A Nasa mission that collided with an asteroid didn’t just leave a dent – it reshaped the space rock

The mission provided details about how to deflect an asteroid should one threaten Earth in future.

Ian Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
Feb. 26, 2024 ~7 min

More green spaces tied to better city dweller mental health

A new study suggests that exposure to green spaces in urban areas has positive benefits for mental health.

Dee Dee Grays-Texas AM • futurity
Feb. 26, 2024 ~5 min


Satellites are burning up in the upper atmosphere – and we still don’t know what impact this will have on the Earth’s climate

We know particles from spacecrafts are in the stratosphere. But what this means for the ozone layer or the climate is still unknown.

Fionagh Thomson, Senior Research Fellow in Space Ethics and Sustainability, Durham University • conversation
Feb. 23, 2024 ~7 min

Black hole caught ‘flipping table’ while chowing down

Black holes spill food all the time, but researchers have caught a black hole "flipping over the table" during an otherwise civilized meal.

U. Michigan • futurity
Feb. 21, 2024 ~6 min

The brightest object ever observed in the night sky is a black hole that’s growing by the equivalent of one Sun a day

The extreme object could tell us more about the environment around black holes.

Philip Wiseman, Research Fellow, Astronomy, University of Southampton • conversation
Feb. 21, 2024 ~7 min

I’ve been studying astronaut psychology since Apollo − a long voyage to Mars in a confined space could raise stress levels and make the journey more challenging

Can astronauts spend prolonged time in close quarters millions of miles from Earth without killing each other?

Nick Kanas, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
Feb. 21, 2024 ~8 min

Cybersecurity for satellites is a growing challenge, as threats to space-based infrastructure grow

The capability for attacking satellites in space using cyber technology is advancing fast

Sylvester Kaczmarek, Chief Technology Officer, Imperial College London • conversation
Feb. 20, 2024 ~8 min

Russia’s space weapon: anti-satellite systems are indiscriminate, posing a risk to everyone’s spacecraft

Destroying satellites in space can lead to cascades that are hard to predict.

Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Feb. 19, 2024 ~7 min


Termites inspire shelters for life on the moon

Researchers are developing smart, robot-built sandbag shelters for NASA astronauts on the moon inspired by termite mounds.

Katy Smith-U. Arizona • futurity
Feb. 19, 2024 ~7 min

Is Russia looking to put nukes in space? Doing so would undermine global stability and ignite an anti-satellite arms race

Russia isn’t likely to put nuclear missiles in space, but their reported anti-satellite weapon is just as alarming. An expert on nuclear strategy explains.

Spenser A. Warren, Postdoctoral Fellow in Technology and International Security, University of California, San Diego • conversation
Feb. 17, 2024 ~9 min

/

109