Nancy Grace Roman

Nancy Grace Roman, NASA's first chief of astronomy and a force behind the Hubble Space Telescope and other projects, died December 25.

She was 93.

Ultima Thule

NASA's New Horizons probe will make a flyby of Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule on January 1.

Ultima Thule had not yet been discovered when New Horizons was launched.

Solar Activity

A relatively new theory holds the Sun is more variable than we assune.

A blast of solar plasma could have ended the last Ice Age literally overnight, for example, says the theory.

The Drake Equation

Frank Drake created an equation nearly 60 years ago that tried to estimate the number of advanced civilizations in the galaxy.  It's still referenced.

Should it be?  We've learned a lot in six decades, but we still have no firm grasp of many of the variables in Drake.  Maybe we need a new approach.

Starship Test Flights

Elon Musk has announced his new Starship/Super Heavy configuration should begin test flights early next year.

That ship is intended to tale humans to Mars.

Earthrise

The famed "Earthrise" picture was taken fifty years ago today by astronaut  William Anders.

It has become one of the most influential photographs ever taken.

Korolev Crater

Korolev Crater is a roughly 50 mile wide crater near Mars' north pole.  A permanent ice pack rests on its floor.

At points, the crater is deeper than Esrth's Grand Canyon.

Apollo 8

Fifty years ago today, Apollo 8 launched to the Moon.

As long as humans explore, Apollo 8 will have an honored place in our history.

Space Command

President Trump is re-establishing the U. S. Space Command to coordinate space defense issues.

The original Space Command was disbanded after 9/11 as the focus shifted to the War On Terror.

Saturn's Rings

A new study suggests Saturn's rings are temporary.

They could be gone in between 100 to 300 million years.

2018 VG18

Astronomers have found an object, dessignated 2018 VG18, that's 100 times farther from the Sun than the Earth is.

At that distance, it probably takes 1,000 Earth years for 2018 VG18 to complete one orbit of the Sun.

Planetary Protection

The NASA Advisory Council is recommending a review of the agency's planetary protection policies..

In light of planned future missions and our evolving understanding of life, the Council thinks updating current policies would be useful.

Private Spaceflight

Virgin Galactic isn't the only company offering private spaceflight.  Blue Origin is planning suborbital flights launched atop a conventional rocket, and SpaceX is offering a looping flight around the Moon.

None of those companies has flown passengers yet, however.

SpaceShipTwo

Virgin Galactic successfully flew its SpaceShipTwo into space in a test flight this week.

Commercial flights should begin next year.

Steph Curry

NBA star Steph Curry, who went to college at Davidson, says he doesn't believe humans landed on the Moon.

It's an indictment of American education.  Equally, it suggests Mr. Curry has a low opinion of the abilities of mankind generally and of the honor and integrity of those who worked on Apollo specifically.

Bennu Water

NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe has already made a big discovery at Bennu-- the rock's parent body had water.

Scientists think that body was a Main Belt asteroid.

Voyager

Both Voyager spacecraft are now in inrerstellar space.

NASA hopes they will continue to function for 10 more years.

Linda Moulton Howe

Linda Moulton Howe is predicting a major announcement about ET life will be made early next year.

Last year, of course, she made the same prediction for 2018, and, so far, it hasn't happened.

Chang'e 4

China successfully launched its Chang'e 4 mission yesterday.

The mission aims to execute the first landing on the far side of the Moon.

Helium Tail

Astronomers have found a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small star 163 light years away.  The world sports a  huge tail of helium.

The world was observed using a ground-based telescope.

Apollo 17

Today is the 46th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 17.

It remains the latest time humans ventured beyond low Earth orbit.

Third Boost

SpaceX successfully launched 64 satellites this week on a booster that had been used twice before.

It's another step forward.

Bennu

The OSIRIS-Rex probe is now at asteroid Bennu, settling in for a nearly two year study.

Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid roughly the length of the Empire State Building.

Cosmic Airburst

Scientists have found evidence that a body exploded in midair just north of the Dead Sea 3,700 years ago, wiping out human life within a 200 square mile area.

Such an event in that area at that time certainly brings to mind the biblical story of Sodom and Gamorrah.

OSIRIS-REx

NASA''s OSIRIS-REx probe will arrive at the asteroid Bennu Monday.

After around 19 months studying Bennu, the mission will attempt a sample return.

To The Moon

NASA has announced nine companies, large and small, that will be part of its effort to return to the Moon.

The agency wants to encourage commercial enterprise in space.

Musk

Elon Musk said recently there's a 70% chance that he will go to Mars.

We'll see.

Successful Landing

Mars InSight successfully landed yesterday afternoon.

The mission will be to study the interior of Mars.

Mars InSight

NASA's Mars InSight lander is scheduled to touch down later today.

Landing safely on Mars has always been a challenge-- the planet is littered with failures-- so we'll see what happens.

Wobbling Hotspots

Astronomers have found "wobbling hotspots" at the center of our galaxy that are more proof of a supermassive black hole.

The hotspots are associated with an accretion disk.

VG Orbital

Virgin Galactic successfully completed a test flight of its orbital system this week.

Orbital flights are due to commence next year.

BFR To Starship

Elon Musk has announced a new name for his BFR spaceflight stack.

The booster will now be Super Heavy, and the space vehicle, Starship.

ISS

Twenty years ago today, the first component of ISS was launched.

While some question the ultimate value and utility of the project, good science has been done on ISS, and any project that keeps competing powers working together peacefully for twenty-odd years has some value.

Lunar 3D Printing

ESA researchers recently used simulated lunar regolith to 3D print small items like screws, gears, and even a coin.

More testing needs to be done, but this might be a glimpse of the future.

SpaceX Launch

SpaceX has successfully launched another satellite with a first stage rocket that has flown before.

The first stage landed softly on a ship, so it could potentially fly yet again.

Greenland

Scientists have found a 20-mile wide circular feature under the Greenland ice sheet that could be an impact crater.

The age of the feature could be anywhere from three million to 12,000 years.  Much more work needs to be done.

Barnard's Star

Barnard's Star, a red dwarf only 6 light years away, may have a super-Earth orbiting it, new research suggests.

It may also have a second planet.

UFO

Tucker Carlson had a segment on his show last night reporting on a recent UFO sighting by commercial pilots over Ireland.

Carlson has committed to steady coverage of the subject.

Rovers

Curiosity, after a time of troubles, is back functioning well.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Mars, Opportunity, having been hit by a huge dust storm, remains silent.

Perspective

Alibaba has announced sales of $30 billion on Singles' Day.  One day.

That's half again as much as NASA's current annual budget.

Seeking Life

Breakthrough Initiatives is considering privately funded missions to seek life in this Solar System.

Possible targets include Europa, Enceladus, and the high clouds of Venus.

Relic?

Scientists have found a star in our galaxy they think might be 13.5 billion years old.

That would make it nearly as old as the universe itself.

Mini-BFR Ship

SpaceX is planning to flight test a mini-BFR ship atop a Falcon 9 rocket next year.

The company plans to send people to Mars in the 2020s.

Life

A new study suggests life could spread between stars on objects like Oumuamua.

It further suggests life could also spread between galaxies.

Lakes On Mars

Scientists have more evidence that Mars once had lakes of water on its surface.

Some lakes were fed by rivers, others by underground springs, and still others by precipitation.

Spreading Life

A new study suggests life can travel from planet to planet.

That makes the seven worlds of the TRAPPIST-1 system absolutely fascinating.

Moon Direct

Robert Zubrin, of Mars Direct fame, is now proposing a Moon Direct plan to kickstart lunar exploration.

The plan calls for establishing a base in the lunar polar regions where water and solar energy are readily available.

Dawn

NASA's Dawn spacecraft ran out of fuel this week.

It was the first probe to orbit two worlds.

Arecibo

Today is the 55th anniversary of operations for the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Damaged last year by Hurricane Maria, Arecibo is functioning, and updates are planned.

Kepler

Kepler has run out of fuel.  Its mission is over.

During that mission, it found well over 2,000 confirmed exoplsmets, with another 2,000 yet to be confirmed.

WAR OF THE WORLDS

Eighty years ago tonight, Orson Welles' radio version of WAR OF THE WORLDS, as this world was slipping into real war, rattled the nation, reportedly resulting in a few suicides.

Since then, space aliens have become a regular element of American, and world, pop culture.

Old Glenn

John Glenn returned to space this day in 1997.

He was 77.

Mars Cloud

A bright white cloud has been present in the atmosphere of Mars for weeks.

Scientists say it's an ice cloud, made of water vapor.

Perspective

Amazon is reporting quarterly revenues of about $56 billion.

That's nearly three times NASA's annual budget.

Soyuz

The next crewed Soyuz launch is slated for December.

Three unmanned launches are scheduled before that.

Europan Pumes?

Scientists have thought they spotted plumes rising from Jupiter's moon Europa, but research using Galileo data has found no hotspots to power such plumes.

The results are not conclusive, but they are interesting.

Martian Oxygen

A new study suggests that salty underground water on Mars has enough oxygen to support microbial life-- and maybe even simple animal forms.  Such life could even be alive today.

Of course, extant life on Mars would complicate the question of whether humans should colonize the planet.

BepiColumbo

The BepiColumbo mission is on its way to Mercury.

The mission is a joint project of Europe and Japan.

Moon Race

There's a new private Moon rave, joined by ESA and the Mexican Space Agency as well as companies like Blue Origin.

The goal is a lunar landing by 2024.

More Venus

A group outside of NASA. which includes Randa Milliron, CEO of Interorbital Systems, is also looking at sending a manned mission to the high atmosphere of Venus, which in fact is likely the most Earth-like environment in the Solar System beyond Earth.

Milliron has also proposed establishing a floating city in the atmosphere of Venus.

Venus

NASA is looking at a plan to send humans to Venus.  They would not land, but rather float in airships high in the atmosphere.

The technology to fly the mission exists now, but NASA views it as a long range possibility.

Planet Puzzle

Astronomers have found a star only 2 million years old that has four gas giant planets.

How that has happened is unclear.

Paul Allen

Paul Allen, financial muscle behind The SETI Institute's Hat Creek radio telescope array and Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne, has died of cancer.

He was 65.

Cassini

On this day in 1997, Cassini launched to Saturn.

The probe performed brilliantly for years, giving us an entirely new view of the Saturnian system.

Project Blue Book

A dramatic series about Project Blue Book, the U. S. Air Force's UFO investigation, will run on The History Channel.

It's scheduled to debut in January.

Apollo 7

Fifty years ago, Apollo 7, the first Apollo mission, was orbiting Earth.

It was also 476 years after Christopher Columbus discovered his New World.

Soyuz Failure

A Soyiz launch to ISS failed this morning, forcing an emergency landing.

Both men aboard are safe.

Rick Seafross

Astronaut Rick Seafross, veteran of three shuttle flights, has died.

He was 62.

Earthrise

Two lunar craters visible in the iconic EARTHRISE photo taken by Bill Anders on Apollo 8 have been named to honor the mission.  They are "Anders' Earthrise" and "8 Homeward."

This is the 50th anniversary year of Apollo 8.

SpaceX

SpaceX successfully launched a rocket from California and softly landed the booster.

It's a West Coast first.

Rockets

The United Launch Alliance is buying the engine for its next booster from Blue Origin.

It's a major step for the upstart New Space companies.

Lockheed's Lunar Lander

Lockheed Martin is proposing a huge, reusable lunar lander for a future return to the Moon.  The lander would carry up to four astronauts, be based at a space station in lunar orbit, and could serve as a base for up to two weeks.

The lunar lander would be a precursor to the company's proposed Mars lander.

Possible Exomoon

Astronomers may have found the first exomoon, a Neptune-sized body orbiting a Jupiter-sized exoplanet 8,000 light years away.

The pair seems to orbit within the habitable zone of a sunlike star.

Ryigu

A third small rover, this one from Germany, has joined two from Japan on the asteroid Ryugu.

All three hop to rove, and all three are doing fine.

Planet Nine

Astronomers have found objects far out in the Solar System that orbit the Sun in ways that suggest the gravity of a massive, unknown planet is tugging on them.

Such a world so far out would be inconsistent with the current theory of planetary formation.

Dimensions

A new study suggests the universe operates in only three dimensions, supporting Einstein's general relativity.

If there are more dimensions, they are tiny.

Space 2030

There is an initiative at the United Nations, in which small nations like Malta and Cyprus are taking major roles, to develop space policy for the years ahead.

The initiative is called "Space 2030."

Musk On Mars

Elon Musk says we could have a base on Mars by 2028.

Musk has always pushed the envelope on such predictions, but he has also made lots of things work.

Exploring

NASA plans to build a space station in lunar orbit starting in 2022, have astronauts there by 2026, and go to Mars in the 2030s.

That would be an interesting couple of decades.

Oumuamua

The asteroid Oumuamua is from another solar system, but which one has been a mystery.

Scientists have now narrowed the possibilities to four stars.

Underground Martians

A new study finds life could have survived underground on Mars for an extremely long time.

The question is whether life arose in the first place.

Antarctic Greenhouse

A greenhouse experiment in Antarctica has produced a substantial harvest of veggies and herbs over the brutal polar winter.

It's encouraging news foe future settlers of Mars.

Hoppimg Rovers

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has successfully landed two tiny rovers on the asteroid Ryuga.

The rovers will traverse the surface by hopping.

Ice Volcanoes

A new study suggests Ceres was once home to several ice volcanoes.

Now, there's only one huge one left.

Bezos

According to reports, Blue Origin plans to fly people into space next year.

Also, Jeff Bezos will invest $1 billion in BO next year.

To The Moon

SpaceX will fly a Japanese billionaire around the Moon using its giant BFR rocket.

The flight is scheduled to go by 2023.

NASA

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of the creation of NASA.

It was created in response to Sputnik, as a Cold War agency, beat the Soviets to the Moon, gave us a new understanding of the universe, and is poised to put humans on Mars.  Not bad.

Sunspot

The Sunspot Observatory in New Mexico is re-opening today after being shut down for ten days by the FBI.

The FBI was apparently conducting a criminal investigation.

Leak

Russia is leading an investigation into the August 30 leak in a Soyuz docked at ISS.

The station crew quickly plugged the leak.

To The Moon

SpaceX plans to fly a private passenger to the Moon atop its BFR rocket.

Details of the flight will be announced Monday.

Highly Habitable

Sophisticated new computer simulations show Proxima Centauri b could have large amounts of surface water.

The closest exoplanet to Earth, 4.22 light years away, might be "highly habitable."

Wolf 503b

Wolf 503b is a rare find-- a world larger than Earth, but smaller than Neptune.  For whatever reason, there seems to be few worlds in that gap.

It's also only 145 light years away, so it can be studied in detail.

FRBs

Astronomers don't know what FRBs are-- they might be alien energy pulses that push starships-- but they have discovered they might find more of them using AI.

Applying AI to an August 2017 event turned up 72 more FRBs.

Pluto

The Great Pluto Debate is on again.

Some researchers are arguing for a simpler definition of a planet, based largely on mass, that would include Pluto.

Musk Speaks

Elon Musk, in a podcast, said our universe is likely a simulation.

He also argued it's extremely important that humanity moves into space.

Kepler Lives

Kepler, NASA's planet hunting spacecraft, which was shut down in July, has come back online.

It's not known whether the spacecraft will be useful.

Life

New research suggests life could exist on water worlds.

That expands once again the possibilities for life.

TRAPPIST-1

New research shows all seven of the worlds in the TRAPPIST-1 system are rocky and have water.

The system id only 40 light yeats away.

Leak

NASA says the leak on ISS has been patched.

Astronauts had to tend to the leak Saturday.

Water On Juputer

A new study suggests water may be abundant in the atmosphere of Jupiter.

Specifically, water seems to be associated with the Great Red Spot.

FIRST MAN

FIRST MAN,  a film version of Neil Armstrong's life, will leave out the scene showing Armstrong planting the American Flag on the Moon.

The movie's producers argue the first lunar landing was an accomplishment of humanity, not a single nation.  Whatever weight that may have, not showing a climactic scene in an historic story seems odd.

Leak

The Soyuz spacecraft docked at ISS sprung a leak yesterday.

The station crew successfully plugged it.

Spy Satellites

The next generation of U. S. spy satellites will be cheaper, more numerous, and fly in low Earth orbit.

They will be designed to respond to rapidly changing threats.

Prospecting Luna

Russia and Europe are cooperating to search for water and other volatiles on the Moon.

It's another step towards settlement.

Jupiter

Jupiter seems to have hit a slow patch in its growth early on, a new study says.

The study suggests the planet grew by accreting medium-sized bodies.  Collisions with larger bodies produced more heat than added mass.

Signals

The merger of binary neutron stars could serve as a platform for the signal of a civilization seeking attention, a new paper suggests.

It could even work beyond the home galaxy.

ET

In the wake of the revelation of Pentagon interest in UFOs, Linda Moulton Howe is predicting an announcement about extraterrestrial life yet this year.

We'll see.

Time Reversal?

According to a new study. the creation of a black hole may produce time-reversed gamma ray bursts.

Yes, it's strange.

Exoplanet Water

A new study indicates most worlds two to four times larger than Earth have plenty of water.

That would raise interesting possibilities.

Lunar Water

A new study found water on the surface of thr Moon near both poles.

That's good news for future settlement.

India

India is aiming to launch its first astronaut into space by 2022.

It would become only the fourth nation to do so.

Opportunity

NASA hasn't heard from Opportunity since June 10.

The planet-wide dust storm on Mars is weakening, however.

Melting Permafrost

A NASA study argues that as permafrost melts it will release underground carbon and methane-- greenhouse gases-- into the atmosphere, thus accelerating climate change.

The process could take mere decades.

Minimoons

Earth's gravity temporarily captures many tiny asteroids.  They are called minimoons.

They could provide relatively easy asteroid sampling opportunities.

Perspective

Walmart has announced quarterly revenues of $128 billion.

That's more than six times NASA's annual budget.

WOW

On this day in 1977, astronomers at Ohio State detected the WOW! signal.

To date, the signal remains unexplained in natural terms.

STAR TREK

A new STAR TREK project is in the works.

Patrick Stewart will again star as Jean-Luc Picard.

Success

NASA successively launched its Parker Solar Probe Sunday.

Parker is a seven year mission to study the Sun.

Launch Delay

Launch of NASA's Parker Solar Probe was delayed this morning due to a glitch with the rocket.

NASA plans to try again Sunday morning.

Space Force Continued

The Trump administration is planning to have a space force up and running in 2020,with an initial expenditure of $8 billion.

Much of America's critical infrastructure is now in space and vulnerable to attack.

The Next Battlefield

The plan to build a U. S. Space Force is moving ahead.

The Trump administration sees space as "the next battlefield."

Mars Conference

SpaceX is hosting an invitee-only conference on Mars in Boulder, Colorado, this week.

The company seems to be reaching out to the broader science community in order to strengthen its colonization effort.

Cargo Rockets

The Pentagon is looking at using rockets to deliver badly needed cargo to far-flung places.

Point-to-point transportation is an emerging industry.

Curiosity

Six years ago today, the Curiosity rover landed on Mars.

Since then, it has performed exceedingly well, strengthening the case for life.

Fast Radio Bursts

On July 25, a mysterious signal from space was picked ip.

At least one researcher says alien contact cannot be ruled out.

New Astronauts

NASA introduced its first class of commercial astronauts today.

They will fly the SpaceX Dragon and the Boeing Starliner.

SETI Scale

SETI researchers are developing a scale to tell the public how important a signal they pick up might be.

Zero would be unimportant, while 10 would be extremely important.

Mars

Today, Mars is the closest it's been to Earth since 2003.

It won't be as close again until 2287.

July 31

On this date in 1971, Dave Scott became the first driver of a Moonbuggy.

Today also marks the 60th birthday of NASA, which was created under Eisenhower, not Kennedy.

Dust Storm

The giant dust storm on Mars is blowing itself out, according to NASA.

It could still take weeks or months for the atmosphere to clear, however.

TESS

NASA's new planet hunting spacecraft, TESS, has begun gathering data.

TESS will look at the 200,000 nearest stars.

VG Getting Close

Virgin Galactic executed another successful test flight yesterday.

VG could be flying paying customers yet this year.  Tickets are $250,000 each.

Super Puffs

Astronomers have found two exoplanets with densities similar to cotton candy. 

They are called super puffs.

Water On Mars

Scientists have found evidence of a lake under the south polar ice cap on Mars.

The lake would be about 12.5 miles across under a mile of ice.

Galactic Collision

A new study suggests the Milky Way once had a running mate galaxy that was destroyed in a collision with the Andromeda Galaxy.

The study was done with computer simulations.

Europa

A new study suggests a lander on Europa wwoldn't have to dig deep to find evidence of life.

A couple inches should do it.

The Right Stuff

When Mike Collins was orbiting the back side of the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, alone, cut off from radio contact with Earth, he was as isolated as any human has ever been.

He said it was fun.

Apollo 11

Today is the 49th anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon.

No matter what humanity eventually achieves, the flight of Apollo 11will remain a proud accomplishment/

Jupiter's Moons

Astronomers have found 12 more moons orbiting Jupiter.

That brings the total, so far, to a robust 79.

Aliens

Some UFOlogists are suggesting that some of the small moons of Saturn are in fact alien spacecraft.

The notion is that digital techniques are used to mask the true nature of the objects.

Mars

Mars is very close to Earth this summer.  It's part of a roughly fifteen-year cycle.

When the cycle comes around to this part next time, humans might be at or on Mars.

Weapons In Space

President Trump seems to have gotten Vladimir Putin's attention with his decision to create a U. S. Space Force.

Mr. Putin is urging a ban on all weapons in space.

Mining Lunar Ice

According to people trying to bring it about, the commercial mining of lunar ice is about to begin.

They say the industry could start in ten years.

Cosmic Rays

Physicists have finally tracked energetic cosmic rays to a source-- an active galaxy four billion light years away.

It's a first step towards understanding them.

Ross 128b

A new study finds Ross 128b may be capable of supporting life.

It is only about 11light years away.

Israel

Israel plans to launch a Moon landing mission later this year.

Ir would be only the fourth nation3to reach the lunar surface.

Planetary Defense

The ESA is planning a mission to an asteroid as a way to test planetary defense skills.

Funding is pending.

Early Crust

A new study suggests Mars had a planetary crust only 20 million years after its formation, and the crust was stable for 100 million years.

That's good news for possible life.

Kepler

NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope is nearly out of fuel.

By the end of its mission, Kepler could well discover 5,000 worlds.

Life

A new study suggests life in the universe might be more rare than some hope.

The fact is, however, as the study acknowledges, that we don't know enough yet to say how common or uncommon life and civilization are.

Uranus

A new study using supercomputer-run simulations suggests Uranus was grazed by an object twice thee size of Earth 4 billion years ago.

That could explain why Uranus rolls around its orbit on its side, among other things.

Asteroids

A new study suggests that most of the asteroids that strike Earth come from a very few long gone worlds.

If correct, that would help identify future threats to Earth.

Elbow Room

Crossing the Milky Way at the speed of light would require 200,000 Earth years.

Our descendants will have lots of elbow room.

World UFO Day

Today is World UFO Day.

Establishment ridicule notwithstanding, the notion that aliens are visiting Earth is not crazy, given a good amount of suggestive evidence.  It's fair to remember The Establishment-- in science, politics, and the media-- want to remain The Establishment.

Tunguska

On this day 110 years ago, a small asteroid exploded over Tunguska, Siberia, leveling a huge expanse of fotest.

Earth is still vulnerable to such disasters.

Defining Life

Some theoretical physicists are arguing we need a broader definition of life to underrpin our search for ET.

They suggest, for example, that artificial intelligence could be considered a life form.

JWST

NASA is delaying launch of the James Webb Space Telescope until at least 2021.

It's the latest in a series of costly delays for the project.

Moving Stars

A new paper suggests it may be possible for an advanced civilizations could move stars to desired positions.

The paper suggests that might happen in 100 billion years to counter universal expansion.

Intermediate Black Hole

Astronomers have found an intermediate-sized black hole gobbling up a star.

For whatever reason, intermediate black holes are rare.

Blue Origin

Blue Origin says it will start selling tickets to suborbital flights next year.

So far. BO hasn't flown any humans.

Awesome Eruptions

A new study suggests some of the biggest volcanic eruptions in the history of the Solar System happened on Mars over a period of 500 million years, ending about 3 billion years ago.

Such a period would have completely reshaped the planet.

Martian Dust Storm

The dust storm on Mars has become a global event.

Curiosity, which is nuclear powered, is fine, but Opportunity, which is solar powered, is shut down for now.

Hackers

According to reports, China has hacked into American satellites and defense contractors.

The hackers could possibly have changed the satellites' orbits.

Ceres

New analysis of data from the Dawn spacecraft suggests Ceres has a significantly larger amount of organic molecules than originally thought.

Ceres continues to be a fascinating little world.

Space Force

President Trump has begun the process of creating a U. S. space force.

He also said the U. S. will establish a permanent presence on the Moon and go to Mars.

Space Laser

Russia would like to solve the space junk problem by blasting junk to smithereens with a powerful laser.

Of course, such a laser could also destroy operational satellites.

Hawking

At the memorial for Stephen Hawking, his voice was beamed in the direction of a black hole.

It was meant as a tribute, but it was also ironic. Hawking warned against beaming signals into space lest we attract the attention of dangerous aliens.

ISS Visit

Axiom Space is offering 10-day stays on ISS for $55 million each.

The company also plans to have its own commercial space station by 2022.

Opportunity

NASA has lost contact with its Opportunity rover, which is in the midst of a huge dust storm.

This could potentially end the mission after 14 years.

Alpha Centauri

NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory reveals the radiation level in the Alpha Centauri system is low enough to allow life.

That's good news for possible human settlement.

Dust Storm

A huge dust storm has shut down the Opportunity rover.

If the storm lasts too long, Opportunity could essentially freeze to death.

Black Hole Life

Astrophysicist Sean Raymond has calculated that a million habitable planets could orbit a supermassive black hole.

Several stars would also orbit the black hole.

Moon Trip Delay

SpaceX won't fly tourists around the Moon this year as planned, according to reports.

No timetable for the trip has been announced.

Life On Mars?

NASA announced yesterday that Curiosity has found organic compounds in rocks and a seasonal change in the amounts of methane in the Martian atmosphere.

Both discoveries are suggestive of life.

Space Support

A Pew national survey finds a strong majority of Americans think the U. S. should remain the leader in space exploration.

That support doesn't all go to NASA, however.  They are support private space efforts.

Announcement

NASA is set to announce a discovery made by the Curiosity rover.

The announcement is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Weird Orbits

A new study suggests there is no need for a massive Planet Nine to explain weird orbits in the Kuiper Belt.

The study suggests the cumulative gravity of thousands of small objects could produce the orbits.

Space Race?

NASA's Jim Bridenstine said recently the U. S, needs to compete with China in space.

China has big plans for the Moon, including a landing on the far side and a manned landing.

Sterile Neutrino

Physicists have found a new particle, the sterile neutrino.

Or not.  Some experiments say sterile neutrinoes exist, while other experiments say otherwise.  At stake is our understanding of the universe.

AI

NASA and other space agencies are using artificial intelligence in various ways, and the role of AI in space and other fields is slated to expand.

The question, according to some humans, is: Will we control AI, or will AI control us?

VG Test Flight

Virgin Galactic's newest SpaceShipTwo aced its second powered test flight Tuesday.

VG says commercial flights could begin later this year.

Understanding Aliens

Understanding an alien message, if we ever receive one, might take the combined effort of all of us, says linguist Sheri Wells-Jensen.

She suggests we should all brush up on our basic scientific knowledge in preparation for the task.

Hypersonic Weapons

According to western analysts, Russia's new hypersonic weapons could be operational by 2020.

The Pentagon is exploring possible countermeasures.

Alan Bean

Alan Bean, the fourth human to stand on the Moon, died Saturday.  He was 86.

After retiring from NASA, Bean had a successful career as an artist.

Viruses

Viruses-- if they are in fact alive-- are the dominant life form on Earth.  So, astrobiologists are pushing to look for them on other worlds.

There are currently no plans to do that.

Global Warming

A new study of the asteroid impact that killed off the dinosaurs argues that event, by releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide, ushered in a period of global warming that lasted 100,000 years.

It's yet another argument for a planetary defense system.

Supernova

A new study says a relatively nearby supernova between 2.5 and 8 million years ago could have affected life on Earth.

It did not cause mass extinctions, but it could have altered the course of life.

2015 BZ509

Astronomers have found an asteroid, 2015 BZ509, that orbits in the opposite direction from everything else.

They interpret that to mean it came from another solar system.

Ringed Earths

A new study points out that rocky worlds like Earth could have rings, too.

In fact, it says astronomers may have already found some without recognizing it.

Planet Nine

Astrophysicists studying the orbits of small objects deep in the Solar System think they have more evidence for a massive, hitherto undiscovered ninth planet.

Planet Nine would be 10 times as massive as Earth and orbit the Sun at about 600 times Earth's distance.

China Moon

China just completed a year long study of humans aboard a simulated lunar base.

China plans to put people on the Moon in the next decade.

Lunar Dust

The bad news is that a new study suggests that lunar dust is extremely toxic to human cells.

The good news is that NASA is already working the problem.

Perspective

Walmart has announced quarterly revenues of $122.69 billion.

That means it could fund NASA at NASA's current annual budget level and still have revenues of well over $100 billion for that quarter.

Parallel Aliens

Two new studies suggest life could exist in parallel universes.

The studies were conducted by computer simulations.

Musk

Elon Musk says SpaceX hopes to launch the same Block 5 Falcon 9 twice within 24 hours next year.

That would be completely unprecedented/

Falcon 9 Success

SpaceX successfully launched its upgraded Falcon 9 last week.

It also, once again, soft landed the booster.

Marrs Helo

NASA's Mars 2020 rover mission will include a mini-helicopter.

It would be the first heavier-than-air craft to fly on another world.

Pluto

The debate about whether Pluto is a full-fledged planet is on again.

Some people have time on their hands.

2004 EW95

Asteroid 2004 EW95 is a carbonaceous asteroid far out in the Kuiper Belt.

Likely, it formed in the inner Solar System and flung into the depths.

WASP-95b

WASP-95b is a huge exoplanet with no clouds in its atmosphere, astronomers say.

The lack of clouds will allow astronomers to deeply probe the constituents of the atmosphere.

Laser Cannon

Getting tiny Starshot probes to Alpha Centauri will require huge, powerful laser cannons with incredibly precise targeting systems.

That might not be the best thing to bring into this world.

Nuke In Space

A small nuclear reactor developed by NASA and the U. S. Department of Energy has passed all its ground tests.

The device could power colonies on the Moon and Mars.

Mars Insights

NASA's Mars Insights mission was successfully launched from California this morning.

Insights is intended to probe the interior structure of Mars.

Lunar Ice

A new study of a lunar meteorite suggests subsurface water ice may be abundant on the Moon.

That would greatly facilitate lunar colonization.

The Gallileans

Europa is famous for having a liquid water ocean under an icy shell, but Ganymede and Callisto have similar oceans.

All may potentially support life.

Perspective

Apple has reported quarterly earnings of over $60 billion.

That's more than three times NASA's yearly budget.

Mars 2020

The heat shield on NASA's Mars 2020 rover mission cracked during testing recently.

It's not expected to delay the mission.

Alien Sats

A new study suggests we would be able to detect geostationary satellites around exoplanets within 100 light years distant if there were a sufficient number of them,or if they were large.

This would be another approach to SETI.

Resource Prospector

According to reports, NASA has cancelled the Resource Prospector mission that would have assayed the lunar polar regions.

Of course, the leaves the task open for private missions.

White Holes

A new study suggests white holes, the reverse of black holes, may be made of dark matter.

It also suggests they might predate the Big Bang.

WASP-140b

Astronomers have found a hot Jupiter 486 light years away that appears to be totally black.

WASP-140b absorbs 97 to 99 percent of the light that falls on it.

PR Success

Planetary Resources has proven its asteroid surveying technology in space.

The company plans to launch missions to several asteroids in 2020.

Rare Double Sunsets

A new study suggests planets orbiting double stars will be rare due to complex gravitational interactions/

Only 11 such worlds have been found so far.

EMP

According to reports, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea all have the use of an electromagnetic pulse in their war plan.

An EMP-- a nuclear detonation in space-- could take down the American  power grid.

Giant Moons

A new study suggests Saturn's gravity may have influenced the formation of Jupiter's Galilesn moons.

It further suggests that giant moons are more common in multiple planet systems.

Bridenstine

The Senate has finally confirmed Jim Bridenstine as NASA Administrrator.

The vote was strictly along party lines.

TESS

NASA's TESS spacecraft has been successfully launched.

TESS is the agency's next generation planet hunter.

Ozma

On this day in 1960, Project Ozma began the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

So far. SETI has found nothing.

Asteroid Threat

NASA says there are 25,000 near-Earth asteroids big enough to do major damage if they hit us still to be identified.

So far, NASA has found 8,000.

Phosphorus

A new study suggests phosphorus is unevenly distributed throughout the universe.

If phosphorus is essential for life, life, therefore, might be unevenly distributed.

Back To Flight

Virgin Galactic successfully completed the first powered test flight of its new SpaceShipTwo this week.

VG plans to start commercial flights later this year.

Luxury Space Hotel

A startup called Orion Span is planning to have paying customers enjoying its luxury space hotel in Earth orbit in 2022.

Cost for a 12-day stay will be $9.5 million.

Life On Venus?

A new study suggests life could exist in a specific layer in the clouds of Venus.

That would be remarkable.

Milky Way

A new study finds the Milky Way galaxy is expanding.

Stars are being created in the galaxy's outskirts.

2001

This is the fiftieth anniversary year of the classic science fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

It will always be a landmark in sci-fi and movie history.

Tiangong-1

China says its Tiangong-1 space station crashed into the South Pacific this morning.

There are no reports of injury.

UFOs

Pilots, both civilian and military, are still reporting UFO sightings.

The U. S. Government has no explanation, but video and audio evidence is being made public.  That's interesting.

Successful Launch

SpaceX used a recycled rocket to successfully launch Iridium communication satellites this morning.

Iridium plans to bring the Internet to more people.

Tough Water

New research suggests Earth had water before the collision that formed the Moon.

Somehow, the water survived the heat of the blast.

JWST

NASA is delaying launch of the James Webb Space Telescope for a year due to hardware issues.

Launch is now set for 2020.

Phobos 2

On this date in 1989, the Phobos 2 mission failed.

Spectacular successes aside, the Mars system claimed irs share of missions.

Tiangong-1

China's Tiangong-1 space station is expected to fall to Earth this coming weekend.

Exactly where is not yet known.

Curiosity

Curiosity has now been on Mars for 2,000 days.

Its mission was originally to last 90 days.

Scholz's Star

Asttronomers think Scholz's Star came within a light year of the Sun 70,000 years ago.

At that time, both Neanderthals and modern humans roamed.

Red Dwarrf Worlds

A new study has found 15 more exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars.

One could have liquid water on its surface.

TRAPPIST-1

A new study using computer modeling suggests all the worlds in the TRAPPIST-1 system may be extreme water worlds.

There may be no dry land on any of them.

Mars Oceans

A new study suggests Mars may have had oceans earlier than thought.

However, it also suggests those oceans were shallower than thought.

Rogue Moons

A new study suggests that rogue moons-- moons flung out of orbits around planets-- may be as common as stars.

They may also be flung into interstellar space.

Kepler

Kepler is running out of fuel.  The mission will likely end in several months.

So far, Kepler has found about 2,300 confirmed planet.

Ceres

New studies suggests water is still actively shaping  the surface of Ceres.

It's positive news for future deep space colonization.

Lunar Gateway

NASA is planning the scientific program for the Lunar Gateway outpost.

The outpost should be functional by 2025.

Hawking

Stephen Hawking has died.

He was 76.

UFOs

Tucker Carlson periodically reports on UFOs.

He focuses on reports from U. S, Navy pilots that are backed up by video and radar data, arguing there's a national security issue.

BFR

Elon Musk says SpaceX could begin testing components of the BFR next year.

That would be another step towards Mars.

Fireball

A fireball blazed over the Pacific Northwest Wednesday night.

It fell harmlesslyinto the ocean.

Dust Ring

NASA has detected a huge, complex, asymmetric dust ring around a star.

The gravity of an as yet undiscovered giant planet may be warping the ring.

Jupiter's Poles

The Juno probe has found huge cyclones arranged in clusters that make geometric shapes in the polar regions of Jupiter.

The sheer complexity of the universe is staggering.

Triton Occultation

Astronomers used they occultation of a star by Neptune's big moon Triton to learn more about Triton's atmosphere.

They are still analyzing the data.

WASP-39b

WASP-39b is a Saturn-sized world far closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun that three times the water that Saturn has.

Planetary formation is still largely a mystery.

Methane

The methane on Enceladus could have a biological origin, a new study suggests.

Earth microbes could possibly survive in the Enceladus ocean.  As a byproduct, they produce methane.

Big Bang Time

What happened before the Big Bang?

According to Stephen Hawking, there was no "before."  Time started with the Big Bang.

Proxima b

A new study suggests Proxima b may have been blasted by a superflare from its parent star last year.

Such flares would probably destroy all life on a planet.

New Moon Theory

A new theory suggests the Moon actually formed before Earth.

It represents a new take on planetary formation.

Lunar Water

A new study suggests water may be everywhere on the Moon, not just in polar regions.

Potentially, that could spur lunar colonization.

Kaku Predicts

Michio Kaku is predicting humans will make contact with intelligent aliens yet this century.

He also predicts communicating with them will be the hard part.

The 2020s

NASA is planning to have humans on the Moon by the late 2020s.

It also plans for low Earth orbit to be completely commercialized in that decade.

North Korea

U. S. intelligence says North Korea could have a nuclear-tipped ICBM capable of hitting the U. S. within six months or less.

The media tends to set the threat in terms of losing an American city, but a more fundamental threat would be exploding a thermonuclear device in space that would create an electromagnetic pulse to take down the U. S. power grid.  The question is whether North Korea has a device powerful enough to pull that off.

Exomoon Rethink

Last July, scientists announced the possible discovery of the first exomoon.

Now, after further study, that discovery is in doubt.

Cutting Regs

The Trump administration intends to cut down on the red tape and regulations governing the commercial space industry.

The goal is to quicken our move into space.

Bigelow

Robert Bigelow has announced the creation of a company that will build and manage private space stations.

Bigelow expects to begin building such stations in the 2020s.

Perspective

Walmart has announced quarterly revenues of more than $136 billion.

That's nearly seven times NASA's annual budget.

Pluto

Pluto may have a thick layer of organic material under its surface, says a researcher.

Comets, by way of comparison, are rich in organics.

Opportunity

Opportunity has now been exploring Mars for 5,000 days.

The mission was originally scheduled for 90 days.

Neptune Storms

Astronomers are using the Hubble to watch a huge storm on Neptune fade away.

Perhaps predictably, the process isn't unfolding as predicted.

More Planets

Mining Kepler data has found 95 more planets.

At least one of them is smaller than Earth.

Oumuamua

Scientists now think that Oumuamua, our first recognized interstellar visitor, was ejected from its home system by a collision.

It's gone now, never to return.

Europa Lander

For the second year in a row, a Europa lander mission has been left out of NASA's initial budget request.

Congress, however.can still mandate the mission.

Privatizing ISS?

Reports say the Trump administration is looking at privatizing ISS after 2024.

No word on who might take over management.

TRAPPIST Oceans

A new study suggests five of the planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 could each have 250 times the water Earth has.

That would clearly increase the possibility of life.

Dream Chaser

SNC's lifting body, reusable spacecraft that will land on a runway, Dream Chaser, has been given final approval by NASA to fly an ISS cargo mission.

The mission is set for 2020.

TRAPPIST-1

A new study suggests three of the seven planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system might have atmospheres similar to those of rocky worlds.

All three are in the star's habitable zone.

Falcon Heavy

SpaceX successfully test launched its Falcon Heavy rocket yesterday.

It also successfully soft-landed two boosters side by side.

Extragalctic Planets?

A team of University of Oklahoma astrophysicists, according to FOXNews, has discovered planets in another galaxy.

The smallest of the worlds is the size of Earth's Moon.

Great Red Spot

Why is Jupiter's Great Red Spot red?

It seems an elemental point, and scientists are working on answering the question, but they still don't know.

Water

A new study suggests water came to Earth in meteorites only two million years after the planet formed.

In fact, when water began arriving, Earth was still growing.

Perspective

Apple has reported quarterly revenues of over $88 billion.

That's well more than four times the current annual budget of NASA.

Columbia

Fifteen years ago today, space shuttle Columbia and its crew were lost over Texas.

The accident marked the beginning of the end of the shuttle program.

Finding Life

A new study argues that while finding free oxygen in a planet's atmosphere is a good indicator of life, it's not the only one.

Methane and carbon monoxide together, for example, might be one.

DNA Sequencer

Researchers are working on a tiny DNA sequencer that could search for life on other worlds.

It could be used on Mars, Europa, or Enceladus.

Falcon Heavy

The first test launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is set for February 6.

The Falcon Heavy is the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V.

Tarter Speaks

Jill Tarter says SETI, the popular name for the field in which she spent her career, should be scrapped.

She argues scientists don't look for extraterrestrial intelligence, but rather for evidence of technology.

Europa

A new study suggests the surface of Europa may be too porous to support a lander.

The study, though, is only preliminary.

Opportunity

Fourteen years ago today, Opportunity landed on Mars.

It was supposed to last 90 days, but it's still going strong-- a remarkable tribute to the technology, and to the human team that has conducted the mission all these years.

GLXP Gone

The race for the Google Lunar X-Prize has been declared over with no winner.

The $30 million grand prize will go unclaimed.

Pulsar Sailing

NASA is testing a new navigation system based on the positions of pulsars.

The new system could improve navigation in the outer Solar System.

Pioneer 10

Pioneer 10, the first spacecraft to fly beyond the asteroid belt, sent its last data home 14 years ago today.

Built to last 21 months, the probe in fact functioned for 30 years.

Titanic Sea Level

Two new studies combine to show Titan has a sea level similar to Earth.

Evidence also suggests there's an underground aquifer system on Saturn's largest moon.

Kilopower

To power a colony on Mars, NASA is looking at a snall nuclear reactor program called Kilopower.

Four such reactors could probably power one colony.

Lunar Lava Tubes

There might be relatively easy ways into subsurface lunar lava tubes that could contain water ice, a new study suggests.

That would be a big plus for lunar colonization.

Cituzen Scientists

Citizen scientists using K2 data have helped discover a five world solar system.

All five are closer to their sun than Mercury is to ours.

Perspective

Unitedhealth has reported quarterly earnings of over $52 billion.

That's nearly three times NASA's annual budget.

Hawaii

Hawaii suffered a missile attack warning that turned out to be a false alarm Saturday.

The state government took 38 minutes to correct the situation.

FRBs

SETI researchers are studying powerful radio bursts from a galaxy 3 billion light years away.

Odds are, however, the fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are natural phenomena.

Mars Water

A new study suggests there are sizable deposits of water ice just feet below the surface of Mars.

That would be a huge boost to colonization.

UFO

UFOlogists are urging information developed by the recently acknowledged Pentagon UFO study from 2007 to 2012 be made public.

Insiders to the program say it was stopped because it found nothing.

John Young

John Young, who flew into space six times, including on the first Gemini flight and the first shuttle flight, and who also landed on the Moon, died last week.

He was 87.

Possible Loss

There is a report that the spy satellite SpaceX launched over the weekend had to be destroyed.

The company says its booster performed nominally.

New Market

SpaceX launched a spy satellite for the U. S. Government this past weekend.

It marks the opening of a new market for the company.

Mars Fossils?

Curiosity has found tube-like structures that could possibly be fossils.

Twenty years ago, similar structures were found in a meteorite from Mars.  Then, a tem of NASA scientists argued they were evidence of life.

Seeing New Earths

A new telescope technology will allow astronomers to image planets in multiple star systems.

It should be ready in the 2020s.

Moving Mars

A new study suggests Mars may have formed in the Asteroid Belt before moving into its present orbit.

That could help explain the compositional differences between Earth and Mars.

Spirit

On this date in 2004, the Spirit rover landed on Mars.

It was supposed to operate for 90 days.  Instead, it roved for years, helping to transform our view of  the Red Planet.

Jet Streams

A new study suggests gravity waves may cause the switching of the direction of the jet stream on Jupiter.

The theory could apply to other worlds, as well.