Science
The latest news and reporting on robotics, space exploration and scientific research.
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Webb telescope’s new Uranus image looks like a portal to another dimension
The James Webb Space Telescope has a treat to celebrate the upcoming second anniversary of its launch. NASA and the ESA, which operate the craft alongside the CSA, shared a dazzling new image of the icy planet Uranus.
Agility's Digit warehouse robot understands natural language commands thanks to AI smarts
Agility Robotics shared a demo video Wednesday of one of its Digit robots upgraded with AI smarts. Although that may conjure images in your mind of sentient sci-fi machines taking over the world, the demo video reveals much more plodding, if not boring, work.
Researchers made VR goggles for mice to study how their brains respond to swooping predators
Researchers from Northwestern University developed mouse-sized VR goggles to create a more immersive environment for studying their response to overhead threats. The goggles surround the mouse's face while it runs on a treadmill.
Looking back at 25 years of the ISS
Wednesday marks the 25th anniversary of the International Space Station’s (ISS) physical assembly in orbit. On December 6, 1998, the crew aboard the space shuttle Endeavor attached the US-built Unity node to the Russian-built Zarya module, kicking off the modular construction of the ISS.
Black hole behavior suggests Dr. Who's 'bigger on the inside' Tardis trick is theoretically possible
Do black holes, like dying old soldiers, simply fade away? Do they pop like universe-spawning balloons?
SpaceX loses another Starship and Super Heavy rocket in double explosion during test
SpaceX launched the second flight of Starship from its Boca Chica spaceport on Saturday morning. A few minutes into launch, the Super Heavy booster exploded, followed by Starship itself.
SpaceX prepares for Starship's second test flight after securing FAA clearance
The FAA has cleared Starship for a second test flight after an explosive first launch. SpaceX is now aiming for a November 17 launch date.
A commercial spaceplane capable of orbital flight is ready for NASA testing
NASA will soon start testing what's dubbed as the world’s first commercial spaceplane capable of orbital flight. All going well, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser will make it first supply run to the International Space Station in April.
NASA is launching a rocket on Sunday to study a 20,000-year-old supernova
NASA plans to launch the INFUSE mission at 11:35 PM ET on Sunday October 29 from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. It will observe the Cygnus Loop, or Veil Nebula, supernova remnant
Mars' core looks bigger than it is because it's wrapped in radioactive magma
Two studies published in the journal Nature have found that Mars' core is smaller and denser than previously thought, and surrounded by a layer of molten silicates. The findings clear up previous confusion about its internal makeup.
Lunar rock samples suggest moon is older than previously thought
Researchers have just discovered that the moon is about 40 million years older than previously thought.
NASA's John Mather keeps redefining our understanding of the cosmos
Inside the Star Factory melds stunning photography with insightful profiles of the people that made the James Webb Space Telescope possible.
India wants to build its own space station and send astronauts to the moon by 2040
India announced plans to build the Bharatiya Antariksha Station — or the Indian Space Station — by 2035, and follow this up with a crewed mission to the moon by 2040. The country is preparing by planning its first crewed mission, currently set for 2025.
Amazon says its new AI-powered robots reduce fulfilment time by 25 percent
The company claims the technology will also improve safety, though robots in their warehouses have been previously linked to more injuries.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft embarks on a six-year journey to its asteroid namesake
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has embarked on a six-year, 2.2-billion-mile journey to study an asteroid of the same name. Psyche the asteroid is estimated to contain clues to planetary formation in the early Solar System.
There's no easy answer to being a space janitor
Debris is piling up in Earth's orbit from decades of launches. Companies like Astroscale and ClearSpace are developing ways to remove some of that junk.
Here's what NASA brought back from the asteroid Bennu
NASA launched the spacecraft OSIRIS-REx to take samples from an asteroid. Now it’s back and the space agency is going to show us what it found, likely metals.
How to watch the 'ring of fire' solar eclipse on October 14
There will be an annular eclipse on October 14. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon sits at the part of its orbit farthest from Earth.
Watch NASA launch a mission to study a metal-rich asteroid this Thursday
NASA is set to undertake a mission to study a metal-rich asteroid that could help us better understand how planets like Earth were formed. You can watch the launch here.
Hitting the Books: NASA's Kathy Sullivan and advances in orbital personal hygiene
Journalist Loren Grush recounts the trailblazing efforts of America's first female astronauts in The Six.