Missions
The Polaris Dawn Crew is Back on Earth
On September 15th, 2024, the Polaris Dawn crew returned to Earth after spending five days in orbit. The mission was…
How the ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Rover Will Drill for Samples on Mars
Russia's attack on Ukraine has delayed its launch, but the ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover is heading toward completion. It was…
A Swarm of Robots to Explore Mars’ Valles Marineris
Mars is known for its unique geological features. Olympus Mons is a massive shield volcano 2.5 times taller than Mt.…
BepiColombo’s New Images of Mercury are Cool
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft made another flyby of its eventual target, Mercury. This is one of a series of Mercury…
DART Did More Than Deter Dimorphos; It Sent It Into a Chaotic Tumble
In 2022, NASA's DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft collided with an object named Dimorphos. The objective was to test…
After a Boost from Earth and the Moon, Juice is On its Way to Venus and Beyond
The first spacecraft to use gravity assist was NASA's Mariner 10 in 1974. It used a gravity assist from Venus…
Volunteers Complete a Simulated Year on Mars
The crew of NASA’s first Mars habitat simulation, CHAPEA 1, exited their Earth-based environment after 378 days on July 6…
The BepiColombo Mission To Mercury is Losing Power
BepiColombo is a joint ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury. It was launched in 2018 on a complex trajectory to the Solar…
Here’s Where China’s Sample Return Mission is Headed
Humanity got its first look at the other side of the Moon in 1959 when the USSR's Luna 3 probe…
How Knot Theory Can Help Spacecraft Can Change Orbits Without Using Fuel
When a spacecraft arrives at its destination, it settles into an orbit for science operations. But after the primary mission…