Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a Southwest Research Institute-led team has confirmed hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals […]
SWRI
Posted inAstrogeology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa’s Icy Shell
Imagery from the solar-powered spacecraft shows some intriguing features on the ice-encased Jovian moon.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Juno Measures Oxygen Production On Europa
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has directly measured charged oxygen and hydrogen molecules from the atmosphere of one of Jupiter’s largest moons, Europa. According to a new study co-authored by SwRI scientists […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
SwRI Scientists Lead Two Europa Investigation Teams
Southwest Research Institute is leading two “Precursor Science Investigations for Europa” (PSIE) teams to understand critical topics in advance of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to the Jupiter moon. Both projects […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Pluto, Press Release
Astrogeology/Astrochemistry/Astrobiology Update: New Horizons Detects Dusty Hints Of An Extended Kuiper Belt
New observations from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft hint that the Kuiper Belt – the vast, distant outer zone of our solar system populated by hundreds of thousands of icy, rocky […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Callisto, Comets and Asteroids, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
SwRI Scientists Find Evidence Of Geothermal Activity Within Icy Dwarf Planets
A team co-led by Southwest Research Institute found evidence for hydrothermal or metamorphic activity within the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake, located in the Kuiper Belt. Methane detected on […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
SwRI Scientists Identify Water Molecules On Asteroids For The First Time
Using data from the retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) — a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR — Southwest Research Institute scientists have […]
Posted inImaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
Volcano World Io As Seen By Juno
NASA’s Juno spacecraft just made the closest flybys of Jupiter’s moon Io that any spacecraft has carried out in more than 20 years. An instrument on this spacecraft called “JunoCam” […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Phosphorus – A Key Building Block For life – Found On Enceladus
The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system just got more exciting. A team of scientists including Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Christopher Glein has discovered new evidence that the […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Mimas, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
SwRI Investigations Reveal More Evidence That Mimas Is A Stealth Ocean World
When a Southwest Research Institute scientist discovered surprising evidence that Saturn’s smallest, innermost moon could generate the right amount of heat to support a liquid internal ocean, colleagues began studying […]