Explorer

A full re-examination of the Kepler Space Telescope's data has revealed an additional 10 new planets that are near-Earth size and in their host-star's habitable zone. Even more interesting, follow-up studies on all of the rocky planets discovered by Kepler (thousands) to-date show that smaller planets come in two sizes. They are either 1.5 Earth Radii and smaller, or 2 Earth Radii and larger. The Kepler Space Telescope held its primary data collection from 2009 to 2013. The total number of

When you read a scientific story in a popular blog or magazine, many times you will see the caveat "artist interpretation" next to some of the accompanying images. This as a gross undersell of the time, effort, and most important, accuracy, that goes into developing the renders. While we don't know what a black hole or an exoplanet looks like, it is important to attempt to visualize them, and to do it as accurately as possible. This video is an interview with two people who are responsible for

On 5 June 2017, India performed a full launch test of their GSLV-MK3, putting a test-satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. This is a huge step forward for the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which could eventually use this rocket for human space travel. For the details on the rocket itself, as well as a rundown of ISRO's history check out this article from the Planetary Society.

The Cassini spacecraft has only 11 more orbits left of the ringed planet Saturn before its destruction. On September 15th, 2017, Cassini will make a planned plunge into the clouds of Saturn, which will cause it to break up. The science is packed in for Cassini over these orbits: it will study the rings by imaging and sampling, create a more accurate gravitational map of Saturn, and measure the magnetic field of Saturn. Here take a look at the summary of science in the final phase of the Grand

A team of planetary scientists pulled together by NASA has created a preliminary report on how and when humans could send a probe to Uranus, Neptune, or both. The two Ice Giant planets are easily the least explored in the solar system, owing in part to their distance from the Sun, and competing interests elsewhere. However, with the success of recent missions to Jupiter and Mars, and Cassini coming to a close at Saturn, it has prompted NASA (and the space agencies of other countries) to look

The Curiosity rover has been on Mars since 2012, and has contributed much to our understanding of the Martian environment in the past and present. In 2016, NASA performed a routine wheel examination to keep track of the wear and tear of the wheels. Cracks and holes are starting to appear in the gaps between the treads. After 5 years into this mission, it's not a surprise the wheels have started to wear, however, NASA wants to squeeze as much time out of them as possible. In March, they uploaded

NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission has begun its final mission phase, making its first dive between the planet Saturn and its rings. It is the only craft to ever make that plunge. Check out some of the amazing images it took as it went through, including the north pole hexagonal vortex.

NASA is in the middle of developing a new heavy-lift rocket, that will be used to get humans beyond low Earth orbit to places like the Moon and Mars. The last time NASA was in full scale development mode was in the late 1970s and early 1980s for the beginning of the Shuttle program. According to some investigations on the part of the Planetary Society, it looks like NASA's going to miss their launch date of Nov 2018.

Human's have been launching satellites into space since 1957, and now the current number of objects in orbit larger than 10 cm is about 23,000. The growing number poses a real threat to the future of space exploration. Humanity will need to solve this problem moving forward, and ideas are currently being discussed.

Tucked between a boiled-away desert and a giant snowball, an alien world called TRAPPIST-1e may be the only habitable planet in a newly discovered batch of seven, according to a new climate model.