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.