NASA Archives - The Debrief

One Small Step for Man’s Garbage: Space Junk, EV Aircraft, and Monitoring Earth’s Pollution with Satellites

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias and Stephanie Gerk·March 17, 2023

This week on 'The Debrief Weekly Report', we look at NASA and the Italian space agency's mission to monitor pollution, and how scientists around the world want to update the space treaty to include space junk.

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.

Asteroid Ryugu, photographed by the Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft (Credit: JAXA).

Asteroid Discovery Could Shed Light on the Mysterious Origins of Life on Earth

Micah Hanks·March 2, 2023

This week we look at how asteroid samples delivered to Earth by a Japanese spacecraft could shed light on the mysterious origins of life on Earth.

Webb Space Telescope’s Latest Discovery Could Completely Upend Our Current Understanding of the Universe

Tim McMillan·February 23, 2023

Images captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope lead to unexpected discovery that could upend our understanding of the universe.

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.

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.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Spacecraft May Carry Humans to Mars, as U.S. Announces First Testing in 50 Years

Micah Hanks·January 26, 2023

A nuclear thermal rocket is under development by the U.S., which could produce a spacecraft capable of manned missions to Mars.

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.

Transonic Experimental Aircraft in Development as NASA and Boeing Work to Produce New Sustainable Flight Demonstrator

Micah Hanks·January 19, 2023

A new transonic truss-braced wing (TTBW) aircraft design is in development, following an announcement from NASA that it has chosen Boeing to lead the design and production of a new full-scale demonstrator aircraft.

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.

Rocky Exoplanet Nearly the Same Size as Earth Found in Star’s Habitable Zone

Christopher Plain·January 12, 2023

NASA and MIT researchers using the TESS telescope say they have spotted a nearly Earth-sized exoplanet hanging out in its star's habitable zone.

‘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.

NASA’s NEO Surveyor Will Defend Earth Against ‘Invisible’ Threats From Space

Micah Hanks·December 29, 2022

This week, we analyze NASA's next-generation telescope NEO Surveyor, which will hunt for "dark" asteroids and comets.

Astronauts, Historians, Scientists, and Officials Convene to Discuss Stigmas Surrounding UAP

Baptiste Friscourt·December 19, 2022

The International Symposium on UAP Research, a virtual event organized by the company Vertical Project Media, was held on October 16th, 2022.

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.

Asteroid Impact in Canada May Have Left Something Behind That Astronomers Now Want

Micah Hanks·November 23, 2022

Astronomers say an asteroid impact in Canada near the shores of Lake Erie could provide a rich source of information for future studies.

NASA Successfully Launches its Artemis I Mega Rocket, Carrying Orion to the Moon

Micah Hanks·November 17, 2022

NASA landed another huge success this week as it launched it's impressive Artemis rocket into space, which is now on its way toward the Moon.

NASA-Funded Project Will Crowdsource Data to Study Mysterious Transient Luminous Events

Micah Hanks·November 4, 2022

Lightning sprites and other mysterious Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) will be explored in a new NASA-Funded citizen science project.

Solar Flares Might Actually Increase Habitability of Trappist-1 Exoplanets

Christopher Plain·October 27, 2022

A new study claims solar flares may actually make the planets in Trappist-1's habitability zone even more habitable than first thought. Teams using the James Webb Space Telescope are planning to search those same planets for chemical traces of extraterrestrial life, called 'biosignatures,' in their atmospheres.

The NASA UAP Study: A New Calculation On the Fly

Avi Loeb·October 25, 2022

Astronomer Avi Loeb shares his thoughts following a recent meeting in Washington with members of the forthcoming NASA UAP Study.

Smashing Success: NASA Presents a Promising DART Mission Update

Micah Hanks·October 13, 2022

Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… now that NASA’s investigation team has had time to go...

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.

Russian Space Agency Seeks to Continue Operations Aboard the ISS Beyond 2024

Micah Hanks·October 6, 2022

This week, we look at how the Russian space agency is now looking at the possibility of continuing its space operations aboard the International Space Station beyond 2024.

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.

The Discovery of a Second Interstellar Meteor

Meter-Size Interstellar Objects Are Much Tougher than Solar System Rocks!

Avi Loeb·September 23, 2022

In a new paper with student Amir Siraj, Avi Loeb says they have identified a second interstellar meteor, IM2, in the CNEOS fireball catalog of NASA.

Neptune’s Rings Make Rare Appearance in Surreal Images Captured by Webb

Micah Hanks·September 22, 2022

Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… as new images from the James Webb Space Telescope...

SHERLOC Investigates Red Planet Puzzler at Wildcat Ridge

Micah Hanks·September 15, 2022

This week, the Perseverance rover's SHERLOC instrument has made potentially promising discoveries in an ancient delta that may help unravel a Martian mystery.

NASA’s DART Spacecraft Is On Its Way Toward a Collision With an Asteroid Moon

Micah Hanks·September 8, 2022

This week's Intelligence Brief examines NASA's plans to smash its DART spacecraft into an asteroiod moonlet millions of miles away from Earth later this month.

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.

Was Einstein Wrong? Dark Energy Study Yields Surprising Discoveries About Nature’s Most Mysterious Forces

Micah Hanks·September 2, 2022

A new study on dark energy examines whether our understanding of gravity and its influence throughout the universe is incomplete.

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.

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.

“Cosmics” and “Phantoms”: Ukrainian Independent Study Reveals Observations of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena

Micah Hanks·August 26, 2022

Ukrainian researchers say an independent study of unidentified aerial phenomena has produced images of objects that defy simple explanation.

Artemis Mission Has NASA Searching the Lunar South Pole for Landing Sites

Micah Hanks·August 25, 2022

This week, we examine several landing sites NASA recently proposed on the Moon's south pole for its ambitious Artemis mission.

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.

NASA Prepares For the First Moonshot of Its Artemis Program

Micah Hanks·August 18, 2022

As NASA gears up for its Artemis mission, we look at what NASA plans to accomplish during its first test flight with its SLS rocket and the Orion capsule.

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.

Earendel: The Most Distant Star in the Universe Seen Through the Eye of Webb

Micah Hanks·August 4, 2022

The James Webb Space Telescope managed to capture images of the most distant star in the universe... this week, we take a look at that star, and the origins of its unique name.

2033 Will Mark a New Milestone as NASA Delivers First Samples From Mars

Micah Hanks·July 28, 2022

NASA has outlined its latest plans for its ambitious Mars Sample Return Program, now expected to deliver samples collected by the Perseverance rover back to Earth by 2033.

Recent media articles have hinted that a moon take-over could be possible for either China or the U.S.

Feud Between NASA and China Reveals the Difficulties of a Moon Takeover

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 26, 2022

Recently, speculation has been rife that either China or the U.S. may have aspirations to attempt a moon take-over.

Artemis-I: NASA Has Its Eyes on the Moon as it Preps For Future Mars Missions

Christopher Plain·July 22, 2022

NASA's Artemis-I mission has set a trio of possible dates for the space agency's first official launch to the Moon in 50 years.

Mysterious “String” Spotted by Mars Rover Suddenly Disappears

Christopher Plain·July 21, 2022

A piece of string-like material photographed on Mars by the Perseverance Rover just last week has suddenly disappeared.

The Psyche asteroid could be a protoplanet, according to new research from NASA

Upcoming Psyche Mission Could Help Determine if Asteroid is Actually a Protoplanet

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 20, 2022

NASA's Psyche mission scheduled for later this year may be able to determine whether a curious asteroid is in fact a protoplanet.

The James Webb Space Telescope is Already Changing How We See the Universe

Micah Hanks·July 14, 2022

This week in our analysis we’ll be looking at what the James Webb Space Telescope is already revealing about our universe.