Brave InSight Lander doing its best to free stuck heat probe from Martian soil
NASA's InSight lander has its heat probe stuck in the Martian soil. Now, engineers have a plan to get it moving using the scoop on the lander's robotic arm.
Here are all the science projects that SpaceX will deliver to the ISS
SpaceX will be launching a Dragon cargo spacecraft to the ISS, carrying research into topics from growing human heart cells to making more comfortable sneakers.
Mars 2020 rover leaves home on 2,300-mile journey to Florida for launch
NASA's Mars 2020 rover has completed fabrication and assembly and has been transported across the U.S. in advance of its launch to Mars in a few months.
Most distant object ever explored gives clues to how planets form
Arrokoth is the furthest object humanity has ever reached. Now, the object provides evidence of how building blocks of planets first formed in our solar system.
Researchers develop technique for analyzing moon dust from a single grain
In order to get as much use out of precious moon dust samples as possible, researchers have found a new way to analyze the dust by looking at single grains.
Pluto has a beating heart of frozen nitrogen. Here’s why
Pluto has a big heart - a structure of nitrogen ice called Tombaugh Regio. A new study suggests this structure is central to the planet's atmospheric circulation.
International Space Station upgrade brings near-real-time communication
The International Space Station will receive a device for the Columbus laboratory that enables almost instant communications between the station and Earth.
Voyager 2, one of our most distant probes, overcomes glitch and is back online
Last week, NASA announced it was experiencing problems with Voyager 2. Now, engineers have been able to stabilize the craft and return to operations as normal.
Boeing Starliner valve mapping error could have brought down the spacecraft
Boeing's first orbital test of its Starliner capsule last year did not go as planned. Now a second error has been uncovered in the investigation into the issue.
Why the Mars 2020 rover is armed with a high-powered laser
When it departs for Mars, NASA's Mars 2020 rover won't only be armed with an array of scientific instruments -- it will also be toting a high-powered laser.
Terminator Tape could tackle space debris by efficiently de-orbiting satellites
A company has demonstrated a solution for disposing of satellites once they are no longer required, using a 230-foot-long strip of conductive Terminator Tape.
Changes in Mars’ atmosphere are driven by enormous CO2 ice cap at its pole
A new study has looked at the carbon dioxide ice deposit on Mars' south pole and found that it appears to affect atmospheric pressure across the planet.
Roku reaches agreement with Fox to allow Super Bowl streaming
Football fans hoping to watch the Super Bowl via Roku tomorrow will be pleased to hear the platform has hammered out a last-minute agreement with content supplier Fox.
Zuckerberg spins Facebook’s indifference to truth as a commitment to ‘freedom’
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken a defiant stand against his critics, saying the site would stand up for free expression, even if it pissed people off. Earlier this year, Facebook announced that it would not ban political ads that lie to voters, in what was seen as an abdication of responsibility.
Can Voyager 2, exploring space beyond the solar system, survive a power glitch?
One of the most distant man-made objects in the universe, NASA's Voyager 2, has suffered from a power glitch. Can it be repaired while in interstellar space?
How crazy, cross-continental coordination brought us the first black hole photo
Last April, hundreds of scientists came together to produce the first-ever image of a black hole. Digital Trends spoke with the team's leader about the challenges of bringing together so many people, institutions, and telescopes with one shared aim.
Hundreds of Amazon workers criticize the company’s approach to climate crisis
Hundred of Amazon workers have spoken out against the company's handling of climate change issues. More than 300 Amazon employees from the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice shared their views on Amazon's role in and response to the climate crisis in a Medium post published on Sunday.
Google’s antitrust woes continue as state officials meet with Justice Department
The antitrust investigation into Google may be about to kick up a notch. Both the Department of Justince and state attorneys general are probing whether the search giant acted in an anticompetitive manner in two separate investigations. Now, the two may be starting to share information on their respective probes.
ISS astronauts succeed in fixing $2 billion ‘unserviceable’ instrument
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have completed a spacewalk to repair a dark matter detection instrument previously considered unserviceable. NASA's Andrew Morgan and European Space Agency's Luca Parmitano spent 6 hours and 16 minutes performing repairs to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Google will charge law enforcement and government agencies to access user data
Google has begun charging law enforcement for access to user data, with fees of $45 for a subpoena, $60 for a wiretap, and $245 for a search warrant. With a high volume of requests from law enforcement agencies to hand over data, Google has decided to bring in charges to offset the costs of compiling this data.
Apple ordered to pay $85 million to WiLan in patent-infringement case
In a long and drawn-out case over patent infringement, Apple has been ordered to pay $85 million to Canadian company WiLan. This latest ruling comes from the U.S. District Court in San Diego. A jury ruled that Apple infringed patents and will have to pay WiLan's parent organization, Quarterhill Inc.
This planet is so hot it tears apart the hydrogen molecules in its atmosphere
The extreme forces acting on huge planets close to blistering stars lead to unexpected findings, like a planet that is hotter than most stars. The exoplanet KELT-9b, was the target of more research which revealed it is prone to planetwide meltdowns so severe they tear apart the molecules that make up its atmosphere.
Could Enceladus, the icy moon of Saturn, be capable of supporting life?
New research using data from Cassini suggests Enceladus, the moon of Saturn with an ocean hidden beneath a thick layer of ice, could be capable of supporting life. Cracks in the icy surface of the moon let out plumes of gases and sea spray, and data about these plumes can reveal more about the ocean hidden beneath.
Curiosity rover adjusts its attitude to its Martian surroundings
Like a surly teenager, everyone's favorite Martian explorer, NASA's Curiosity rover, suffered from an attitude problem last week. Attitude refers to a rover's ability to locate itself spatially, and it is essential for the rover to have accurate attitude information to move around and perform operations safely.
NASA’S NESSI instrument can pick out the atmospheres of distant exoplanets
NASA has a new tool to help in the hunt for exoplanets. The New Mexico Exoplanet Spectroscopic Survey Instrument, or NESSI, is an instrument on the Hale Telescope in San Diego which has been in testing since February 2018. Now, it's ready to start investigating the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system.
Celebrating Spitzer: NASA’s infrared telescope retiring after a 16-year mission
This week, NASA is saying goodbye to one of its most storied and productive telescopes: The Spitzer Space Telescope. As this remarkable 16-year mission draws to a close, we look back over its achievements and how its legacy will continue to inform astronomy and space exploration for years to come.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai warns of dangers of A.I. and calls for more regulation
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has warned about the dangers of unchecked A.I. and has said in an op-ed in the Financial Times that he believes that the area should be more tightly regulated, citing concerns such as the rise of deepfakes and potential abuses of facial recognition technology.
Studio Ghibli movies are coming to Netflix, but not in U.S. or Canada
Japanese animation fans will be pleased to hear Studio Ghibli movies are coming to Netflix, but only for an international audience. U.S. viewers will be able to stream Ghibli movies on HBO Max, but viewers outside of Northern America and Japan will be able to watch the movies on Netflix starting next month.
Terrifying Clearview app could be the end of anonymity in public places
New facial recognition technology could be used to identify anyone, anywhere, and it's already in use by police in the U.S. A tiny company called Clearview developed the app that can use an existing photo of a person to search for other photos of them online, along with links to where those photos are hosted.
Asteroid discovered orbiting inside Venus for the first time
Most asteroids in our solar system orbit around the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, or in a cluster in the orbit of Jupiter called the Trojans. Plus, there are Near-Earth asteroids that come close to the orbit of Earth. Now, for the first time, an asteroid has been discovered orbiting inside Venus.
Scientists image the progression of a solar flare for the first time
Our sun occasionally flashes brighter than usual in electromagnetic eruptions called solar flares. Now, scientists have released data on the first-ever flare captured moment by moment, pinpointing the exact time and place the flare burst out of the sun's surface with energy equivalent to 1 billion degrees.
Kyoto fireball was caused by a chunk falling off potentially hazardous asteroid
On April 29, 2017, something strange appeared over Kyoto, Japan: A bright, slow fireball streaking through the in the sky. At the time, astronomers were baffled as it what it could have been. But now, researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan have figured out what it was and where it came from.
Scientists come up with a method to make oxygen from moon dust
The moon is covered in fine dust called regolith which sticks to absolutely everything and causes all sorts of technical problems. But now, the European Space Agency has come up with a plan for the tricky substance: Turning it into oxygen to be used by lunar explorers for breathing and for the production of fuel.
Europe’s ExoMars rover completes environmental tests ahead of launch this year
NASA's Mars 2020 rover isn't the only robotic explorer set to head to the Red Planet this year. It will also be joined by the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover, as part of the ESA and Roscosmos ExoMars mission. The rover has now completed its final environmental tests before launch in July this year.