While NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered huge amounts of organic matter in the Gale Crater on Mars, another celestial object has caught the attention of scientists for boasting conditions necessary for harboring life. According to a new study published in Research Notes of the AAS, two of the brightest stars in the Alpha Centauri system…
While solar eruptions might be something that most people are familiar with, a failed solar eruption seems too bizarre a concept to even comprehend. That hasn’t, however, deterred researchers from capturing this once-in-a-lifetime moment for the very first time, confirming speculations that have long been making the rounds in the scientific world. (more…)
NASA’s latest concept rover is a sleek, six-wheeled behemoth that looks uncannily similar to the Batmobile. Recently unveiled at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the futuristic vehicle of four boasts a detachable laboratory that could branch out to look for alien life on Mars. Built to inspire inventive rover designs for the space agency’s…
Developed by an Indian teenager, the world’s lightest satellite weighs only around 64-grams, thanks to an innovative design that recently won first prize in an international competition organized by NASA. In fact, the space agency was so impressed by the invention that it has decided to launch the tiny contraption into space next month. According…
The next decade in space exploration is almost exclusively focused on Mars, a planet with atmospheric and surface conditions most conducive to human habitation in the solar system apart from Earth itself. Despite the fact that a trip to and from Venus would likely be 30 to 50-percent shorter in duration than a round trip…
Here at HEXAPOLIS, we have talked quite a bit about the different Mars habitat concepts that designers and scientists have come up over the years. There was the innovative Ouroboros dwelling, conceived by MIT students as part of NASA's 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, which is built using the Red Planet's silica reserves. The Sfero House is…
All around us there are different types of light, some visible and some that elude the eye. Of the latter kind, X-rays are a common form of electromagnetic radiation. Despite its abundance, the source of X-rays remains one of the most contentious topics in science. A new study has attempted to shed some light on…
Based on the recent data collected by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists have concluded that the planet's lakes and streams actually existed much longer than previously thought. Created by melting snow, these expansive water bodies were still extant nearly a billion years after the end of Mars' 'wet era', according to the new research. (more…)
A year ago, a group of six volunteers embarked on a NASA mission, which required them to stay in isolation inside a special dome-like habitat on the slopes of Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano. Designed to replicate the living conditions on Mars, the fourth phase of the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS 4) attempted…
Engineers at NASA have recently tested the engine that will eventually drive the gargantuan Space Launch System (SLS). The space agency has successfully trialed RS-25, as part of a 7.5 minute-long test. with three more to come in the next few months. Currently under developed, the SLS is touted as the most advanced and powerful…