Category: Science

NASA will retire the ISS in 2030, sending it to Point Nemo, a remote Pacific zone known as the spacecraft cemetery. Most of the station will burn up during reentry, with remaining debris falling harmlessly into the sea. The controlled descent aims to avoid past mishaps and reflects a new era of commercial space stations.

A South Australian man’s car windshield was struck and melted by a mysterious object, prompting an investigation by the South Australian Museum. If confirmed as a meteorite, it would be the first known instance of one hitting a moving vehicle. Experts say only lab analyses can determine whether it was a rock or space debris.

Using ALMA, Keio University scientists measured a 5.13 K cosmic background temperature from 7 billion years ago—matching Big Bang predictions of universal cooling. This precise reading, based on quasar absorption data, is the most accurate at that epoch and offers strong confirmation of how the Universe’s temperature decreases over time.

Thousands of unexplained sky flashes captured in 1950s Palomar Observatory photos are being reanalysed. Scientists suspect they may have resulted from sunlight reflecting off early satellites or atmospheric changes after nuclear tests, which increased flash rates by up to 68%. Still, photographic artifacts remain a possible explanation.

In a breakthrough study, scientists merged data from Japan’s T2K and the U.S. NOvA neutrino experiments to explore why matter exists in the universe. The findings improve measurements of neutrino behavior and may help reveal whether these particles break symmetry with antimatter, offering vital clues to how the universe survived after the Big Bang.

Scientists from TU Dresden have created a laser drill that vaporises ice to reach potential subsurface oceans on Europa and Enceladus. Lighter and more energy-efficient than mechanical drills, it enables deep exploration with minimal power, paving the way for studying icy worlds and their potential for extraterrestrial life.

Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft, which studied Venus for nearly a decade, has been declared inoperable by JAXA. Successfully orbiting in 2015 after an initial failure, Akatsuki uncovered major insights into Venus’s swirling clouds and atmosphere. Its mission’s end leaves a gap until NASA’s VERITAS and DAVINCI+ missions take over.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has created the first-ever 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet, revealing the extreme conditions on WASP-18b, an “ultra-hot Jupiter” located 400 light-years away. Using infrared eclipse mapping, scientists discovered a scorching hotspot over 2,700 °C where water molecules are breaking apart. This groundbreaking observation confi…

India successfully launched its heaviest GEO communication satellite, CMS-03, aboard the LVM3-M5 rocket. The mission strengthens national communication networks, maritime tracking, and strategic connectivity across the region. Leaders praised ISRO’s achievement, calling it a major step for the country’s growing space capabilities and self-reliance in high-capacity…

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope observed a huge solar storm from EK Draconis, a young Sun-like star. The eruption’s energy may trigger atmospheric chemistry, forming greenhouse gases and organic molecules. Such events could mirror early solar activity that helped spark life on ancient Earth and distant exoplanets.

For the first time, scientists have directly observed twisting Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona using the Inouye Solar Telescope. The discovery could explain why the Sun’s outer atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than its surface, offering key insights into solar energy transfer and space weather prediction.

Scientists at NTU Singapore propose carbon-neutral data centers in low Earth orbit powered by solar energy and cooled by the vacuum of space. The concept could help meet rising AI demands while reducing land use and emissions, offering a sustainable alternative for the global computing industry.

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch carrying Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 lunar lander has been delayed to July 2026 due to ongoing testing. The mission, part of NASA’s CLPS program, will deliver multiple rovers and cultural payloads to the Moon, marking a key milestone for private lunar exploration.

Two Russian cosmonauts completed a six-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station, installing plasma and semiconductor experiments, servicing hardware, and preparing for future missions. The EVA, lasting nearly seven hours, marked the 277th in ISS history and advanced ongoing scientific research aboard the orbital outpost.

Researchers at Tsinghua University have created the world’s fastest optical AI chip, the OFE², which processes data using light at 12.5 GHz. The chip performs pattern-recognition tasks efficiently and consumes far less energy than traditional processors, promising a new generation of sustainable and ultrafast artificial intelligence.

LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observatories detected two extraordinary black hole collisions in late 2024—GW241011 and GW241110. The first involved a rapidly spinning black hole, while the second revealed one rotating opposite its orbit. These findings fit predictions for second-generation black holes, born from earlier mergers within crowded star clusters. The events mark a maj…

Scientists have discovered that Earth’s morning-side magnetosphere is negatively charged, overturning decades of assumptions about space electricity. Satellite data and simulations show the charge pattern flips near the equator but remains traditional at the poles. The breakthrough reshapes understanding of space weather and may also clarify electric behavior around…

SpaceX is developing a simplified Starship mission for NASA’s Artemis III Moon landing, targeting a quicker and safer return of astronauts. As NASA reopens the lander contract amid delays, SpaceX says its refined Starship design could take on more mission roles, advancing lunar exploration toward the first crewed landing this decade.

Scientists have detected two unusual black hole mergers showing signs of “second-generation” origins — meaning each large black hole likely formed from an earlier merger. The gravitational-wave signals also matched Einstein’s predictions on spinning black holes, offering fresh proof of general relativity and new insights into how black holes grow in crowded st…

Scientists using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have detected Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona, potentially solving the long-standing mystery of its extreme heat and helping refine models of solar and stellar energy transfer.

NASA’s X-59 experimental jet has completed its first flight, demonstrating quiet supersonic technology that could one day allow faster-than-sound travel over populated areas. The test marks a major step toward lifting U.S. restrictions on supersonic flight and could revolutionize commercial aviation.

SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on October 27, 2025. The Falcon 9 booster B1082 returned safely to the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You after its 17th flight, marking SpaceX’s 137th orbital mission this year and advancing its growing Starlink broadband network.

Researchers at The Ohio State University have turned mushrooms into organic memory devices that mimic brain-like computing. The fungal circuits, powered by shiitake and button mushrooms, can switch between electrical states thousands of times per second, offering a biodegradable, low-cost alternative to conventional microchips.

MIT physicists have developed a molecular technique using radium monofluoride that lets electrons probe inside atomic nuclei, replacing particle accelerators and offering new insight into matter–antimatter asymmetry.

Laboratory experiments reveal that radiation striking Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus can create simple organic molecules, reshaping how scientists interpret Cassini’s data and highlighting radiation’s key role in the chemistry of icy moons.

AI-powered models are transforming storm surge forecasting by generating accurate coastal flood predictions in minutes. Using past storm data and neural networks, these systems outperform traditional physics models, helping coastal communities prepare faster as climate change drives stronger hurricanes and higher seas.

New telescope images show interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS ejecting a giant jet of gas and dust toward the Sun. Scientists say the phenomenon confirms its natural cometary behaviour, offering clues about how such ancient interstellar visitors react to solar heat.

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft may soon pass through the ion tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, offering a rare opportunity to sample material from beyond our solar system. Scientists say this encounter could yield valuable insights into the formation and evolution of star systems.

A new super-Earth, GJ 251 c, has been found orbiting a nearby red dwarf star within its habitable zone. About four times Earth’s mass, it may host liquid water. Detected via the radial-velocity method using Penn State’s Habitable Zone Planet Finder, it’s a prime target in the search for life.

Fossils from New Mexico’s San Juan Basin, dated to just 350,000 years before the asteroid impact, prove dinosaurs remained diverse and abundant until their sudden extinction. The study debunks the belief they were fading beforehand, showing a vibrant Late Cretaceous ecosystem teeming with hadrosaurs and sauropods.