Since the 1970s, no surface platform had made meteorological measurements of a global dust storm on Mars, but last summer NASA’s Curiosity rover witnessed one of these rare events.
spacecraft
Posted inNews
The Cassini Mission May Be Over, but New Discoveries Abound
New analysis of high-resolution images shows ring textures and disruptions within Saturn’s rings in unprecedented detail.
Posted inFeatures
How Cassini Ran Rings Around Saturn and What It Helped Us Learn
Once and future rings: During its final 22 orbits, the Cassini spacecraft provided a completely new look at one of our solar system’s most famous features.
Posted inGeoFIZZ
Spirits Are Flying High for Dragonfly and Titan
We’re sending a mission back to Titan, and it’s time to celebrate.
Posted inNews
Ultraprecise Clock Will Facilitate Space Exploration
NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock, slated to launch later this month for a demonstration flight, will help spacecraft more efficiently navigate the solar system.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Extending the Envelope for Known Safe Locations in Space
When unattached electrons collide with spacecraft, the build-up of electric charge can cause malfunctions, but recent observations model near-Earth regions that are likely safe zones.
Posted inNews
Israeli Spacecraft Will Land on Moon Today
Beresheet will be the first privately developed craft to attempt a soft landing on the Moon. The landing will be broadcast live.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Rover and Lasers Unlock Clues to Early Martian Atmosphere
Sediments from the Curiosity rover and experiments using tanks of gas and laser beams helped reveal how water continued to flow on Mars after the planet lost its atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Posted inOpinions
Rest in Peace, Spirit and Opportunity
A scientist on the rover team offers a remembrance of two intrepid explorers.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists, Explorers Keen to Locate Water-Bearing Asteroids
Hydrated minerals on near-Earth asteroids offer both scientific revelations and economic incentives for companies looking to refuel satellites with material from nearby space.