ExoMars Parachute Test Fails, for the Second Time
The ExoMars 2020 mission hit another snag recently when a high-altitude parachute test resulted in damage again to one of…
Carnival of Space #625
This week's Carnival of Space is hosted by me at the CosmoQuest blog. Click here to read Carnival of Space…
When it Comes to Gamma Radiation, the Moon is Actually Brighter Than the Sun
The eerie, hellish glow coming from the Moon may seem unreal in this image, since it's invisible to our eyes.…
Why Build Big Rockets at All? It’s Time for Orbital Refueling
On Tuesday, July 30th, NASA announced 19 different partnerships with 13 different companies to use their expertise to help them…
An Astrophotographer Noticed a Chunk of Ice Orbiting Comet 67P in Rosetta’s Photos
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta mission spent two years at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. At the end of September 2016,…
Neutron Star Suffers a “Glitch”, Gives Astronomers a Glimpse Into How They Work
What, exactly, is the inside of a neutron star like? A neutron star is what remains after a massive star…
Rocket Lab is Going to try to Re-use its First Stage Booster, Catching it in Mid-air With a Helicopter
CEO Peter Beck of Rocket Lab recently announced that his company will begin retrieving the first stage of its Electron…
Milky Way’s Black Hole Just Flared, Growing 75 Times as Bright for a Few Hours
Even though the black hole at the center of the Milky Way is a monster, it's still rather quiet. Called…
Spacecraft Gyroscopes And Reaction Wheels. You Can Never Have Enough
It’s amazing to think there are telescopes up in space, right now, directing their gaze at distant objects for hours,…
Hardy Tardigrades on Board Israel’s Beresheet Lander Probably Survived the Crash
When SpaceIL's Beresheet lander crashed into the Moon, it was a bitter-sweet moment for Israel's space exploration aspirations. The privately-built…