Space Archives - The Debrief

From the Far Side of the Moon, NASA and the DOE Plan to Search for Signals from the Dark Ages of the Universe

Micah Hanks·March 14, 2023

The “Dark Ages of the Universe” will be the focus of a new experiment conducted jointly by NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), involving the placement of a new science observatory on the far side of the Moon.

Joint American-Italian MAIA Mission Will Be First to Use Satellites to Focus on Public Health and Pollution

Micah Hanks·March 13, 2023

MAIA, a cooperation between NASA and ASI, marks a mission first by the space agencies with a satellite mission focused on public health.

Scientists Call for a Space Junk Treaty to Prevent Future Tragedy from Occurring in Orbit

Micah Hanks·March 10, 2023

Scientists are calling for a treaty to protect Earth from space junk resulting from future industries operating in Earth's orbit.

Curious ‘Oblong’ Object Detected on Radar Was Closely Tracked by NASA, Officials Say

Micah Hanks·February 21, 2023

NASA officials say an odd, oblong-shaped object detected on radar was tracked by the space agency’s Deep Space Network earlier this month.

Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Wolf 1069 b

Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Found in Our Cosmic Backyard

Christopher Plain·February 7, 2023

An earth-sized exoplanet that is orbiting within its star's habitable zone has been spotted a mere 31 light years away from Earth, offering astronomers and astrobiologists a tantalizingly close new target in the search for extraterrestrial life.

How DARPA, Star Trek, and UFOs Inspired This Engineer to Unravel the Secrets to Warp Drive Propulsion

Christopher Plain·February 1, 2023

Meet Dr. Chance Glenn, the university professor and electrical engineer preparing to test his warp drive theory.

Mysterious Beams of Light and Curious Spirals: Hawaii’s Subaru-Asahi Star Camera Keeps Capturing Bizarre Scenes in the Night Sky

Tim McMillan·February 1, 2023

From eerie blue spirals to ghostly green beams of light, the Subaru star camera keeps capturing mysterious scenes in the night skies over Hawaii.

“Revolutionary” Detonation Propulsion System May Propel Future Crewed Missions Into Deep Space

Micah Hanks·January 30, 2023

NASA has announced the initial development and testing of its first full-scale rotating detonation propulsion rocket engine (RDRE) are complete.

Imagine Interstellar: Humanity’s Path to Becoming an Interstellar Species

Avi Loeb·January 27, 2023

"Interstellar travel favors the scientifically inclined, exploring civilizations," says Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb in his latest Op Ed.

Krypton-Fueled Ultra-Powerful Plasma Thrusters Could Drive Interplanetary Exploration

Christopher Plain·January 25, 2023

Ultra-efficient plasma thrusters, sometimes called ion thrusters or Hall thrusters, that are used almost exclusively in orbit could soon become much more powerful by using krypton gas instead of xenon.

These Are the Top 5 Places and Times Humanity is Likely to Discover Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·January 24, 2023

Here are the Top Five places humanity is most likely to find signs of extraterrestrial life and when those discoveries could take place.

NASA’s Geotail Mission, Which Unraveled Auroras and Mysteries of Earth’s Magnetosphere, Finally Ends

NASA Says Farewell to its Geotail Spacecraft After Three Decades of Service

Micah Hanks·January 20, 2023

NASA has announced that its Geotail spacecraft, a joint project with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has ended operations after three decades in orbit.

Astroculture: A Quick, But Not So-Easy Guide to Space Farming

Amanda Winstead·January 16, 2023

While the prospects of space farming certainly bear a degree of promise, there are a number of reasons why it won’t be particularly easy to execute.

‘Keep Out, We’re Here’: The Moon Could Become a Chinese Territory Warns Head of NASA

Tim McMillan·January 3, 2023

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson warns that losing today's space race could mean China declaring the moon as its own sovereign territory.

A New Plan for Finding Alien Life on Enceladus Looks at Using Orbital Spacecraft

Christopher Plain·December 23, 2022

Researchers from the University of Arizona have published a new plan for finding alien life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus by flying a probe through the water plumes the icy moon sews into space.

The Case For Alien Life Elevated By The Exciting First-Ever Confirmation of Two Exoplanet Water Worlds

Christopher Plain·December 16, 2022

Researchers from the University of Montreal have confirmed the presence of two water worlds orbiting a star 218 light years from earth.

Despite Micrometeoroid Impacts NASA Says James Webb Telescope Should Survive and Thrive for Another 20 Years

Christopher Plain·December 15, 2022

Following the announcement that the James Webb Space Telescope has already endured 14 micrometeoroid impacts, NASA says that, barring an unforeseen event, the groundbreaking observatory should still be able to conduct science operations for another 20 years.

Plasma Propulsion Discovery Could Herald a ‘New Era of Space Exploration’

Micah Hanks·December 9, 2022

Researchers say they have discovered the solution to a problem that has long hindered progress with a novel form of plasma propulsion.

Physics Thinktank Proposes Method for Detecting Extraterrestrial Spacecraft Using Gravitational Waves

Christopher Plain·December 9, 2022

The research team behind the first physical warp drive has partnered with an associate dean of physics from Carnegie-Mellon University to detect extraterrestrial spacecraft using gravitational waves.

Japan’s Space Agency Successfully Completes First Flight of Steam-Powered Spacecraft

Christopher Plain·December 6, 2022

Japan’s Space Agency JAXA has reported the first successful flight of a steam-powered spacecraft named EQUULEUS beyond low earth orbit.

Black Hole Simulated in the Lab Suddenly Starts Glowing, Potentially Pointing to a Unified Theory of Gravity

Christopher Plain·December 2, 2022

A team of European physicists simulated a "glowing" black hole in the lab, which they say might help confirm one famous physicist's theory.

The Discovery of Life on Titan Could Reveal Clues About Early Life in the Universe

Avi Loeb·December 1, 2022

Saturn's moon Titan has an atmosphere rich in organic compounds, which has led to speculations that chemical precursors of life may have been generated there.

Star Trek is Motivating This Team of Scientists to Build a Working Warp Drive Spacecraft

Creating a warp bubble is only a part of the project, and mastering nuclear fusion is the larger prize.

Christopher Plain and MJ Banias·November 28, 2022

Dr. Greg Hodgin, founder of ZC Inc., discusses his love of Star Trek and how he and his company is planning to build the world's first warp drive spacecraft.

These Are the Top Four Theories That Could Bring Us Closer to Faster-Than-Light Travel

Christopher Plain and MJ Banias·November 3, 2022

The speculative science of faster-than-light travel is still a dark art, so can these theories turn science fiction into science fact?

Was Neil DeGrasse Tyson Right About the Survivability of Top Gun Maverick’s Hypersonic Ejection?

Christopher Plain·October 19, 2022

Analysis shows that the hypersonic ejection by Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick is survivable. Kind of.

Flying Saucer? No, But This Inflatable Heat Shield Could Help Astronauts Land on Mars

Micah Hanks·October 12, 2022

NASA's new inflatable heat shield, which may one day assist in landing humans on Mars, will soon be launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Study Finds Geological Layers the Likely Source of Reflective Spots on Mars, Not Water

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·October 5, 2022

Geological layers may be the source of Mars' reflective spots, instead of water ice as previously thought.

Water on Mars? New Evidence for Liquid Water Beneath the Red Planet’s Polar Ice Caps

Christopher Plain·September 29, 2022

A brand new study significantly strengthens the case for lakes of liquid water beneath the polar ice caps of Mars.

Analysis Increases Chances of Discovering Extraterrestrial Life in the Oceans of Enceladus

Christopher Plain·September 28, 2022

New research on Saturn’s moon Enceladus shows there is a good chance that life may exist in its subsurface oceans.

Technologies of Interstellar Origin: Picking the “Fruits” of Intelligence

Avi Loeb·September 28, 2022

Finding the products of technological engines produced by intelligence from afar could inspire humans to focus on our ambitious future in space.

To the Moon, and Beyond: The Realities of Commercial Space Travel

Adrien Johansen·September 20, 2022

If commercial space travel eventually becomes more widely accessible, there will be significant challenges for individuals looking to buy their ticket to the final frontier.

Could MIT’s MOXIE Device Be the Future of Oxygen Production on Mars?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 19, 2022

MOXIE, an experiment by MIT and NASA currently on board the Perseverance rover, aims to help find ways to produce oxygen in Mars' atmosphere.

Axiom Space awarded $228.5 Million Contract for Building NASA’s Next Generation of Spacesuits

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 16, 2022

NASA has announced that it has awarded Axiom Space a large contract to aid in the development of the next generation of spacesuits.

Star Trek-Style Biofinder Could Be a Secret Weapon in the Search for ET

Christopher Plain·September 13, 2022

Researchers say their newly developed "Biofinder" tool could help astrobiologists in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Chinese Scientists are Eyeing a Lunar Lava Tube as the Location for a Moon Base

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 13, 2022

Chinese space architects are looking at using a lava tube on the Moon as the location of its future lunar base.

New Zealand may become the first country to have a majority private-space company program.

In New Zealand, New Regulations Could Help Its Space Program Achieve Liftoff

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 9, 2022

Getting into the 21st-century space race, New Zealand may become the first country to have a space program that operates as a private company.

Astronomers Just Discovered a Pair of New Potentially Habitable Planets

Christopher Plain·September 8, 2022

Scientists from the University of Birmingham say they have discovered a pair of potentially habitable planets outside of our solar system.

NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge: Seven Companies Advance to the Next Level

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 5, 2022

NASA's Watts on the Moon Challenge has reached the next level of Phase 2, as seven companies are now moving forward with innovative designs.

As Hydrogen Leak Sets Back Artemis I Launch, Here’s What’s Next for NASA’s Moon Mission

Micah Hanks·September 4, 2022

NASA’s Artemis mission saw significant setbacks on Saturday, after engineers were unable to resolve a hydrogen leak in an interface connecting the liquid hydrogen fuel feed line with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

Enigmatic “Phantom Galaxy” is Revealed in Stunning Images From Space Telescope Collaboration

Micah Hanks·August 30, 2022

Images of the "Phantom Galaxy" M74 are among the latest stunning efforts that combine data collected by Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes.

Wish Upon a Star

Avi Loeb·August 29, 2022

Imagine if every human that ever lived had a star of their own; how would this broaden our individual sense of our place in the cosmos?

Artemis Ascending is a VR livestream of the Artemis I launch that may change how viewers participate with new events.

“Artemis Ascending” Will Use VR to Bring Viewers to the Launchpad for NASA’s Artemis I Mission

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 27, 2022

NASA's "Artemis Ascending" is a VR live stream of the Artemis I launch that has the potential to change how viewers tune in to watch events online.

Possible Alien “Water World” Discovered 100 Light-Years From Earth

Tim McMillan·August 25, 2022

A team of scientists have announced the discovery of a possible alien water world that, in astronomical terms, is relatively close to Earth’s backyard.

Astroport Space Technologies has been awarded a new contract from NASA to help build launch and landing pads on the Moon.

A New Contract Awarded to Astroport Space Technologies Reveals a New Wave of Space Construction

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 25, 2022

Astroport Space Technologies has been awarded a new contract from NASA to help build launch and landing pads on the Moon.

The Intel Community Looks to Improve Its Ability To Spy Objects in Space

Tim McMillan·August 22, 2022

The U.S. Intel Community wants the ability to spy objects smaller than 10cm, traveling 22,500 mph, in space.

A new surgical robot named MIRA could be implemented on the ISS in the near future, making remote surgery a possibility.

Could the ISS Host the First Remote Surgical Robot in Space?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 18, 2022

A new surgical robot called MIRA could be implemented on the ISS in the near future, making remote surgery a possibility.

Rare and Unexplained, Scientists May Soon Solve the Mystery of Lightning “Superbolts”

Micah Hanks·August 11, 2022

For decades, scientists have been aware of the existence of a rare and mysterious form of lightning known as superbolts.

China’s New Top Secret Spaceplane Looks Awkwardly Familiar

Tim McMillan·August 11, 2022

China recently launched its new top-secret spaceplane, which is believed to look awkwardly similar to the U.S.'s X-37B spaceplane.

Habitable Zone Super-Earth Found Just 37 Light Years Away

Christopher Plain·August 9, 2022

Japanese researchers say they have spotted a “super-earth” exoplanet orbiting within the star's habitable zone a mere 37 light years away.

Russia's withdrawal from the ISS could cause a lot of future problems, and hints at trends toward private space stations.

Russia’s Withdrawal from the ISS May Quicken the Arrival of Future Private Space Stations

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 5, 2022

Russia's withdrawal from the ISS could cause a lot of future problems, and hints at trends toward private space stations.