Oct 8, 2021 | Active Galaxies, Climate Change, Comets, Daily Space, Earth, Mercury, Moon, Sky Watching, Spacecraft, Stars
An analysis of the most recent sample taken from the Moon and returned by the Chang’e-5 mission shows that the basaltic rock is about two billion years old. This age implies a previously unknown heat source in the region. Plus, how plants and animals record climate change and this week’s What’s Up.
Oct 7, 2021 | Crewed Space, Daily Space, JAXA, Random Space Fact, Rockets, ROSCOSMOS, Soyuz, Space History, Spacecraft, SpaceX
On this week’s Rocket Roundup: the latest crewed Soyuz launch, MS-19; a Cargo Dragon brings back science for NASA; and a JPL robot competes in a DARPA competition. Plus, this week in rocket history, we cover the grandparent of them all – Sputnik 1.
Oct 6, 2021 | Asteroids, Comets, Daily Space, Mars, Our Solar System, Pluto & Charon, TNOs
Scientists analyzed the results of a stellar occultation when Pluto passed in front of a distant star and found that Pluto’s atmosphere is freezing to the surface as the planet moves away from the Sun. Plus, an interview with Dr. Kat Volk regarding Transneptunian space and the possibility of Planet 9.
Oct 4, 2021 | Climate Change, Daily Space, Earth, Exoplanets, Mars, Our Solar System, Review, Starlink
From the Great Oxidation Event to how Earth is dimming, we look at a selection of stories about how climate changes have affected the Earth in the distant past, the recent past, and the current time. Plus, we review an app called MeteorActive.
Oct 1, 2021 | Comets, Daily Space, ESA, Exoplanets, Jupiter, Mars, Moon, Sky Watching
Contrary to recent clickbait headlines, a recently discovered comet that likely originated in the Oort Cloud will not be coming near Earth. The closest point of the icy body’s orbit is between Saturn and Jupiter. Plus, how floods shaped Mars, how microbes helped clover grow, and this week’s What’s Up.
Sep 30, 2021 | Crewed Space, Daily Space, Random Space Fact, Rockets, Space China, Space History, Space Policy, Spacecraft
For Rocket Roundup, we have the latest in a long series of US weather satellites, a Chinese remote sensing satellite on a small rocket’s return to flight, and another secret Chinese satellite launched into an unusual orbit. Plus, this week in rocket history we look back at the first competition flight of SpaceShipOne.