AvatarPopular ScienceWatch this rocket ‘eat’ its own body for fuelverified_publisherPopular Science - Andrew PaulThe Ouroboros-3 prototype is an autophage rocket engine designed for a fiery demise. As satellite constellations and space junk continue crowding orbital zones above Earth, researchers are searching for ways to prevent adding to the growing problem. According to one team of researchers, one solution …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatarAnother SpaceX Starship blew upverified_publisherPopular Science - Andrew PaulThe explosive finale did not come as a surprise to the company and the mission passed some major milestones. SpaceX’s second, unpiloted Starship test flight of the year ended in yet another fiery inferno on November 18. This time, the sudden end arrived roughly 8 minutes into its 90-minute scheduled …
AvatarPopular ScienceWatch NASA’s bizarre and bulbous Super Guppy cargo plane touch down in Alabamaverified_publisherPopular Science - Andrew PaulAlthough currently the last of its kind, the line of chonky boys has long played a vital role in spacecraft logistics. After over half a century of loyal service, the world’s last remaining Super Guppy aircraft continues to dutifully transport NASA’s gigantic rocket parts in its cavernous, hinged …
AvatarPopular ScienceSpaceX’s Starship launch caused a ‘mini earthquake’ and left a giant messverified_publisherPopular Science - Andrew PaulStarship’s takeoff blasted a 25-foot-deep crater into the launch site, sending up plumes of dust and dirt. Last week’s much-hyped test flight of SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever constructed, ended in a fiery explosion minutes after launch, falling far short of the SpaceX team’s …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatarLunar laws could protect the moon from humanityverified_publisherPopular Science - Jon KelveySome space law experts want to treat the moon like a national park. Here's why. On Earth, we’ve decided that some places are worth saving. Whether it’s the pyramids of Giza or the battlefield lands at Gettsyburg, sites that epitomize our cultural heritage are safeguarded by legal frameworks. But …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatarBefore the Artemis II crew can go to the moon, they need to master flying high above Earthverified_publisherPopular Science - Jon KelveyThe flight commander on NASA's next lunar mission explains what will actually happen onboard. After more than 50 years, NASA is going back to the moon. If all goes as planned, the Artemis III mission will see two astronauts stepping foot on the lunar surface sometime in 2025. Subsequent Artemis …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatarThese 3D printed engines can power space-bound rockets—or hypersonic weaponsverified_publisherPopular Science - Sarah ScolesA Colorado company is fabricating powerful engines with names like Hadley and Ripley. Here's why. In Overmatched, we take a close look at the science and technology at the heart of the defense industry—the world of soldiers and spies. ON THE COLORADO PLAINS just below the Rocky Mountains, near the …
AvatarPopular ScienceSpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launches have been a slow burn—for an interesting reasonverified_publisherPopular Science - Jon KelveyThe massive rocket could rake in cash for even bigger SpaceX projects. On Sunday, January 15, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off to orbit with a payload for just the fifth time since the company began flying the 70-ton capacity vehicle in 2018. Launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 5:56 …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatar10 incredible lunar missions that paved the way for Artemisverified_publisherPopular Science - Ben GuarinoWe have more than 70 years of lunar launches, crashes, flybys, landings, and tortoise crews to thank. With Artemis I now well underway, NASA is ready to dive into lunar exploration like never before. The game plan includes new tools, new experiments, and new landing sites, all leading up to a new …
AvatarPopular ScienceWith Artemis 1 launched, NASA is officially on its way back to the moonverified_publisherPopular Science - Laura BaisasThe uncrewed spacecraft heads off on its 1.2 million-mile journey, paving the way for the first humans on the moon since the Apollo missions. After a two-and-a-half month delay, NASA’s Artemis I mission blasted off from Kennedy Space Center today at 1:48 am EST. The launch ushers in a new era of …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatarThis is how astronomically loud a rocket launch really isverified_publisherPopular Science - Eva Botkin-KowackiSaturn V's powerful roar supposedly melted the launchpad. Can the SLS moon rocket compete? When NASA’s Saturn V rocket launched humans to the moon a half-century ago, each blast-off amazed onlookers with its power. Flames from the launch dazzled. Its explosive liftoff was thunderously loud. It …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatar‘Phantom’ mannequins will help us understand how cosmic radiation affects female bodies in spaceverified_publisherPopular Science - Eva Botkin-KowackiDoes space travel affect female and male astronauts differently? Helga, Zohar, and Commander Moonikin Campo are on a mission to find out. When NASA’s Artemis 1 mission launches to the moon later this month, on board the Orion space capsule will be two special passengers: Helga and Zohar. The pair are …
AvatarPopular ScienceAvatarAvatarGet ready to watch NASA’s most powerful rocket head for the moonverified_publisherPopular Science - Maria Parazo RoseTune into a historic moment in space exploration that you won't want to miss. Liftoff for NASA’s next moon mission, Artemis 1, is T-minus one day after being postponed three times—twice due to engine problems and once to avoid an approaching storm. Boosted by the space agency’s most powerful rocket …