One giant planet. Three icy moons. An eight-year journey. One special spacecraft.
ESA
Posted inCallisto, Europa, Ganymede, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Juice Spacecraft Makes Earth-Moon Flyby On Its Astrobiology-Themed Mission
On 17 November 2023, ESA’s Juice spacecraft carried out one of the largest and most important manoeuvres in its eight-year journey to Jupiter.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Extinction events, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Radiation, Space Weather & Heliophysics
Blast From The Past: Gamma-ray Burst GRB 221009A From A Distant Exploding Star Struck Earth
An enormous burst of gamma rays, detected by ESA’s Integral space telescope, has struck Earth. The blast caused a significant disturbance in our planet’s ionosphere. Such disturbances are usually associated […]
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Ariel Mission, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Simulation-based Inference for Exoplanet Atmospheric Retrieval: Insights from winning the Ariel Data Challenge 2023 using Normalizing Flows
Advancements in space telescopes have opened new avenues for gathering vast amounts of data on exoplanet atmosphere spectra. However, accurately extracting chemical and physical properties from these spectra poses significant […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release
Into The Deep: ESA’s CAVES Campaign
There is never a dull day for participants of the CAVES campaign, ESA’s field training adventure that hones the communication, problem solving and teamwork skills an international crew will need […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Space Physiology & Medicine
Otherworldly Research At Concordia Station, Antarctica
Space may be the final frontier for human exploration but it is certainly not the only frontier. Remote areas on Earth, like Antarctica, continue to draw researchers and explorers for […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Press Release
ExoMars Finds That The Unusual Carbon Balance At Mars Explained By Sunlight
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has revealed how oddly ‘light’ carbon monoxide forms in Mars’ atmosphere. The finding paints a better picture of how carbon-containing matter formed on the […]
Posted inAstronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations
Astronauts Will Swab The Outside Of The Space Station To See If Microbes Are Present
Two upcoming spacewalks outside the International Space Station to conduct science research and station maintenance will feature NASA astronauts, both first-time spacewalkers.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Volatiles In The H2O and CO2 Ices Of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) was the first mission that accompanied a comet over a substantial fraction of its orbit.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Astronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors
Away Team Practice By ESA’s Geology Course PANGEA (Planetary ANalogue Geological and Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts)
Three astronauts from three space agencies are at work looking for interesting rocks at the rim of a volcanic crater in Lanzarote, Spain. NASA astronaut candidate Jessica Wittner, Takuya Onishi […]