A Q&A with astronomer Bruce Macintosh on what people should understand about exoplanets – planets outside our solar system – and what exoplanet research means for life on Earth.
A new model shows how brine on Jupiter’s moon Europa can migrate within the icy shell to form pockets of salty water that erupt to the surface when freezing. The findings, which are important for the upcoming Europa Clipper mission, may explain cryovolcanic eruptions across icy bodies in the solar system.
According to Stanford University Mars experts, NASA’s latest Martian rover will drive a wave of exciting discoveries when it lands on the Red Planet – and possibly alter scientists’ understanding of the blue one it launches from.
The former director of NASA Ames discusses how the advent of new activities and players in the exploration and use of space is raising fresh challenges and concerns about planetary protection.
New research indicates river delta deposits within Mars’ Jezero crater – the destination of NASA’s Perseverance rover on the Red Planet – formed over time scales that promoted habitability and enhanced preservation of evidence.
Aero/astro engineer Ken Hara is developing computer models to help make a little-known, but widely-used thruster engine more suitable for long-distance missions.
How did those planets form? Could they exist in our universe? Could “Star Wars” really happen? Stanford Earth experts on planetary formation, processes and habitability discuss the science behind the fictional saga.
A freshman course takes students through the process of designing a space mission, ending with a presentation of their own mission designs to NASA scientists.
