Japan’s MMX mission is headed to Mars to explore its moons and retrieve the first-ever soil samples from Phobos, targeting a return to Earth by 2031. Japan has embarked on an ambitious interplanetary mission, sending the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)...

the visual experience. Ultimately, local weather—particularly cloud cover—will dictate where the clearest skies appear. New Moon Provides Extra Darkness The weekend coincides with a New Moon on July 14, meaning minimal lunar illumination will further...

China’s hopping robot will explore Moon’s darkest craters, aiming for discoveries that could reshape the next era of lunar exploration. China is gearing up for what it describes as its most demanding lunar expedition to date. The Chang’e‑7 probe,...

Rare iron structures discovered in Chang’e-6 lunar samples may reveal vital clues about the Moon’s mysterious and ancient magnetic environment. Researchers analyzing material brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission have uncovered a rare, previously...

To the naked eye, Venus appears as an exceptionally bright, blue-white beacon, surpassed in the sky only by the Sun and the Moon. However, those using telescopes will note that the planet undergoes phases much like the Moon. Because Venus orbits closer...

New study examines Pluto’s largest moon’s ancient past, using its pristine surface to uncover what happened billions of years ago. A fresh analysis of Charon, Pluto’s largest satellite, indicates that the moon retains a record of a primordial process...

ancient fossils or biosignatures in the soil. In addition to Mars, missions like the Europa Clipper aim to explore Jupiter’s moon, Europa, which harbors a subsurface ocean. Scientists believe this ocean could hold the conditions necessary for life,...

can grow in controlled environments and produce relatively high yields in limited space. For astronauts traveling to the Moon, Mars, or beyond, crops like potatoes could help provide fresh food without constant resupply from Earth. Transporting food...

kilometers. This flyby, which brings the 340-meter-wide object within one-tenth of the distance between our planet and the Moon, presents a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for researchers to observe the gravitational interaction between a large...

A Japanese spacecraft will explore Mars’ mysterious moons and attempt a historic sample return mission in collaboration with NASA. An ambitious international space endeavor is gearing up for a historic voyage to the Martian moons, with NASA playing a...

specimens survived the ordeal. Why Nearby Worlds Pose Tough Challenges Even the hardiest organisms face obstacles on the Moon, Mars and Venus, according to astrobiologist David Grinspoon of the Planetary Science Institute. The lunar surface lacks an...

provide lightweight shielding against hazardous solar storms for future deep‑space missions. Long‑duration voyages to the Moon, Mars and farther destinations will subject crew members to radiation levels far exceeding those encountered in low‑Earth...

worlds. The James Webb Space Telescope has identified an identical, unexplained infrared absorption feature on both Saturn’s moon Titan and the distant dwarf planet Pluto. Researchers suggest the signature may belong to a previously unknown molecule or...

head of the “Experimental Laboratory Magma Ocean” research group at the MPS. Calculated SiO2 wt.% surface abundance on the Moon with the Apollo, Luna, and Chang’e landing sites, from which these missions returned samples.Credit: Renggli et al.,...

and the psychological need for astronauts to view Earth from space. As humanity prepares for long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, spacecraft designers are confronting a critical engineering paradox: how to maintain the structural...

spacecraft is preparing for a critical Earth gravity assist, a key maneuver shaping its long-term journey to explore the moons of Jupiter. The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is closing in on Earth for a critical gravitational...

and lamps that appear to have defied the passage of time. The collection includes depictions of the sun god Sol and the moon goddess Luna, as well as a lamp cast in the likeness of an African figure. The team also retrieved remnants of three life-sized...

the International Space Station while helping us build the experience and capabilities needed for ambitious missions to the Moon and beyond. Congratulations to the crew and the NASA and SpaceX teams who made today’s launch possible.” This flight...

in young stellar systems called extreme debris disks may reveal how similar impacts shaped early Earth and led to the Moon’s formation. (CREDIT: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted /STScI) Categorizing the aftermath of cosmic impacts Extreme debris disks are...

of the SPLICE design. Because signal latency makes real-time human control impossible for missions to Mars or distant icy moons, the spacecraft must be capable of processing environmental hazards independently. Enabling a vehicle to verify its own...