https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/space_probes/ Space Probes. Read the latest in space exploration using unmanned spacecraft. See images from Space Probe Cassini and Space Probe Galileo. Pictures of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and more. en-us Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:55:30 EDT Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:55:30 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/space_probes/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022033.htm Mars may be hostile, but it might not be entirely unlivable. In lab experiments, yeast cells survived simulated Martian shock waves and toxic perchlorate salts—two major environmental threats on the Red Planet. Their secret weapon was forming protective molecular clusters that shield critical cellular functions under stress. Without these defenses, survival plummeted, pointing to a potential universal strategy life could use beyond Earth. Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:00:48 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022033.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260407193919.htm For all its ancient, familiar features, the Moon is still changing—and sometimes in dramatic ways. Scientists recently identified a fresh 22-meter-wide crater by comparing orbital images taken years apart, revealing a relatively recent impact that no one actually saw happen. The collision blasted bright material outward in striking rays, making the new crater stand out sharply against the darker lunar surface. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:43:43 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260407193919.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260407193902.htm Planetary exploration may be about to get a major speed boost. Researchers tested a semi-autonomous robot that can move from rock to rock, analyzing each without waiting for human instructions. The system completed missions up to three times faster than traditional methods while still accurately identifying important geological targets. This could allow future missions to cover far more ground in the search for resources and signs of life. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 02:04:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260407193902.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192905.htm A strange “forbidden” planet spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope is turning planetary science on its head. TOI-5205 b, a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small, cool star, has an atmosphere surprisingly poor in heavy elements—even less enriched than its own star, which defies current theories of how giant planets form. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:28:14 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192905.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260405003753.htm Mars may look like a quiet, dusty world, but it’s actually buzzing with hidden electrical activity. Powerful dust storms and swirling dust devils generate static electricity strong enough to spark faint glowing discharges across the planet, triggering chemical reactions that reshape its surface and atmosphere. Scientists have now shown that these tiny lightning-like events can create a surprising mix of chemicals—including chlorine compounds and carbonates—and even leave behind distinct isotopic “fingerprints.” Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:54:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260405003753.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403224449.htm Asteroid impacts may have helped kick-start life on Earth by creating hot, chemical-rich environments ideal for early biology. These impact-generated hydrothermal systems could have lasted thousands of years—long enough for life’s building blocks to form. Scientists now think these environments may have been common on early Earth, making them a strong candidate for where life began. The idea could also guide the search for life on other worlds. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:44:49 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403224449.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403002014.htm Saturn’s magnetic field isn’t the smooth, symmetrical shield scientists see around Earth. Instead, it’s noticeably skewed, and researchers now think they understand why. By analyzing years of data from the Cassini spacecraft, scientists found that a key region where solar particles enter Saturn’s atmosphere is consistently shifted to one side. This distortion appears to be driven by the planet’s rapid spin combined with a thick cloud of charged particles coming from its moon Enceladus. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:44:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403002014.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402042759.htm A new concept suggests SpaceX’s Starship could revolutionize a future mission to Uranus, one of the solar system’s most overlooked planets. By refueling in orbit and helping slow the spacecraft on arrival, it could cut travel time nearly in half. That’s a big deal for a mission that would otherwise take over a decade just to arrive. If it works, it could finally open the door to studying this strange, tilted world up close. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:00:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402042759.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402004721.htm A new era of lunar exploration has begun as NASA launches four astronauts on Artemis II—the first crewed mission to fly around the Moon in over 50 years. Riding aboard the powerful SLS rocket, the Orion spacecraft is now on a 10-day journey that will test critical systems, push human spaceflight farther than it’s gone in decades, and set the stage for future Moon landings and eventual missions to Mars. Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:08:04 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260402004721.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260326075606.htm Mars may look like a frozen desert today, but new evidence suggests its watery past didn’t simply fade away quietly—it may have been blasted into space by powerful dust storms. Scientists have discovered that even relatively small, localized storms can hurl water vapor high into the atmosphere, where it breaks apart and escapes. Fri, 27 Mar 2026 05:11:12 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260326075606.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260325005926.htm Astronomers have narrowed down the cosmic search for life, identifying fewer than 50 rocky planets among thousands of known exoplanets that may have the right conditions to support life. Using new data from ESA’s Gaia mission and NASA archives, researchers pinpointed worlds in the “habitable zone,” where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist. Some of the most intriguing targets include nearby systems like TRAPPIST-1 and Proxima Centauri, offering tantalizing possibilities just dozens of light-years away. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:56:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260325005926.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064449.htm Kepler-51d is a giant, ultra-light “super-puff” planet wrapped in an unusually thick haze that’s blocking scientists from seeing what it’s made of. Observations from JWST revealed that this haze may be one of the largest ever detected, possibly stretching as wide as Earth itself. The planet’s low density and close orbit don’t match existing models of how gas giants form or survive. Now, researchers are left with more questions than answers about how such a strange world came to be. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:47:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064449.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064440.htm A mysterious metal-rich asteroid called Psyche has been baffling scientists for over two centuries, and its true origin remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in planetary science. Is it the exposed core of a failed planet, or a chaotic mix of rock and metal forged through countless violent collisions? To find out, researchers simulated how a massive crater near Psyche’s north pole formed, revealing that the asteroid’s internal “porosity” — how much empty space it contains — may hold the key to its secrets. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:19:15 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260317064440.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260315004340.htm New research suggests Mars may have remained habitable much longer than scientists once thought. Ancient sand dunes in Gale Crater appear to have been soaked by underground water billions of years ago, leaving behind minerals that can preserve signs of life. Even after surface water disappeared, subsurface flows may have created protected environments for microbes. These hidden habitats could be key targets in the ongoing search for past life on Mars. Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:45:30 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260315004340.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030452.htm Mars didn’t always look like the barren world we see today. Over billions of years, the Sun’s solar wind stripped away much of its atmosphere, helping transform it from a warmer, wetter planet into a frozen desert. NASA’s twin-spacecraft ESCAPADE mission aims to watch this process in action by measuring how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ fragile magnetic environment. The findings could reveal how Mars lost its habitability—and help prepare humans for future missions there. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 03:04:52 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030452.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030449.htm NASA’s Curiosity rover is investigating strange spiderweb-like ridges on Mars that may reveal a hidden chapter of the planet’s watery history. These “boxwork” formations likely formed when groundwater flowed through cracks in the rock, leaving minerals that hardened into ridges while surrounding material eroded away. New chemical analyses of drilled rock samples show minerals linked to water activity. Sat, 14 Mar 2026 21:08:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260314030449.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260312020101.htm Scientists have grown chickpeas in simulated moon soil, offering a promising step toward farming on the lunar surface. Researchers mixed moon-like regolith with worm-produced compost and helpful fungi that protect plants from toxic metals. The combination allowed chickpeas to grow and produce a harvest in soil that normally cannot support plant life. Scientists now need to confirm the crops are safe and nutritious for astronauts. Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:56:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260312020101.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260309225228.htm Scientists studying Mars may have uncovered a brand-new mineral hidden in the planet’s ancient sulfate deposits. By combining laboratory experiments with orbital data, researchers identified an unusual iron sulfate—ferric hydroxysulfate—forming in layered deposits near the massive Valles Marineris canyon system. The mineral likely formed when sulfate-rich deposits left behind by ancient water were later heated by volcanic or geothermal activity, transforming their chemistry. Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:23:47 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260309225228.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260307213238.htm When NASA’s DART spacecraft deliberately crashed into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, it did more than change the asteroid’s local orbit — it slightly shifted the path of the entire asteroid pair around the Sun. The impact blasted debris into space, doubling the force of the spacecraft’s hit and nudging the system’s solar orbit by a tiny but measurable amount. It marks the first time humans have altered the trajectory of a celestial object around the Sun. The result strengthens the case for using spacecraft impacts as a future planetary defense strategy. Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:12:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260307213238.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030646.htm Icy moons circling the outer planets may be far more dynamic—and explosive—than they appear. New research suggests that when heat from tidal forces melts their ice shells from below, the sudden drop in pressure could cause hidden oceans to boil beneath the surface. On smaller moons like Enceladus, Mimas, and Miranda, this process may help explain strange features such as Enceladus’ tiger stripes and Miranda’s towering cliffs. Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:54:10 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030646.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228093443.htm Jupiter’s icy moons may have been seeded with the chemical ingredients for life from the very beginning. An international team of scientists modeled how complex organic molecules—essential building blocks for biology—could have formed in the swirling disk of gas and dust around the young Sun and later been carried into Jupiter’s own moon-forming disk. Their results suggest that up to half of the icy material that built moons like Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto may have delivered freshly made organic compounds without being chemically destroyed. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 07:06:01 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228093443.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071945.htm Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, may have been born in a colossal cosmic crash. New research suggests Titan formed when two older moons slammed together hundreds of millions of years ago—an event so violent it reshaped Saturn’s entire moon system and may have indirectly sparked the formation of its iconic rings. Clues come from Titan’s unusual orbit, its surprisingly smooth surface, and the strange behavior of the tumbling moon Hyperion. Fri, 27 Feb 2026 07:19:45 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071945.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260226042445.htm Scientists at the University of Oxford have finally settled a decades-long mystery about the Moon’s magnetic field — and it turns out both sides were right. By reanalyzing Apollo mission rocks, they discovered that the Moon did occasionally generate an incredibly powerful magnetic field, even stronger than Earth’s — but only for fleeting bursts lasting thousands of years or less. Most of the time, the Moon’s magnetic field was weak. Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:03:17 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260226042445.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260225081147.htm Mars’ frozen ice caps may be time capsules for ancient life. Lab experiments show that key building blocks of proteins can survive tens of millions of years in pure ice, even under relentless cosmic radiation. Ice mixed with Martian-like soil, however, destroys organic material far more quickly. The findings point future missions toward drilling into clean, buried ice rather than studying rocks or dirt. Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:13:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260225081147.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260222092329.htm A Martian volcano once thought to be the result of a single eruption turns out to have a much more complex past. Orbital imaging and mineral data show it developed through multiple eruptive phases, all powered by the same evolving magma system underground. Shifts in mineral composition reveal the magma changed over time, hinting at different depths and storage histories. Mars’ interior was far more active than previously believed. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:19:47 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260222092329.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260221000303.htm For the first time, scientists have mapped Uranus’s upper atmosphere in three dimensions, tracking temperatures and charged particles up to 5,000 kilometers above the clouds. Webb’s sharp vision revealed glowing auroral bands and unexpected dark regions shaped by the planet’s wildly tilted magnetic field. Sat, 21 Feb 2026 02:31:36 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260221000303.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031532.htm Researchers have uncovered more than a thousand previously unknown tectonic ridges across the Moon’s dark plains, showing the Moon is still contracting and reshaping itself. These features are among the youngest geological structures on the lunar surface. Because they form through the same forces linked to past moonquakes, they could signal new seismic hotspots. Wed, 18 Feb 2026 07:49:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260218031532.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260213223857.htm Astronomers have uncovered a distant planetary system that flips a long-standing rule of planet formation on its head. Around the small red dwarf star LHS 1903, scientists expected to find rocky planets close in and gas giants farther out — the same pattern seen in our own Solar System and hundreds of others. And at first, that’s exactly what they saw. But new observations revealed a surprise: the outermost planet appears to be rocky, not gaseous. Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:38:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260213223857.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212025607.htm A newly identified planet candidate, HD 137010 b, looks strikingly Earth-like in size and orbit — but it may be colder than Mars due to its dimmer star. If it has a thick enough atmosphere, though, this icy world could still surprise us. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:32:43 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212025607.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212025604.htm Scientists studying a rock sample collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover have uncovered something tantalizing: the largest organic molecules ever detected on Mars. The compounds — decane, undecane, and dodecane — may be fragments of fatty acids, which on Earth are most often linked to life. While non-living processes like meteorite impacts can also create such molecules, researchers found those sources couldn’t fully explain the amounts detected. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:17:53 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212025604.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212023024.htm Dust from asteroid Bennu is revealing a surprising origin story for life’s building blocks. New research suggests some amino acids formed in frozen ice exposed to radiation, not warm liquid water as scientists long believed. Isotopic clues show Bennu’s chemistry differs sharply from well-studied meteorites, pointing to multiple pathways for creating life’s ingredients. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:31:14 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212023024.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212023020.htm Scientists have uncovered evidence of a massive underground lava tube hidden beneath the surface of Venus, revealing a new layer of the planet’s volcanic history. By reexamining radar data from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft, researchers identified what appears to be a huge empty conduit near the volcanic region Nyx Mons. The structure could be nearly a kilometer wide and extend for dozens of kilometers below the surface. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:46:52 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212023020.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073019.htm A distant star system with four super-sized gas giants has revealed a surprise. Thanks to JWST’s powerful vision, astronomers detected sulfur in their atmospheres — a chemical clue that they formed like Jupiter, by slowly building solid cores. That’s unexpected because these planets are far bigger and orbit much farther from their star than models once allowed. Wed, 11 Feb 2026 07:30:19 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073019.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208233821.htm Baker’s yeast isn’t just useful in the kitchen — it may also be built for space. Researchers found that yeast cells can survive intense shock waves and toxic chemicals similar to those on Mars. The cells protect themselves by forming special stress-response structures that help them endure extreme conditions. This resilience could make yeast a powerful model for astrobiology and future space missions. Sun, 08 Feb 2026 23:38:21 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208233821.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011014.htm A colossal ancient impact may have reshaped the Moon far more deeply than scientists once realized. By analyzing rare lunar rocks brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the Moon’s largest crater, researchers found unusual chemical fingerprints pointing to extreme heat and material loss caused by a giant impact. The collision likely stripped away volatile elements, reshaped volcanic activity, and left a lasting chemical signature deep below the surface. Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:04:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011014.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260204121552.htm Scientists have found that ancient Martian lakes could have survived for decades despite freezing air temperatures. Using a newly adapted climate model, researchers showed that thin, seasonal ice could trap heat and protect liquid water beneath. These lakes may have gently melted and refrozen each year without ever freezing solid. The idea helps solve a long-standing mystery about how Mars shows so much evidence of water without signs of a warm climate. Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:21:29 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260204121552.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260201231213.htm NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 team has entered a carefully controlled two-week quarantine as the countdown begins for their journey to the International Space Station. The four astronauts—representing NASA, the European Space Agency, and Roscosmos—are isolating at Johnson Space Center before heading to Florida for final launch preparations. The mission could lift off as early as February 11, with multiple backup launch windows lined up. Mon, 02 Feb 2026 04:48:56 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260201231213.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084555.htm NASA’s Perseverance rover has just made history by driving across Mars using routes planned by artificial intelligence instead of human operators. A vision-capable AI analyzed the same images and terrain data normally used by rover planners, identified hazards like rocks and sand ripples, and charted a safe path across the Martian surface. After extensive testing in a virtual replica of the rover, Perseverance successfully followed the AI-generated routes, traveling hundreds of feet autonomously. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:45:55 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084555.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084138.htm Jupiter’s swirling storms have concealed its true makeup for centuries, but a new model is finally peeling back the clouds. Researchers found the planet likely holds significantly more oxygen than the Sun, a key clue to how Jupiter—and the rest of the solar system—came together. The study also reveals that gases move through Jupiter’s atmosphere much more slowly than scientists once thought. Together, the findings reshape our understanding of the solar system’s largest planet. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:28:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084138.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084135.htm A young star called V1298 Tau is giving astronomers a front-row seat to the birth of the galaxy’s most common planets. Four massive but extremely low-density worlds orbiting the star appear to be inflated precursors of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. By watching how the planets subtly tug on one another, scientists measured their masses and confirmed they are far puffier than expected. The system reveals how these planets dramatically shrink and transform as they age. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:16:06 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084135.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260127010142.htm Bright white rocks spotted by NASA’s Perseverance rover are rewriting what we thought we knew about ancient Mars. These aluminum-rich clays, called kaolinite, usually form on Earth only after millions of years of heavy rainfall in warm, humid environments—conditions similar to tropical rainforests. Their presence on today’s cold, dry Mars suggests the planet once had abundant rain, flowing water, and possibly lush oases long ago. Even more puzzling, the rocks are scattered across the landscape with no obvious source nearby, hinting at dramatic ancient events like floods, river transport, or asteroid impacts. Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:34:56 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260127010142.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124234535.htm NASA is moving into a new phase of space exploration, with major progress across human spaceflight, science missions, and advanced technology. In just one year, the agency has launched multiple crewed and science missions, test-flown new aircraft, and pushed forward plans for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. With Artemis II set to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, NASA is laying the groundwork not just for a return to the lunar surface, but for a sustained human presence in deep space. Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:25:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124234535.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003808.htm Falling space junk is becoming a real-world hazard, and scientists have found a clever new way to track it using instruments already listening to the Earth itself. By tapping into networks of earthquake sensors, researchers can follow the sonic booms created when space debris tears through the atmosphere, revealing where it traveled, broke apart, and possibly hit the ground. Sat, 24 Jan 2026 23:11:43 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003808.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122073620.htm Europa’s subsurface ocean might be getting fed after all. Scientists found that salty, nutrient-rich surface ice can become heavy enough to break free and sink through Europa’s icy shell, delivering essential ingredients to the ocean below. The process is fast, repeatable, and works under many conditions. It offers a promising new explanation for how Europa could support life. Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:14:45 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122073620.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122032004.htm NASA astronaut Suni Williams has retired after 27 years of service and a career defined by endurance, leadership, and firsts in space. She spent 608 days in orbit, completed nine spacewalks, and twice commanded the International Space Station. Williams flew on everything from the space shuttle to Boeing’s Starliner, playing a key role in shaping modern human spaceflight. Her legacy will influence future missions to the Moon and beyond. Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:11:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260122032004.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034114.htm Solar Orbiter has captured the clearest evidence yet that a solar flare grows through a cascading “magnetic avalanche.” Small, weak magnetic disturbances rapidly multiplied, triggering stronger and stronger explosions that accelerated particles to extreme speeds. The process produced streams of glowing plasma blobs that rained through the Sun’s atmosphere long after the flare itself. Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:41:14 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034114.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260119214042.htm NASA’s Artemis II rocket has reached its launch pad after a painstaking overnight crawl across Kennedy Space Center. Engineers are now preparing for crucial fueling and countdown tests ahead of the first crewed Artemis mission. The mission will send four astronauts on a journey around the Moon and back. It’s a key milestone on the path to returning humans to the Moon and pushing onward to Mars. Mon, 19 Jan 2026 21:46:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260119214042.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116045344.htm SpaceX Crew-11 splashed down safely in the Pacific after more than five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. The four astronauts completed over 140 experiments and traveled nearly 71 million miles around Earth. NASA brought the crew home earlier than planned due to a medical concern, with officials confirming the affected crew member is stable. The mission underscores how quickly today’s space programs can adapt while keeping astronauts safe. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:53:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260116045344.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260112214310.htm Scientists have pulled back the curtain on one of the most extreme solar regions seen in decades, tracking it almost nonstop for three months as it unleashed powerful space weather. By combining views from two spacecraft—one near Earth and one orbiting the Sun—researchers followed a massive active region as it grew, twisted, and ultimately triggered the strongest geomagnetic storms since 2003. Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:44:15 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260112214310.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107221836.htm Europa’s buried ocean has made it one of the most exciting places to search for life beyond Earth. However, new calculations suggest its seafloor may be calm, cold, and largely inactive, with little energy to support living organisms. Unlike Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, Europa experiences weaker tidal forces that fail to drive underwater geology. The ocean may exist, but it could be a very quiet place. Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:32:25 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107221836.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260105165822.htm Mars looks familiar from afar, but surviving there means creating a protective oasis in a hostile world. Instead of shipping construction materials from Earth, researchers are exploring how to use Martian soil as the raw ingredient. Two tough microbes could work together to bind dust into a concrete-like material and even help generate oxygen. The vision: 3D-print habitats using local resources, one experiment at a time. Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:13:55 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260105165822.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260104202730.htm Tiny bits of Earth’s atmosphere have been drifting to the moon for billions of years, guided by Earth’s magnetic field. Rather than blocking particles, the magnetic field can funnel them along invisible lines that sometimes stretch all the way to the moon. This explains mysterious gases found in Apollo samples and suggests lunar soil may hold a long-term archive of Earth’s history. It could also become a valuable resource for future lunar explorers. Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:47:06 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260104202730.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074458.htm Thanks to Einstein’s relativity, time flows differently on Mars than on Earth. NIST scientists have now nailed down the difference, showing that Mars clocks tick slightly faster—and fluctuate over the Martian year. These microsecond shifts could play a big role in future Mars navigation, communications, and even a solar-system-wide internet. It’s a small time gap with big consequences for space exploration. Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:54:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074458.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004148.htm Mars once had sprawling river systems that rivaled major watersheds on Earth, and scientists have now identified the biggest ones for the first time. Researchers mapped 16 massive drainage basins where water likely flowed long enough to support life. Even though these areas cover just 5% of ancient Martian terrain, they account for a huge share of erosion and sediment movement. That makes them some of the most promising places to search for ancient life. Wed, 31 Dec 2025 10:33:23 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004148.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004142.htm A newly identified region on Mars may hold the key to future human landings. Researchers found evidence of water ice less than a meter beneath the surface, close enough to be harvested for water, oxygen, and fuel. The location strikes a rare balance between sunlight and cold, helping preserve the ice. It could also offer clues about whether Mars once supported life. Sat, 27 Dec 2025 01:42:59 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251227004142.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251226045319.htm Mars isn’t just dusty—it crackles with electricity. Scientists discovered that dust devils can generate tiny electric sparks, captured for the first time by Perseverance’s microphone. These static discharges may rapidly destroy chemicals like methane and reshape how Mars’ atmosphere works. The sparks could even affect climate patterns and pose risks to future missions. Mon, 29 Dec 2025 12:42:05 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251226045319.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251220104621.htm For years, scientists thought Saturn’s moon Titan hid a global ocean beneath its frozen surface. A new look at Cassini data now suggests something very different: a thick, slushy interior with pockets of liquid water rather than an open sea. A subtle delay in how Titan deforms under Saturn’s gravity revealed this stickier structure. These slushy environments could still be promising places to search for life. Sat, 20 Dec 2025 10:52:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251220104621.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219093314.htm An instrument aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft captured rare ultraviolet observations of an interstellar comet while Earth-based telescopes were blinded by the Sun. The spacecraft’s unique position provided an unprecedented look at the comet’s dust and plasma tails from an unusual angle. Scientists detected hydrogen, oxygen, and signs of intense gas release, hinting at powerful activity after the comet’s closest approach to the Sun. The findings may reveal clues about how comets form around other stars. Sat, 20 Dec 2025 11:13:34 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219093314.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251215025319.htm Hot Jupiters were once cosmic oddities, but unraveling how they moved so close to their stars has remained a stubborn mystery. Scientists have long debated whether these giants were violently flung inward or peacefully drifted through their birth disks. A new approach from researchers in Tokyo cracks open this puzzle by using the timescale of orbital circularization as a diagnostic. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 04:13:38 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251215025319.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251211100625.htm TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized world in the system’s habitable zone, is drawing scientific attention as researchers hunt for signs of an atmosphere—and potentially life-supporting conditions. Early James Webb observations hint at methane, but the signals may instead come from the star itself, a small ultracool M dwarf whose atmospheric behavior complicates interpretation. Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:22:49 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251211100625.htm