[ad_1] JPL sent the last version of LEMUR up a cliff earlier this year. The robot’s AI chose its own route, and it used the hundreds of tiny fishhooks embedded in each of its 16 fingers to climb up. All while its science instruments scanned the rock for ancient fossils. LEMUR was able to climb […]
Category: Nasa
X-rays help astronomers detect spinning black holes
[ad_1] The team used an in-between galaxy to get clear images of quasars consisting of the black holes, with Chandra offering a sharp-enough image to separate the multiple images that resulted from the lensing effect. From there, microlensing (in this case, magnification using individual stars from the galaxy) helped detect the spin in question. The […]
Watch NASA test the Orion module’s launch abort system at 7AM
[ad_1] When it does, the abort motor will start up and pull the module away from the booster, while the attitude control monitor will be in charge of steering it into position so it can be jettisoned back to Earth. The whole process will only take three minutes, but NASA is bound to spend a […]
NASA will livestream the total solar eclipse over South America tomorrow
[ad_1] If you happen to be in the path of the eclipse, we’ll remind you not to look directly at the sun. In 2017, one woman had permanent vision loss because she looked at the sun for six seconds, and at least one $11,500 Canon lens melted. Fortunately, eclipse glasses offer a safe viewing method, […]
NASA’s TESS spacecraft discovers its smallest exoplanet to date
[ad_1] TESS spotted the planets by using transits (regular dips in the star’s brightness caused by passing planets). You might get more information soon, at least. TESS completes its first year of studies in July, and that could be enough to both collect more detail about the known planets and possibly spot more. This isn’t […]
NASA reopens Apollo mission control in time for Moon landing anniversary
[ad_1] The restoration team went out of its way to source authentic material, whether it was wallpaper from the Johnson Space Center or material sourced from eBay. Thankfully, you’re not limited to gazing from afar. Public tours of Apollo mission control will start on July 1st, 19 days before the Moon landing milestone. There’s certainly […]
NASA’s Dragonfly mission is sending an eight-rotor drone to Titan
[ad_1] BIG NEWS: The next @NASASolarSystem mission is… #Dragonfly – a rotorcraft lander mission to Saturn’s largest moon Titan. This ocean world is the only moon in our solar system with a dense atmosphere & we’re so excited to see what Dragonfly discovers: https://t.co/whePqbuGBq pic.twitter.com/BQdMhSZfgP — Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) June 27, 2019 Dragonfly is scheduled […]
NASA just witnessed its biggest methane gas emission on Mars
[ad_1] During a follow-up test over the weekend, though, scientists found that the methane levels around the rover already dropped sharply. Curiosity detected normal methane levels (1 part per billion by volume) following the sudden elevation, suggesting that the abnormally high values came from transient methane plumes. So, what does that mean? Well, Paul Mahaffy, […]
Watch SpaceX attempt a ‘most challenging’ Falcon Heavy launch at 2:30 AM ET
[ad_1] The launch window was scheduled to open at 11:30 PM ET, but NASA and SpaceX are now targeting takeoff for 2:30 AM ET. The launch window extends until 3:30 AM, and a backup window will open tomorrow night between 11:30 PM ET and 2:30 AM ET. This flight is also important because of its […]
NASA’s Astrobee cube robot flies in space for the first time
[ad_1] Future tests will have Bumble perform “increasingly complex” moves to show that it’s ready for service. There’s another robot (Honey) already present on the ISS, while a third robot (Queen) is expected to launch in July. Eventually, NASA wants robots like the Astrobee series to serve as custodians. They’ll perform some of the upkeep […]