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Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/30 08:13 CDT | 2 comments
Today there is one less spacecraft returning science data from beyond Earth. The European Space Operations Centre received the final transmission from Rosetta at 11:19 September 30, UT.
Rosetta spacecraft may be dying, but Rosetta science will go on
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/29 12:47 CDT | 3 comments
The Rosetta mission will end tomorrow when the spacecraft impacts the comet. ESA took advantage of the presence of hundreds of members of the media to put on a showcase of Rosetta science. If there’s one thing I learned today from all the science presentations, it’s this: Rosetta data will be informing scientific work for decades to come.
Posted by Marc Rayman on 2016/09/29 12:05 CDT | 1 comments
Nine years ago today, Dawn set sail on an epic journey of discovery and adventure. The intrepid explorer has sailed the cosmic seas and collected treasures that far exceeded anything anticipated or even hoped for.
OSIRIS-REx’s cameras see first light
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/29 03:34 CDT
As OSIRIS-REx speeds away from Earth, it’s been turning on and testing out its various engineering functions and science instruments. Proof of happy instrument status has come from several cameras, including the star tracker, MapCam, and StowCam.
SpaceX and the Blank Slate
Starting anew vs. tried and true
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2016/09/28 10:20 CDT | 12 comments
SpaceX's plans to colonize Mars differ considerably from NASA's Journey to Mars ambitions. But direct comparison is difficult. SpaceX is able to wipe the slate clean and start fresh with a bold new approach to humans in space. NASA has no such luxury, and must use existing pieces and people to make their goals a reality.
A million people in 40 to 100 years: SpaceX unveils plan to colonize Mars
Posted by Jason Davis on 2016/09/27 10:46 CDT | 7 comments
After much anticipation, Elon Musk revealed his plans to colonize Mars. Here are the details, some questions yet to be answered, and a few thoughts on how this could change the way we think about human spaceflight.
Rosetta end-of-mission event schedule
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/27 11:45 CDT | 3 comments
A schedule of what to expect during Rosetta's final hours September 29 and 30, and how you can follow online.
New Findings are Conclusive: Europa is crying out for exploration
What are we waiting for?
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2016/09/26 01:36 CDT | 17 comments
New scientific findings add to the evidence that Europa is spouting its liquid ocean into space. NASA has a mission to Europa in the works, but it wouldn't launch for at least a decade. Congress can make it faster, but it all depends on whether they can pass a budget this year.
Juno and Marble Movie update at Apojove 1
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/22 12:51 CDT | 4 comments
Juno is on its second of two long orbits around Jupiter, reaching apojove (its farthest distance from the planet) today.
Where to find rapidly released space image data
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/21 07:06 CDT | 1 comments
Interested in playing with recent space image data? Here's a list of places to get the freshest photos from space.
Five things we learned from our #RocketRoadTrip
Posted by Jason Davis on 2016/09/21 06:02 CDT | 3 comments
We're back from our #RocketRoadTrip through four states with NASA field centers involved in the agency's Journey to Mars program. We'll be sorting through our material for quite some time, but meanwhile, here are five key things we learned.
Some beautiful new (old) views of Neptune and Triton
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/20 02:40 CDT | 4 comments
Beautiful new amateur work with 27-year-old Voyager data.
Promise, Transition, and Transformation
Reflections on a Rocket Road Trip
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2016/09/19 07:22 CDT | 4 comments
After 10 days, four NASA centers, two contractors, and hundreds of miles, Casey Dreier shares his initial reflections on the state of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and its future.
Women on Spacecraft Missions: Are we moving towards parity with the percentage in the field?
Posted by Julie Rathbun on 2016/09/16 09:01 CDT | 1 comments
How far have we come and how far do we still need to go to welcome women into planetary science, and, particularly, spacecraft missions?
Successful launch for China's Tiangong-2 space station
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/15 09:37 CDT
Today, China launched its second modular space station, Tiangong 2.
One year remains in the Cassini mission
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/15 09:27 CDT | 6 comments
Cassini ends a year from today, which is sad. But the final year of the mission is going to be awesome.
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/14 02:45 CDT | 3 comments
The astronomy world is abuzz today because of ESA's announcement of the first release of data from the Gaia mission. Gaia is a five-year mission that will eventually measure the positions and motions of billions of stars; this first data release includes positions for 1.1 billion of them, and proper motions for 2 million.
A deep dive into the highest-resolution Voyager Jupiter data
Posted by Björn Jónsson on 2016/09/14 08:00 CDT
A few weeks before the first Juno high resolution imaging, I decided to take a look at Voyager color images at various resolutions, with particular attention to high-resolution mosaics.
Cassini's camera views of Titan's polar lakes in summer, processed into pseudocolor
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/12 01:50 CDT | 1 comments
Titan's north polar lakes are well-lit by summer sun in these recent Cassini images. Image processing enthusiast Ian Regan shares his recipe for processing the longer-wavelength Titan images into visually pleasing "pseudocolor."
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2016/09/09 12:40 CDT | 5 comments
The European Space Agency has shared plans for the end of the Rosetta mission scheduled for September 30, just three weeks from now. The landing site will be located on the "head" of the comet, next to a prominent pit now named Deir el-Medina.
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