A “lucky” linkup between orbiters helped scientists study how the Red Planet’s ionosphere responds to solar events.
spacecraft
Posted inFeatures
Discovering Venus on Iceland
Scientists trekked across Icelandic lava flows that served as stand-ins for Venus’s volcanic landscapes, testing tools and methods the upcoming VERITAS mission will use when it reaches the planet.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Is Convection Wobbling Venus?
Venus’s rotation axis is not where it should be – but atmospheric torques, not mantle convection, are likely responsible.
Posted inNews
Speedy Flyby Adds New Organics to Enceladus’s “Primordial Soup”
A new analysis of old Cassini data has also verified past detections of complex organics in Saturn’s E ring, strengthening the chemical ties between the ring and its progenitor.
Posted inNews
Martian Dust Devils Reveal Dynamic Surface Winds
A new wind map covering the whole of Mars includes some of the fastest winds ever detected on the Red Planet.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Magnetic “Switchback” Detected near Earth for First Time
Until recently, this type of zigzag shape—formed by energetic rearrangement of magnetic field lines—had been seen only near the Sun.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Trio of Space Weather Satellites Take Flight
These three satellites will that study the solar wind and its impacts.
Posted inNews
Hayabusa2’s Final Target is 3 Times Smaller Than We Thought
It also spins twice as fast as previous estimates suggested. A spacecraft touchdown will be challenging, but not impossible.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Perseverance Sample Shows Possible Evidence of Ancient Martian Microbial Metabolisms
A sample collected in July 2024 by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover may be “the closest we’ve actually come to discovering ancient life on Mars,” according to Nicky Fox, the science head of NASA.