Planetary Science
NASA’s DART Mission Could Help Cancel an Asteroid Apocalypse
Our planet is vulnerable to thousands of “city-killer” space rocks. If—when—one is found on a collision course with Earth, will we be ready to deflect it?
Stories by Robin George Andrews
Natural Disasters
Starlink Offers Internet Access in Times of Crisis, but Is It Just a PR Stunt?
There are no individual saviors for Tonga’s Internet infrastructure
Space Exploration
Looming Rocket Impact Forecasts Trouble for Future Lunar Exploration
Although the space-junk strike on March 4 will probably be harmless, such events may soon become more common—and dangerous
Space Exploration
NASA Just Broke the ‘Venus Curse’: Here’s What It Took
Despite the best efforts of scientists eager to study Earth’s sister world, U.S. efforts to send a dedicated spacecraft to Venus languished—until NASA made a surprising announcement...
Planetary Science
Crumbly Mars Rock, Not Hardware Flaws, Scuttled Perseverance’s First Sample Attempt
After an alarming failure, the rover is set to continue its mission to retrieve specimens for eventual return to Earth
Space Exploration
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Foiled in First Attempt to Grab Rock for Return to Earth
Seeking to collect its inaugural core sample, the mission hopes to begin what could be humanity’s boldest search for extraterrestrial life
Space Exploration
NASA Picks Two Missions to Explore Venus, the First in Decades
The space agency’s DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions could boost planetary science when they launch later this decade
Astrophysics
Giant Galaxies from the Universe’s Childhood Challenge Cosmic Origin Stories
Large galaxies are thought to form gradually, across billions of years of cosmic time. So why do astronomers keep finding them in the youthful early universe?
Space & Physics
NASA Ends Efforts to Deploy Mars InSight’s ‘Mole’
After two years of futile struggles to penetrate surprisingly sticky soil, the heat probe’s demise leaves large gaps in our understanding of the Red Planet’s interior
Space & Physics
Arecibo’s Collapse Sends Dire Warning to Other Aging Observatories
The iconic telescope’s tragic end foreshadows future battles over the fate of various legacy facilities
Space & Physics
Strange Extragalactic Strands Mystify Astronomers
A distant galaxy has sprouted filaments hundreds of thousands of light-years long—and no one knows why
Space & Physics
Collision on One Side of Pluto Ripped Up Terrain on the Other, Study Suggests
A new computer model shows how a buried ocean on Pluto might have enabled seismic waves to travel
Space & Physics
Rocks, Rockets and Robots: The Plan to Bring Mars Down to Earth
Coordinated by NASA and ESA, an ambitious effort to retrieve samples from the Red Planet faces major obstacles
Space & Physics
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Finds Unexplained Oxygen on Mars
Fluctuating levels of the atmospheric gas, a potential tracer of alien life, have left researchers mystified
Space & Physics
Can Spaceflight Save the Planet?
Spin-offs from space science and exploration offer eco-friendly benefits for Earth
Space & Physics
Burying CAESAR: How NASA Picks Winners—and Losers—in Space Exploration
Despite an impartial selection process, the space agency’s plans for robotic interplanetary missions lead to biases in our knowledge of the solar system
Space & Physics
NASA to Seek Iron-Spewing Volcanoes at Psyche
New research suggests the large metallic asteroid may harbor signs of past “ferrovolcanism” that could help rewrite early chapters of the solar system’s history
Space & Physics
“Toffee Planets” Hint at Earth’s Cosmic Rarity
Exoplanets with stretchy, flowing rock may be bereft of plate tectonics—and of complex life
Natural Disasters
Oil Drillers’ Attempts to Avoid Earthquakes May Make Them Worse
Shallow wastewater injections—supposedly safer—can cause big, far-flung quakes, study says
Natural Disasters
Forget Doorframes: Expert Advice on Earthquake Survival Strategies
Indonesia’s Lombok quake revives the question of taking cover versus running outside
