SwRI-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph viewed 3I/ATLAS both when and where most other assets could not.
SWRI
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
SwRI Researchers Use PUNCH To Track Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) project is using data from NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) spacecraft to track the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Methane Gas Discovered On Makemake
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 […]
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 […]