Space Archives

New images from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal more about our galaxy.

New Images from the James Webb Space Telescope Reveal More Information about Our Galaxy

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·June 14, 2022

The James Webb Space Telescope has recently dispatched a new series of stellar images captured by its high-powered camera system. The latest batch of images are part of the last phase of testing by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA)...

NASA Details Plans for New Study to Investigate Unidentified Aerial Phenomena

The U.S. space agency says its study of UAP will begin in late 2022, with the complete results "made available to the public."

Micah Hanks·June 9, 2022

The U.S. space agency says its study of UAP will begin in late 2022, and "will be made available to the public."

Researchers from the University of Minnesota are developing a microchip that can be used to test for diseases

A New Microchip Powered by Your Phone Can Test for Diseases

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·June 9, 2022

Researchers from the University of Minnesota are developing a microchip that can be used to test for diseases

With Age Comes Wisdom: Life’s Astronomical Puzzles

Avi Loeb·June 6, 2022

While humans have gleaned a tremendous amount of knowledge about the universe, there are several astronomical puzzles about our lives that remain mysterious.

Alleviating the Tyranny of the Rocket Equation Through Intergalactic Travel at Low Accelerations

Avi Loeb·May 31, 2022

Could there be new physics that suppresses the dreadful exponent of the rocket equation?

The Galactic Trading Card of Human Civilization

Avi Loeb·May 27, 2022

A curious civilization seeking to increase its scientific knowledge by exploring the unknown will win the Galactic contest of trading cards.

Interstellar Kites: Galactic Surfing on Light?

Avi Loeb·May 26, 2022

Here’s hoping that they are some interstellar environmentalists out there who have already started to clean our cosmic neighborhood.

Scientists Want to Send A Message Across the Galaxy. Will ET Understand?

While some scientists worry about contacting ET, others doubt we’ll hear anything back (at least any time soon).

Simon Spichak·May 23, 2022

While some scientists worry about contacting ET, others doubt we’ll hear anything back (at least any time soon).

Warp Bubble Researcher Speaks Out

Christopher Plain·May 13, 2022

Dr. Harold G. “Sonny White, the researcher behind the “warp bubble” is finally talking about his infamous discovery.

WARP Drive Pioneer Releases New Futuristic Video Animation

Christopher Plain·May 12, 2022

Warp drive pioneer Dr. Harold G “Sonny” White has released a new video animation about the future of advanced propulsion systems.

Another Clue Origin of Life May Be Extraterrestrial

Christopher Plain·May 5, 2022

In yet another clue that the origin of all life may be extraterrestrial, NASA says it has found all pieces of DNA and RNA inside meteorites.

Future Spacecraft Will Use Pulsars to Navigate

Christopher Plain·May 4, 2022

Future spacecraft will be able to use the x-rays emitted by pulsars to navigate in the vastness of deep space.

How Can we Guide Our Life?

Avi Loeb·May 4, 2022

In the future, could an interactive artificial intelligence (AI) system answer questions for us, and carry the flame of life and consciousness?

Lunar Ranging: Detecting the Memory Effect from a Black Hole Merger at the Galactic Center

Avi Loeb·May 3, 2022

Permanent displacement between Earth and the Moon is detectable by the Lunar Ranging laser system, which monitors the Earth-Moon separation by measuring steadily the roundtrip travel time of light to the Moon.

Exoplanet Specialist Sara Seager is Rebelliously Curious

Learn what steps researchers are currently taking to find life on another planet

Christopher Plain·April 29, 2022

The Debrief’s intrepid host Chrissy Newton talks to MIT astrophysicist, planetary scientist, and exoplanet specialist Sara Seager.

Backpacking on the Moon with LIDAR Mapping

Christopher Plain·April 29, 2022

Future NASA astronauts will map the Moon, Mars, and other worlds using a portable, lidar-equipped backpack. Derived from the term “RADAR,” lidar systems use a laser to measure ranges and relative distances. When incorporated into a portable backpack like the...

The First Interstellar Meteor Had a Larger Material Strength Than Iron Meteorites

Avi Loeb·April 27, 2022

The first interstellar object to make its way to Earth may have had properties that exceeded even those of iron meteorites.

NASA Says Video of Mars UFOs Likely Fake

Christopher Plain·April 26, 2022

According to NASA, images of two separate UFOs photographed by the Perseverance Rover hanging in the skies of Mars are most likely fakes. This type of direct statement from the American space agency on UFOs is new, as previous, similar...

Perseverance Starts Year-Long River Delta Life Hunt

Delta Considered Likeliest Place for Rover to Find Signs of Ancient Microbial Life

Christopher Plain·April 25, 2022

NASA’s Perseverance rover is about to spend the next year hunting an ancient river delta for signs of Martian life.

Odds Increasing for Life on Jupiter’s Moon Europa

Christopher Plain·April 22, 2022

Features found on Jupiter’s moon Europa may dramatically increase the chances of finding life within its sub-surface oceans.

Group Preparing to Send Messages to TRAPPIST-1

Christopher Plain·April 21, 2022

A group known as Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) is preparing to send digital messages to the Trappist-1 exoplanet system.

Scooping Interstellar Fragments from the Ocean Floor

Avi Loeb·April 20, 2022

On April 6, 2022, the U.S. Space Command tweeted a formal letter confirming a meteor as originating from outside the solar system.

Dark Matter: The Scientific Method and Understanding the Unseen

Avi Loeb·April 15, 2022

The popular cosmological paradigm supposes the existence of unseen matter known as “Cold Dark Matter”.

Martian ‘A.I.-Biker’ Rovers Could Swarm Red Planet

Christopher Plain·April 14, 2022

Two-wheeled Martian rovers designed to work independently and as a team may one day search the planet’s surface like a swarm of AI-bikers.

Researchers from the American Geophysical Union look into newly discovered ice caps on Mars to learn more about the planet's beginnings.

Newly Discovered Martian Ice Craters Reveal More History of the Planet

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 13, 2022

Researchers from the American Geophysical Union look into newly discovered ice caps on Mars to learn more about the planet's beginnings.

COSMIC SETI is Going Large in the Search for Technosignatures

Christopher Plain·April 11, 2022

After decades of scanning the heavens for technosignatures, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is about to go large.

Water Plasma Space Thruster Passes Key Test

Company Hopes to Begin Space Deployment of Unique Propulsion System This Year

Christopher Plain·April 8, 2022

Space startup Momentus says their Vigoride water plasma thruster has successfully completed thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing.

U.S. Space Force Eyes One Hour Global Delivery

Christopher Plain·April 7, 2022

The United States Space Force hopes to employ a fleet of rockets to make one-hour delivery of cargo anywhere within the world a reality.

Ice Volcanoes Make Pluto Target in Search for E.T.

Christopher Plain·April 6, 2022

Ice volcanoes spotted on Pluto’s surface mean conditions may exist within the dwarf planet to support extraterrestrial life.

Transgenic Lettuce Will Help Astronauts Combat Bone Loss

Christopher Plain·April 5, 2022

Researchers have designed customized "transgenic" lettuce that can help astronauts combat micro-gravity-induced bone loss.

Video Shows Astrolab Moon Rover in Action

Christopher Plain·April 1, 2022

Commercial space venture Astrolab has released a video of its cutting-edge moon rover concept vehicle undergoing real-world testing.

Mars Rover Making Mad Dash to Tantalizing Life Target

Christopher Plain·March 30, 2022

NASA's Perseverance Rover is driving at a record-setting pace toward a river delta potentially teeming with signs of ancient life.

Panspermia: Meteors and Spores to the Fore

Brad Kurtz, Ph.D., J.D.·March 25, 2022

What is the evidence for the controversial theory of panspermia? Could simple forms of life really survive in outer space?

NASA’s Airborn Observatory SOFIA Makes Its Way to South America to Study Nearby Galaxies

Micah Hanks·March 23, 2022

NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is equipped for scanning the South American skies with a reflecting telescope mounted aboard a Boeing 747SP.

NASA’s Roman Telescope to Directly Image Exoplanets

Program Will Narrow Gap to Directly Imaging Earthlike Exoplanets

Christopher Plain·March 22, 2022

NASA is currently building the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope in hopes of directly imaging smaller and fainter exoplanets.

NASA Funds Next Phase of Exoplanet Hunting Starshade

Christopher Plain·March 17, 2022

NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program has granted new funding to develop a working orbital starshade.

Complex Organic Molecules Found within Planetary Disc

Discovery Will Help the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·March 11, 2022

Astronomers have detected the complex organic molecules dimethyl ether and methyl formate within a star’s planetary-forming disc.

Tech Talk Episode 4: Space Telescopes

Christopher Plain·March 10, 2022

In this episode of The Debrief’s Tech Talk, we look at 54 years of science since the launch of the first space telescope in 1968.

NASA's new NACHOS imager will be able to detect volcanic activity and air quality had higher sensitivity levels than previously

NACHO Average Space Tool, Meet NASA’s New Imager

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·March 7, 2022

NASA's new NACHOS imager will be able to detect volcanic activity and air quality had higher sensitivity levels than previously.

Did Curiosity Rover Spot a Flower on Mars?

Christopher Plain·March 4, 2022

NASA’s Curiosity rover has taken a picture of a rock formation on Mars that looks eerily like a tiny flower.

European Space Agency Issues Statement on Russia

Christopher Plain·March 4, 2022

Following a meeting of its member countries, the European Space Agency (ESA) has issued a formal statement regarding cooperation with Russia.

The Search for ET: What Do the Best Scientists in the Milky Way Know?

Avi Loeb·March 3, 2022

An encounter with an ET culture would be a humbling experience, since we will have to admit that our modern science was developed only over the past century out of the 4.5-billion-years-long history of Earth.

Exploring Venus in a Manta Ray Inspired Spacecraft

Christopher Plain·March 1, 2022

A new spacecraft inspired by the manta ray and designed to surf the clouds of Venus has received a second round of funding from NASA.

Perseverance Rover Spots Artificial Object on Mars

Further Review Confirms Object is Discarded Rover Drill Bit

Christopher Plain·February 28, 2022

NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover has photographed something or the red planet’s surface that is clearly not natural.

Tatooine exoplanet orbiting two suns, Tatooine-style planet, Star Wars-style planet

Tatooine-Like Exoplanet Confirmed

Discovery Expected to Aid the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·February 25, 2022

Astronomers have confirmed an exoplanet orbiting two suns similar to Luke Skywalker’s fictional home Tatooine in the 1977 movie Star Wars.

NASA Rocket Ready to Chase Pulsating Aurora

Christopher Plain·February 24, 2022

NASA is readying the launch of a new rocket that will try to figure out what causes one aspect of the aurora borealis to pulsate.

The Milky-Way’s Gifts to Life Expectancy

Avi Loeb·February 23, 2022

We live in the gravitational potential well of the Milky Way galaxy, and therefore we age more slowly than the cosmos at large. By how much?

Light Sail Could Reach Proxima Centauri in 20 Years

Christopher Plain·February 21, 2022

Researchers have proposed a light sail design that should be able to survive the stresses of an interstellar voyage.

Mind the Gap: A Lesson in Cosmic Stoicism

Avi Loeb·February 18, 2022

If human beings ever locate and interact with an extraterrestrial civilization, how will we play 'realpolitik' with them?

NASA is Playing with Fire. In Space. Literally.

Christopher Plain·February 18, 2022

A new set of NASA experiments will test how fire acts and how to extinguish it in the microgravity environment of space. A follow-up to previous fire-analyzing missions, this decidedly dangerous undertaking hopes to increase fire safety for future colonists...