technical updates

With the end of 2023 comes the end of an endeavor — or rather Endeavour — as the retired NASA space shuttle goes off public view at the California Science Center for the next few years. from Space https://ift.tt/TRE4m8S

A sea of migrating methane discovered below the permafrost in Svalbard may eventually escape its icy prison if the permafrost continues to thaw due to climate change. from Space https://ift.tt/H3N6x8g

Here we've rounded up some of the best eclipse-themed places that lie on the path of totality for the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. from Space https://ift.tt/7KzE2wM

A research expedition in the Southern Ocean has mapped a string of seamounts that help to shape an ocean current that flows clockwise around Antarctica. from Space https://ift.tt/CqThDyE

'God of Chaos' asteroid Apophis will make a flyby like no other in recorded history in 2029 as it becomes visible with the naked eye, and NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft will be on hand to supervise. from Space https://ift.tt/OtxvaHX

Researchers have identified a new iguana species, Wang's garden lizard (Calotes wangi), in southern China and northern Vietnam. This species, part of the Calotes versicolor complex, was discovered through extensive surveys conducted from 2009 to 2022. Measuring less than 9 cm with an orange tongue, it inhabits subtropical and tropical forests, thriving in various landscapes including urban areas. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/qdv2MH0

NASA's Juno spacecraft will come closer to Jupiter's moon Io on Dec. 30 than any spacecraft has in 20 years, getting a good look at the solar system's most volcanic body. from Space https://ift.tt/7aNTxiy

Japan's space agency says its H3 rocket will attempt to fly again as soon as Feb. 14, 2024. That's nearly a year after the rocket's explosive failure, shortly after its 1st liftoff. from Space https://ift.tt/hVrAd94

The new study of galaxies, centered around a value for cosmic lumpiness known as S8, could join the Hubble tension in dethroning our best picture of how the universe evolved. from Space https://ift.tt/HQfSlDy

NASA astronauts practiced using a SpaceX Starship elevator to send cargo and other items into the spacecraft. Starship is targeted to land humans on the moon in the 2020s. from Space https://ift.tt/9oDZhd1

SpaceX will launch 23 new Starlink satellites when its Falcon 9 rocket blasts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Dec. 28, and you can watch live for free. from Space https://ift.tt/Nd98l1O

At about the size of a pinkie nail, the jellyfish species Cladonema can regenerate an amputated tentacle in two to three days -- but how? Regenerating functional tissue across species, including salamanders and insects, relies on the ability to form a blastema, a clump of undifferentiated cells that can repair damage and grow into the missing appendage. Jellyfish, along with other cnidarians such as corals and sea anemones, exhibit high regeneration abilities, but how they form the critical blastema has remained a mystery until now. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/MNKOEfo

For decades, measurements of the universe's expansion have suggested a disparity, which threatens to break cosmology as we know it. The James Webb Space Telescope is looking at it. from Space https://ift.tt/dJMROel

The first commercial rocket to launch astronauts has met its end after being destroyed during its latest post-flight recovery. The SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage tipped over after a record 19th flight. from Space https://ift.tt/IXu4pjb

The final full moon of 2023, the Cold Moon, rose on Dec. 26. Skywatchers around the globe were primed and ready to capture some fantastic images of the fully illuminated lunar face. from Space https://ift.tt/cdugfHN

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station celebrated Christmas and Hannukah this festive season with the hanging of stockings and "lighting" a felt menorah. from Space https://ift.tt/S0u7RGe

The Hubble Space Telescope spotted a gathering of spiral galaxies for a stunning image released Monday (Dec. 25). But this apparent togetherness may be an illusion. from Space https://ift.tt/3SJdiLx

NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover is set to revolutionize lunar exploration when it lands on the moon's Mons Mouton. from Space https://ift.tt/MZqzwbj

The space agency shared a new video showcasing its 2023 achievements, ranging from its first asteroid sample return project to its outline of how to send humans to Mars — and beyond. from Space https://ift.tt/yS7vZdH

The last full moon of 2023, December's Cold Full Moon, will miss Christmas by just a day this year, illuminating the sky over Earth on Tuesday (Dec. 26). from Space https://ift.tt/DBrP4Od

NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission took some important strides toward launch this year, but it's unclear if the ambitious effort will get off the ground as planned in late 2024. from Space https://ift.tt/kq1PxAc

Astronauts on the International Space Station are sending holiday cheer to Earth with a festive video just in time for Christmas. from Space https://ift.tt/0UR6V5c

The Hubble Space Telescope has zoomed in on a tightly bound cluster of stars located in a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, producing an image of a globular cluster that looks like a frosty cosmic snowball. from Space https://ift.tt/IDvVgNO

Launched with faulty vision, the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA were a laughing stock – until seven astronauts performed a series of daring spacewalks to fix it. from Space https://ift.tt/xMEdfei

A new methodology that allows for the categorization and organization of single-cell data has been launched. It can be used to create a harmonized dataset for the study of human health and disease. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/CiA0dUJ

Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman, a NASA astronaut commanding the first human moon crew in half a century, sat down with Space.com to talk about SpaceX, meeting movie moon astronaut Tom Hanks and what to expect on his historic mission. from Space https://ift.tt/T5NJngz

2023 has been a bumper year for black holes, especially those of the supermassive variety. Here is Space.com's picks for the most exciting black hole stories of the year. from Space https://ift.tt/ebwOjRq

Some of the strongest, longest, smallest, biggest and best reasons to celebrate space as the year comes to a close. There are a handful of awesome firsts in here too. from Space https://ift.tt/udLBqG1

Apollo 8 flew three astronauts around the moon in 1968. Artemis 2 plans to run a similar mission in 2024 or so, and the mission commander said the astronauts do see parallels in the two missions. from Space https://ift.tt/1v6smUC

After a NASA mission redirected an asteroid moonlet with a planned crash in 2022, a new model is building on that effort to show how a nuclear weapon could smash a space rock to pieces. from Space https://ift.tt/9S4m8kW

Launching in Jan. 2024, the Einstein Probe will use a "lobster eye" to search the universe for blasts of X-rays and help scientists investigate powerful cosmic events like supernova explosions. from Space https://ift.tt/oEWNgbl

A biography of Johannes Kepler, from his troubled childhood to his mission to mathematically formalize Copernicus' heliocentric model by finding divine reasoning within the orbits of the planets. from Space https://ift.tt/OcpTLP7

NASA has published a composite image of UGC 8091, a dwarf irregular galaxy using data captured by the Hubble Space Telescope from 2006 to 2021. It has been compared to Christmas lights or a snow globe. from Space https://ift.tt/x6VuDQp

A newfound population of stars in nearby dwarf galaxies are the long-sought precursors of hydrogen-poor supernovas. from Space https://ift.tt/vTauneJ

Intuitive Machines will wait an extra month, until mid-February 2024, to send a private moon lander into space atop a SpaceX rocket. from Space https://ift.tt/WN9d0Av

Jupiter played a key role in life developing on Earth, so to boost the search for life outside the solar system, scientists have built a catalog of small, Earth-like planets with Jupiter-like siblings. from Space https://ift.tt/7blWfZs

The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has imaged the vast lava plains of Elysium Planitia, showing evidence of recent volcanism and proving the Red Planet has a turbulent past. from Space https://ift.tt/E9cWGBe

New details about the Artemis 2 astronauts' White House meetings last week were released Dec. 19, on the eve of the new National Space Council meeting chaired by Vice-President Kamala Harris. from Space https://ift.tt/7vGELOu

New trailer and details launch for 'Kerbal Space Program 2's' latest Early Access update, "For Science!" from Space https://ift.tt/RgQSO2J

Researchers have published an atlas of zebrafish development, detailing the gene expression programs that are activated within nearly every cell type during the first five days of development, a period in which embryos mature from a single cell into distinct cell types. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Ew5qkDK

NASA has completed its first laser link with an in-orbit laser relay system, marking a significant advancement in space communication technology. from Space https://ift.tt/Uy3KtNV

The observations are vital for piecing together the science objectives for a future mission to Uranus. from Space https://ift.tt/jgOx3W1

Just four days after being launched on its third mission, China's mysterious reusable space plane seems to have placed six unknown objects in orbit around it. from Space https://ift.tt/H2mfbE3

Western Europe's first vertical spaceport receives a launch license, paving the way for the continent's debut rocket flight next year. from Space https://ift.tt/Sd90rC7

Scientists look back at Solar Orbiter's first three years of operation. from Space https://ift.tt/5EJaWIg

Blue Origin plans to launch its first mission since September 2022 this morning (Dec. 18), and you can watch the action live. from Space https://ift.tt/qJbsR94

In a study of lab-engineered cells, researchers identify how the immune system neutralizes the herpesvirus. The research maps, for the first time, the maneuvers used by virus and host in the cell nucleus, a poorly understood terrain of host-pathogen interaction. The findings could inform the design of new treatments for herpes and other viruses that replicate in the same way.   from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231215015415.htm

In a novel study, researchers introduced LoGoFunc, an advanced computational tool that predicts pathogenic gain- and loss-of-function variants across the genome. Unlike current methods that predominantly focus on loss of function, LoGoFunc distinguishes among different types of harmful mutations, offering potentially valuable insights into diverse disease outcomes. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ahWJPun

We worked out how many trips each of the solar system's eight planets has taken around the sun over the past 4.6 billion years. from Space https://ift.tt/86VQZWf

Gaze into the colorful remnants of a long-dead star in this image of the Veil Nebula captured by astrophotographer Miguel Claro. from Space https://ift.tt/jCn07NE

The moon and Saturn will have a pre-Christmas meet-up on Sunday (Dec. 17) as the two bodies make a close approach to each other in the night sky. from Space https://ift.tt/KFWJn8b

Internal heating may be able to keep water in liquid form within these exoplanets. from Space https://ift.tt/0iOqKS6

A team of astronomers has used asteroseismology, or the study of stellar oscillations, to accurately measure the distance of stars from the Earth. Their research examined thousands of stars and checked the measurements taken during the Gaia mission to study the near Universe. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/9P5bnyJ

A first-of-its-kind mineral map delivered by the NASA International Space Station mission, EMIT, will present big-picture climate science and "open some eyes." from Space https://ift.tt/rY6ulBN

NASA's Perseverance rover has been exploring Mars' Jezero Crater for nearly three years, but it will soon move on to investigate a vastly different environment. from Space https://ift.tt/JMgmR8S

Brown dwarfs are objects that straddle the dividing line between stars and planets. They form like stars, growing dense enough to collapse under their own gravity, but they never become dense and hot enough to begin fusing hydrogen and turn into a star. At the low end of the scale, some brown dwarfs are comparable with giant planets, weighing just a few times the mass of Jupiter. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/aSpejA9

The Federal Aviation Administration should evaluate and improve the way it investigates space launch mishaps, according to a new report. from Space https://ift.tt/eCBDifA

Humpback whale "conversations" provide valuable insight on how humans may one day communicate with life beyond Earth. from Space https://ift.tt/wsCVSOb

A new study expands the search for life beyond our solar system by indicating that 17 exoplanets (worlds outside our solar system) could have oceans of liquid water, an essential ingredient for life, beneath icy shells. Water from these oceans could occasionally erupt through the ice crust as geysers. The science team calculated the amount of geyser activity on these exoplanets, the first time these estimates have been made. They identified two exoplanets sufficiently close where signs of these eruptions could be observed with telescopes. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/9NUqb4K

New research suggests elements crucial for life may have existed on Earth while the planet formed, not brought from a crashing asteroid, like some scientists hypothesize. from Space https://ift.tt/Z39irUV

Glioblastoma is one of the most treatment-resistant cancers, with those diagnosed surviving for less than two years. In a new study, researchers have found that a largely understudied cell could offer new insight into how the aggressive, primary brain cancer is able to resist immunotherapy. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/F92HVg1

Blue Origin plans to end its 15-month spaceflight hiatus with an uncrewed mission of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on Dec. 18. from Space https://ift.tt/uPBYqKr

Medical researchers found a way to grow samples of different types of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in the lab. While generating their new model, the researchers discovered that some pulmonary NETs need the protein EGF to be able to grow. These types of tumors may therefore be treatable using inhibitors of the EGF receptor. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/zPcil4B

Heavy elements like gold and silver are believed to be created when neutron stars collide, but new research suggests these collisions may also spur nuclear fission reactions. from Space https://ift.tt/l1LPEir

Trying to avoid satellite collisions in orbit increases the risk of future collisions in the aftermath of each avoidance maneuver, researchers have round. from Space https://ift.tt/6edp5nO

Early results from a Phase I clinical trial of AT101, a new CAR T cell therapy that uses a distinct binding mechanism to target CD19, show a 100 percent complete response (CR) rate at the higher dose levels studied in the trial. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/m0C1or8

The Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak on Dec. 13 and 14. Conditions look favorable for a spectacular display this year under the dark skies of a new moon. from Space https://ift.tt/xP3ren7

The Canadian CASTOR telescope team wants to launch in 2029 to bring fresh ultraviolet eyes to the sky, like Hubble. But it needs funding from Canada's Parliament. from Space https://ift.tt/NLnEx5f

International Space Station commander Andreas Mogensen will speak with two Nobel laureates on Dec. 11. You can watch the event live, for free. from Space https://ift.tt/Ptwiz1n

A recent study has revealed that an unlikely event, occurring over 12 million years ago played an important role in shaping one of Canada's most damaging invasive species. Zebra and quagga mussels, belonging to the Dreissenid family, are widespread freshwater invasive species throughout North America that present a significant danger to native ecosystems by competing for resources. Using a fibrous anchor called a byssus, Dreissenid mussels contribute to biofouling on surfaces and obstruct intake structures in power stations and water treatment plants. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/c1b9ugQ

A new technique integrates 2D materials into devices and systems in a single step, while keeping surfaces and interfaces free from defects. This method could enable devices like those in computer chips to achieve better performance than those made with conventional fabrication techniques. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/xnyOdMj

A new theory suggests the universe's most mysterious and dominant form of matter could exert a "dark force." from Space https://ift.tt/ZY3V0Tc

A fresh understanding of how black holes eat offers a new way to estimate their masses. from Space https://ift.tt/TCQGiZU

On Friday, Dec. 8, Halley's Comet reaches its farthest point from the sun and begins its journey back through the solar system. from Space https://ift.tt/NWtfMmx

Scientists have used solar flares from the sun to determine the physics driving powerful and violent 'superflares' on massive stellar bodies that are up to 10,000 times brighter than our star. from Space https://ift.tt/fxhIksS

NASA astronaut Patricia Hilliard 'Patty' Robertson, who died from injuries sustained in a plane crash, is Northrop Grumman's chosen namesake for its first Cygnus to launch atop a SpaceX rocket. from Space https://ift.tt/7Z5lKS6

An eerily-perfect ring of light was spotted around the full moon in Florida during the recent launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, creating a stunning new photo. from Space https://ift.tt/cG9Q0lB

Researchers have discovered that misreading of therapeutic mRNAs by the cell's decoding machinery can cause an unintended immune response in the body. They have identified the sequence within the mRNA that causes this to occur and found a way to prevent 'off-target' immune responses to enable the safer design of future mRNA therapeutics. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/DulNbTZ

NASA's revitalized OSIRIS-REx probe has begun tucking in one of its solar panels to protect itself from the sun. from Space https://ift.tt/kex38oE

People are launching to space in ever-greater numbers, with few backups in case of trouble. A 'Space Rescue Service' might fill in the gap, a new report argues. from Space https://ift.tt/Wl9VTfI

For the first time, researchers have mapped the financial sector's influence on the emergence of infectious diseases. They find that a relatively small number of powerful financial institutions, such as investment companies, pension funds, and banks could help accelerate actions that mitigate the risks of new pandemics, according to a new study. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/7BKew8S

One of the biggest mysteries in cosmology is the rate at which the universe is expanding. One possible explanation: That we live in a giant void in space (an area with below average density). from Space https://ift.tt/JIs60Ed

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers spot unexpected source of carbon monoxide ice at galactic region surprisingly devoid of stars. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2VakdKL

A dark nebula, also known as "The Brick," was imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope. from Space https://ift.tt/eSGFRMb

Magnetic storms can create amazing auroras, but they also have the capacity to impact our power grid. from Space https://ift.tt/1aPQWrh

The galaxy's most notorious alien bounty hunter returns in Marvel Comics' "Predator: The Last Hunt #1" coming in February 2024. from Space https://ift.tt/tJomQib

Regular high-energy pulses of gamma-ray radiation emerging from around the Milky Way's central black hole may be coming from a blob of matter whipping around at 30% the speed of light. from Space https://ift.tt/4fexLyh

Here we explore whether there are any upcoming asteroid encounters and how NASA and other space agencies actively monitor near-Earth asteroids that have the potential to hit our planet. from Space https://ift.tt/X5pB43M

A simple-to-apply, needle-free vaccine patch is being developed to protect people from the potentially deadly mosquito-borne Zika virus. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/6Ch3Fot

After a 4-year delay, the new heavy-lift rocket for Europe is almost ready for space. Ariane 6 should launch for the European Space Agency no earlier than June 15. from Space https://ift.tt/CI6rVga

Set to launch to the ISS in Jan. 2024, the commercial mission Axiom-3 will continue to push the frontiers of science by conducting an array of experiments in microgravity. from Space https://ift.tt/yB7f0kh

SpaceX launched another 23 Starlink internet satellites from Florida on Saturday night (Dec. 2). from Space https://ift.tt/WpgNMSv

Astronomers have discovered a planet 13 times as massive as Earth orbiting a star nine times less massive than the sun, a disparity in size that shouldn’t exist and challenges planet formation models. from Space https://ift.tt/qmr8wiU

Researchers have developed a new experiment to better understand what people view as moral and immoral decisions related to driving vehicles, with the goal of collecting data to train autonomous vehicles how to make 'good' decisions. The work is designed to capture a more realistic array of moral challenges in traffic than the widely discussed life-and-death scenario inspired by the so-called 'trolley problem.' from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/bVlBwMo

Director René Laloux's sublime animated sci-fi film "Fantastic Planet" blows out 50 birthday candles from Space https://ift.tt/nQDdqJH

As tensions between East and West intensify, a workplace dispute and a cover-up in Roscosmos have major ramifications on both Earth and Mars. from Space https://ift.tt/WR6XpLz