eclipses from space to examine the sun’s million-degree corona. The breakthrough will allow continuous observations of the sun’s outer atmosphere, offering rare insights that natural eclipses on Earth can’t provide. The mission marks a major step in solar ...
-
Adani Group Commissions India's First Off-Grid Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant
Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL) on Monday announced the successful commissioning of India's first off-grid 5 MW Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant in Kutch, Gujarat, marking a major milestone in the nation's clean energy transition.
-
ESA's Proba-3 Unveils First-Ever Artificial Solar Eclipse Images from Precision Satellite Formation
ESA’s Proba-3 mission has captured the first artificial solar eclipse from space using two satellites flying in precise formation. This breakthrough allows frequent, high-resolution imaging of the sun’s corona, bypassing the rarity of natural eclipses. The mission opens new frontiers in solar physics and space weather research with open access ...
-
Solar Orbiter Captures First-Ever Close-Up of Sun’s South Pole, Revealing Magnetic Field Chaos
In a historic first, ESA’s Solar Orbiter has imaged the Sun’s elusive south pole, exposing a tangle of magnetic fields and solar winds. The mission marks a major leap in understanding space weather and the 11-year solar cycle that influences Earth’s environment.
-
Video: Solar Orbiter Spacecraft Reveals Sun's South Pole For The First Time
The robotic Solar Orbiter spacecraft has obtained the first images ever taken of our sun's two poles as scientists seek a deeper understanding of Earth's host star, including its magnetic field, its 11-year cycle of activity and the solar wind.
-
NASA’s IMAP Spacecraft Gears Up for Mission to Explore Solar System’s Edge
NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) has begun final preparations at Kennedy Space Center for a launch no earlier than September 2025. The mission will position IMAP at Lagrange Point 1, a million miles from Earth, to study the solar wind and the edge of the heliosphere. The spacecraft, built by Johns Hopkins APL, will fly al...
-
Asteroid Vesta May Be a Fragment of a Lost Planet, Say Scientists
Vesta, once believed to be a stalled protoplanet, may be a fragment of a long-lost differentiated planet. Using refined gravity data from NASA’s Dawn mission, scientists found it lacks a dense core, suggesting it was ejected during a primordial impact. This revised view may apply to other asteroids and reshape planetary formation theories.
-
NASA's TRACERS Mission Rescheduled for 2025 to Explore Solar Wind and Earth's Magnetic Field
NASA has delayed its TRACERS mission to no earlier than 2025 to provide additional preparation time for the crew. The mission will send twin satellites to explore how solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, particularly through a process called magnetic reconnection. These high-speed solar particles can trigger auroras and impact satellite...
