A Southwest Research Institute-led team has reported the first detection of gas on the distant dwarf planet Makemake, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This discovery makes Makemake only […]
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Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Interstellar, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
SwRI-proposed Mission Could Encounter And Explore A Future Interstellar Comet Like3I/ATLAS Up Close
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has completed a mission study detailing how a proposed spacecraft could fly by an interstellar comet, providing remarkable insights into the properties of bodies originating beyond […]
Posted inExploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
How To Save A Spacecraft Camera 370 Million Miles Away In Jupiter Orbit
An experimental technique rescued a camera aboard the agency’s Juno spacecraft, offering lessons that will benefit other space systems that experience high radiation.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Explaining The Mysterious Distribution Of Hydrogen Peroxide On Europa
Southwest Research Institute experiments offer a new view on a hydrogen peroxide chemical cycle on Europa. Carbon-bearing species rising to Europa’s icy surface from a subsurface ocean are irradiated by […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Budgets and Policy, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Policy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Stellar Cartography: A Demonstration Of Interstellar Navigation Using New Horizons
Editor’s note: Those of you in the space community know that NASA Science is facing an immense budget cut. Dozens of missions have been cancelled and many missions that are […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Impact events, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mars, Mercury, Press Release, Venus
Notable Progress In Understanding The Evolution Of The Terrestrial Planets
An SwRI-led team compared the early impact history of Venus and Earth, determining that Venus experienced higher-energy impacts that created a superheated core. Models show these conditions could create Venus’ […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
SwRI Collects First Ultraviolet Data From Europa Clipper
The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft has successfully completed its initial commissioning following the October 14, 2024, launch. Scheduled to arrive in the Jovian […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Neptune, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Deciphering The Mysterious Atmosphere Of ‘Rosetta Stone’ Exoplanet TOI-270 d
A Southwest Research Institute-led study modeled the chemistry of TOI-270 d, an exoplanet between Earth and Neptune in size, finding evidence that it could be a giant rocky planet shrouded […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Saturn, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
How Titan Maintains Its Atmosphere
Southwest Research Institute partnered with the Carnegie Institution for Science to perform laboratory experiments to better understand how Saturn’s moon Titan can maintain its unique nitrogen-rich atmosphere.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
SwRI-Developed Instruments Will Study Potential Habitability Of Europa
Two Southwest Research Institute instruments were launched aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft on Oct. 14 from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft is designed to conduct a detailed reconnaissance […]