Science & Technology News

CNN

NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered “leopard spots” on a rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” in Mars’ Jezero Crater in July. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS.

Space.com

The chances of a planet hosting life depends on more than just its proximity to its parent star, and the amount of radiation it receives. New research looks at the impact a star’s magnetic field has on exoplanet habitability.

Space.com

“On Earth, these types of features in rocks are often associated with the fossilized record of microbes living in the subsurface.” Comments (0). When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

CNN

“This public safety determination means the Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation remains open, provided all other license requirements are met,” according to the FAA. On its website …

Spaceflight Now

Critical tests are on tap this weekend to confirm Boeing’s Starliner capsule can safety carry its two-person crew back to Earth despite unexpected helium leaks and degraded maneuvering thrusters, officials said Thursday. The problems, discovered during …

Space.com

We’ll all have to wait a bit longer to see the first-ever private spacewalk. SpaceX is now targeting mid- to late August for the launch of Polaris Dawn, a mission funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. The upcoming flight, which will employ …

Space.com

SpaceX says it has identified and fixed the problem that caused its Falcon 9 rocket to fail during a launch earlier this month. That failure occurred on July 11, as a Falcon 9 carried 20 of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellites toward low Earth orbit.

The New York Times

With the Falcon 9 rocket set to fly again, and testing of the Starliner capsule progressing, the agency is seeking to turn the page on a brief, troubled chapter in orbit.

Scientific American

Mysterious “leopard spots” on a Martian rock could be evidence of extraterrestrial life—or of mere lifeless chemistry. Finding out the truth may require bringing the rock back to Earth. By Lee Billings. To the left of the rover near the center of the …

Space.com

On Tuesday (July 23), Europe’s Solar Orbiter (SolO) spacecraft witnessed an extremely powerful X14 class solar flare erupt from the far side of the sun. Although it was not the most powerful flare ever recorded, which was estimated at roughly a X45 …