Off-World (Page 21)

Latest in Off-World

Something punched gigantic holes through the Milky Way. There's little evidence at the cosmic crime scene, but scientists suspect it was dark matter.

A “Dense Bullet of Something” Blasted Holes in the Milky Way

By Dan Robitzski

The U.S. Navy is working on new guidelines for its personnel to report UFO sightings and other mysterious aerial phenomena.

The U.S. Navy Will Start Taking UFO Sightings Much More Seriously

By Victor Tangermann

Scientists suspect that one of the stars in the Big Dipper isn't native to the Milky Way. Instead, it likely got sucked up in a galactic collision,

This Star Drifted Into the Milky Way From Another Galaxy

By Dan Robitzski

The ISS is about to test a new algae bioreactor that turns carbon dioxide to food and breathable oxygen. If it works, it could allow deep space missions.

The ISS Now Has an “Algae Bioreactor” Generating Oxygen and Food

By Dan Robitzski

Hubble scientists just assembled a dizzying composite image made of 16 years of Hubble Space Telescope observations that includes 265,000 galaxies.

Tiny Specks Zoom Into Beautiful Galaxies In Amazing Hubble Image

By Dan Robitzski

Asteroid samples gathered by the Japanese space probe Hayabusa contain water-rich minerals, suggesting that asteroid impacts could bring water to planets.

A Japanese Probe Just Found Water on an Asteroid

By Dan Robitzski

In 2024, China may launch a robotic space probe to gather and return samples from a nearby asteroid. The mission aims to learn how asteroids form.

China Is Planning a Mission to Deep Space

By Dan Robitzski

It's about to be Winter on Pluto. When it is, scientists predict that Pluto's entire atmosphere will condense into a layer of frost.

In 11 Years, Pluto’s Atmosphere Will Be Completely Frozen Solid

By Dan Robitzski

In 2029, the asteroid 99942 Apophis will fly past Earth close enough to look like a shooting star. NASA is planning ahead to learn as much as possible.

When This Asteroid Zips by Earth, Scientists May Hitch a Ride

By Dan Robitzski

Scientists Plan to 3D Print Muscular Tissue on the Space Station

Scientists Plan to 3D Print Muscular Tissue on the Space Station

By Dan Robitzski

To reconcile the recently-confirmed, faster rate of universal expansion, researchers suggest that the cosmos may be younger than they previously assumed.

The Universe Might Be a Billion Years Younger Than We Thought

By Dan Robitzski

A scientist argues that the sheer volume of potentially habitable planets and moons coupled with the existence of water in space makes life inevitable.

Scientist: “Alien Life Now Seems Inevitable and Possibly Imminent”

By Dan Robitzski

Next week, the European Space Agency will live-tweet an exercise where volunteers play out how a hypothetical asteroid impact might unfold.

The European Space Agency Will Live-Tweet a Mock Asteroid Impact

By Dan Robitzski

New data from the Hubble Space Telescope all-but confirms past findings that the rate of the universe's expansion has accelerated over time.

Hubble Data: The Universe Is Expanding Faster and Faster

By Dan Robitzski

A lawyer argues that we should set up international agreements that would let us nuke an incoming asteroid before it's too late.

Lawyer: Make a Rule Saying We Can Nuke Apocalyptic Asteroids

By Dan Robitzski

DARPA announced plans to invest in space-traveling droids that could repair high-altitude satellites, which would drive down the cost of new satellites.

The Pentagon Wants to Build Satellite-Repairing Droids

By Dan Robitzski

A cat named Pikachu, who died and was cremated in January, will be the first cat to have its ashes launched out into space.

A Dead Cat Named Pikachu Is Getting Launched Into Space

By Dan Robitzski

The European Space Agency just greenlit a UK aerospace manufacturer's tests of a novel air-breathing rocket engine that sucks up atmospheric oxygen.

Amazing New Rocket Engine Sucks up Atmospheric Oxygen for Fuel

By Victor Tangermann

When India blew up a satellite, it introduced a lot of debris into orbit. Lockheed Martin's experimental Space Fence is keeping an eye on it.

India Blew up a Satellite. Now A “Space Fence” Is Tracking Its Debris

By Dan Robitzski

Harvard astronomers found evidence that 'Oumuamua isn't the only interstellar visitor we've had in recent years. Others may have crashed into the Earth.

An Interstellar Rock Like ‘Oumuamua May Have Hit Earth In 2014

By Dan Robitzski

After an outpouring of anger about the project on social media, PepsiCo no longer says it plans to launch a space billboard.

After Backlash, Pepsi Says It Never Planned a Space Billboard

By Jon Christian

In a rare find, scientists found what they think are fragments of a comet sealed away deep inside of a meteorite that struck Antarctica.

Scientists Found a Chunk of a Comet Inside a Meteorite

By Dan Robitzski

A video of mice in microgravity reveals that the animals quickly adapted to their off-world conditions, running, eating, and cleaning themselves.

Space Station Mice Learned to Propel Themselves in Zero Gravity

By Kristin Houser

New research shows that metallic asteroids may have once been home to volcanoes, as molten metal trapped beneath the surface erupted outward.

Explosive Research: Some Asteroids May Have Had Volcanoes

By Dan Robitzski

The leader of Asgardia warns that world leaders must do more to prepare for a potentially life-threatening asteroid impact.

The “Space Nation” Warns That an Asteroid Could Wipe out Humanity

By Kristin Houser

A distant asteroid named 6478 Gault likely fell prey to the YORP effect — sunlight caused it to spin so fast that it's ripping apart.

Astronomers Just Spotted an Asteroid Ripping Itself Apart

By Dan Robitzski

India Just Shot Down a Satellite With a Missile

India Just Shot Down a Satellite With a Missile

By Victor Tangermann

Organisms Survived on the Outside of the Space Station

Organisms Survived on the Outside of the Space Station

By Victor Tangermann

To save money on future missions, Japan's space agency is working to develop remote-controlled robots that can handle menial or dangerous tasks in space.

Japan Wants to Send Telepresence Robots to Space

By Dan Robitzski

This ultra-high-definition 360 degree visualization comes courtesy of data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA's Ames supercomputer.

360-Degree Video Puts You in the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy

By Victor Tangermann

A new antimicrobial coating kept bacteria from growing on the International Space Station's door, which could protect immune-compromised astronauts.

Scientists’ New Goal: Make the ISS Bathroom Less Disgusting

By Dan Robitzski

Leaders from 25 nations, including China, Russia, and the U.S. are currently meeting in Geneva to draft laws that would prevent a space arms race.

25 Governments Are Meeting Right Now to Prevent a Space Arms Race

By Dan Robitzski

The Japanese Space Agency just announced that Hayabusa2, the same robotic probe that landed on an asteroid, will drop a bomb on it and mine the fragments.

Japan Announces Plan to Bomb Asteroid

By Dan Robitzski

A team at Japanese space agency JAXA is preparing to shoot a metallic bullet at the surface of Ryugu, a tiny 1km asteroid.

A Japanese Spacecraft Is About to Shoot an Asteroid With a Bullet

By Victor Tangermann

The Pentagon Wants an Orbital Space Weapon to Blast Enemy Missiles

The Pentagon Wants an Orbital Space Weapon to Blast Enemy Missiles

By Jon Christian

A new scientific hypothesis posits that interstellar rocks like 'Oumuamua could have helped form planets throughout the galaxy.

Interstellar Visitor Like ‘Oumuamua May Have Formed Earth’s Core

By Dan Robitzski

See the Most Breathtaking Views of the Martian Surface Yet

See the Most Breathtaking Views of the Martian Surface Yet

By Victor Tangermann

Every picture of the solar system shows Venus as our closest neighbor. Sure, it comes closer to Earth than any planet, but on average Mercury is closer.

Mercury Is Every Planet in the Solar System’s Closest Neighbor

By Dan Robitzski

A planned space hotel will import its own water from Earth, so that guests won't be forced to drink recycled urine like on the International Space Station.

Luxurious Space Hotel Will Import Water Instead of Recycling Pee

By Jon Christian

China has announced the "imminent launch" of the first mission to build its new orbital space station, according to state and local media.

China Announces “Imminent Launch” of New Space Station

By Jon Christian

JAXA releases a video of its Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully landing on tiny asteroid Ryugu and shooting it with a bullet.

New Video Shows Japanese Probe Shooting Asteroid With Bullet

By Victor Tangermann

Virgin Galactic released some incredible high-definition footage of its space plane VSS Unity's second flight into space.

Check Out This Stunning Footage of Virgin Galactic’s Space Plane

By Victor Tangermann

A new space imaging system could prevent satellite collisions by monitoring the sky with unprecedented resolution during daylight hours.

“Game-Changing” Camera Could Prevent Satellite Collisions

By Kristin Houser

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos thinks humanity will "live in giant O'Neal-style space colonies," according to a recent interview rather than settling on planets.

Jeff Bezos: In the Future, We’ll Live In “Giant Space Colonies”

By Victor Tangermann

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wants to send its first passengers to space as soon as this year aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

Jeff Bezos: New Shepard Will Launch First People Into Space “This Year”

By Victor Tangermann

Virgin Galactic's suborbital space plane VSS Unity reached a maximum altitude (apogee) of 240,000 feet or 45 miles(73 km) on its fifth test flight.

Virgin Galactic’s Space Plane Soars to New Heights

By Victor Tangermann

Scientists have discovered a star in the Andromeda Galaxy that explodes every year — the first of its kind in the known universe.

Scientists Discovered a Star That Explodes Every Year

By Jon Christian

Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 just touched down on the surface of Ryugu for the third time to collect samples after firing a bullet at its surface.

Japan Just Landed a Robot Spacecraft on an Asteroid

By Victor Tangermann

A new tool called the TreePol spectropolarimeter could someday scan for extraterrestrial life without picking up any false positives.

New Gadget Detects Lifeforms From Long Distances

By Dan Robitzski

A team of engineers at the University of Surrey launched a 4.9 foot harpoon from a satellite at a piece of space debris to catch it out of the sky.

Watch a Harpoon Attached to a Satellite Spear a Piece of Space Debris

By Victor Tangermann

Surveys of all the matter in the universe missed about a third of what was predicted by calculations. Scientists may have finally found the missing stash.

Scientists May Have Finally Found the Universe’s Missing Matter

By Dan Robitzski

Chinese scientists recently announced plans to build and launch a solar power plant that would float in outer space and beam electricity down.

China Is Building a Solar Power Station in Space

By Dan Robitzski

The Gateway Foundation showed off its latest vision of the future: the Von Braun Rotating Space Station.

Watch This Epic “Trailer” for the Commercial Lunar Space Station

By Victor Tangermann

A newly released Pentagon report details the laser weapons likely in development by China and Russia to attack U.S. satellites.

Pentagon Warns That Enemies Could Shoot US Satellites With Lasers

By Kristin Houser

Scientists Want to Build a Space Station Inside an Asteroid

Scientists Want to Build a Space Station Inside an Asteroid

By Dan Robitzski

UK Startup Shows Off World’s Largest 3D Printed Rocket Engine

UK Startup Shows Off World’s Largest 3D Printed Rocket Engine

By Victor Tangermann

Hexoskin's new smart shirt can track astronauts' vital signs, including blood oxygen, heart rate, and skin temperature.

This Smart “Astroskin” Shirt Tracks Astronauts’ Vital Signs

By Victor Tangermann

Russian media is reporting that the American toilet on the International Space Station (ISS) burst late last week, spilling gallons of fluid.

Russia Says the American Toilet on the Space Station Blew Up

By Jon Christian

Here’s a New Image of Russia’s Secret Uncrewed Spacecraft

Here’s a New Image of Russia’s Secret Uncrewed Spacecraft

By Victor Tangermann

A new 3D map of the Milky Way galaxy shows a different structure than scientists expected. It turns out the outer disk is all warped out of shape.

The Milky Way is a Lot More Warped Than Scientists Thought

By Dan Robitzski

A team of four universities is working on the comprehensive guide to all existing space law, a field they argue is currently too jumbled to make sense of.

These Four Universities Are Trying to Figure Out Space Law

By Dan Robitzski

A new study found that spaceflight was associated with changes in the brain's white matter, causing it to age faster. But consequences are still unknown.

Alarming Research: Zero Gravity Makes Astronauts’ Brains Age Faster

By Victor Tangermann

Despite "less than 0.3% of the budget of large international projects," a team of Japanese astronomers found a tiny object at the edge of our Solar System.

Astronomers Find Rare, Distant Space Object With $3,000 Telescope

By Victor Tangermann

This Ridiculous Startup Wants to Roast Coffee in Space

This Ridiculous Startup Wants to Roast Coffee in Space

By Victor Tangermann