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<title><![CDATA[ Latest from Space.com ]]></title>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket for moon and Mars on 11th test flight (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_WOPtLBtA_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="WOPtLBtA"> <div id="botr_WOPtLBtA_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>That's two in a row for Starship.</p><p>SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html"><u>Starship</u></a> , the biggest and most powerful <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html"><u>rocket</u></a> ever built, aced a suborbital test flight today (Oct. 13), following up on a similar success in late August.</p><p>Today's mission, which lifted off from SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/will-spacexs-starbase-become-a-city-voters-will-decide-on-may-3"><u>Starbase</u></a> site in South Texas, was the 11th overall test flight for the Starship program. It was also the final launch of the current version of the giant vehicle, which will soon be replaced by an even larger variant. And this swan song was a memorable one.</p><p>"Let 'em hear it, Starbase!" <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a> spokesperson Dan Huot said during the company's launch webcast today, as employees at the site cheered the test flight's successful conclusion. "What a day!"</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="6bFJvMamSwjyTRYqbHWekm" name="Starship Flight 11 liftoff" alt="a giant silver rocket launches with a wetland and the sea behind it" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6bFJvMamSwjyTRYqbHWekm.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">SpaceX's 11th Starship megarocket launches on a test flight from Starbase, Texas, on Oct. 13, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="1ee07f5f-351c-4560-a9ce-f370b6fa23dc" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension48="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension25="$47.99" href="https://www.amazon.com/wltk-SpaceX-Starship-Diecast-Rocket/dp/B0BX3WVBTL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=T7YR9VPWSYSD&keywords=spacex%2Bstarship&qid=1681987946&sprefix=spacex%2Bstarship%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:679px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:104.57%;"><img id="R6rCE5qJvwhi2ZjPuubNSQ" name="starship desktop model.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/R6rCE5qJvwhi2ZjPuubNSQ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="679" height="710" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Starship Die Cast Rocket Model </strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/wltk-SpaceX-Starship-Diecast-Rocket/dp/B0BX3WVBTL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=T7YR9VPWSYSD&keywords=spacex%2Bstarship&qid=1681987946&sprefix=spacex%2Bstarship%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="1ee07f5f-351c-4560-a9ce-f370b6fa23dc" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension48="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension25="$47.99"><strong>Now $47.99 on Amazon</strong></a><strong>. </strong></p><p>If you can't see SpaceX's Starship in person, you can score a model of your own. Standing at 13.77 inches (35 cm), this is a 1:375 ratio of SpaceX's Starship as a desktop model. The materials here are alloy steel and it weighs just 225g.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com/wltk-SpaceX-Starship-Diecast-Rocket/dp/B0BX3WVBTL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=T7YR9VPWSYSD&keywords=spacex%2Bstarship&qid=1681987946&sprefix=spacex%2Bstarship%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="1ee07f5f-351c-4560-a9ce-f370b6fa23dc" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension48="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension25="$47.99">View Deal</a></p></div><h2 id="a-rocket-for-the-moon-and-mars-2">A rocket for the moon and Mars</h2><p>SpaceX is developing Starship to help humanity settle <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html"><u>Mars</u></a>, a long-held dream of company founder and CEO <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html"><u>Elon Musk</u></a>. Indeed, Musk, the world's richest man, has said he established SpaceX back in 2002 primarily to help our species set up shop on the Red Planet.</p><p>The moon is also in Starship's sights: NASA chose the vehicle to be the first crewed lander for its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html"><u>Artemis program</u></a>, which aims to put boots on the moon for the first time since the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/apollo-program-overview.html"><u>Apollo</u></a> era. If all goes to plan, Starship will land astronauts near the lunar south pole for the first time on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-3-moon-landing-mission"><u>Artemis 3</u></a> mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2027.</p><p>Musk was on hand Monday evening to watch the Starship Flight 11 launch in person. But not from launch control.</p><p>"This is really the first time I'm going to be outside and watching the rocket," Musk said during a brief cameo on SpaceX's launch livestream. "It's going to be much more visceral."</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="H78zEqBbid3GwyvupDp3VL" name="starship flight 11 stage separation" alt="A split view of a rocket leaving Earth behind as another rocket stage drops away" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/H78zEqBbid3GwyvupDp3VL.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">SpaceX's Starship Flight 11 Super Heavy booster drops away from its Ship 38 upper stage after a "hot-fire" separation. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="EaAL9vhLZAE5qwe2jiv3yE" name="Starship Flight 11 landing burn" alt="A giant booster fires its engines to land before splashing down in the ocean" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EaAL9vhLZAE5qwe2jiv3yE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">A view from Starship Flight 11's Super Heavy booser just before splashdown. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="tPgYxQdYvQMr3Hg4vB3UrZ" name="starship flight 11 starlink deploy" alt="Flat satellites inside a giant rocket in space" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tPgYxQdYvQMr3Hg4vB3UrZ.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">A view inside the payload bay of Starship Flight 11 Ship 38 showing the 8 Starlink satellite simulators. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="4Z5XrbbWz6UJSALCapjr5a" name="starship flight 11 starlink deploy" alt="Flat satellites exit a giant rocket in space" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4Z5XrbbWz6UJSALCapjr5a.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">This view shows the edge-on view of the flat Starlink demonstrators as they were ejected into space on Flight 11. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 5 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="2Dj7d8g95EjX59JVekFFFR" name="starship flight 11 reentry" alt="A winged silver Starship surrounded by red hot plasma during reentry on Flight 11." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Dj7d8g95EjX59JVekFFFR.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">A view from SpaceX's Ship 38 during reentry on Starship Flight 11. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 6 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="UM5q9UQKRhBuC7piHuzN9T" name="Starship Flight 11 reentry" alt="The engines of a SpaceX Starship surrounded by red hot plasma during reentry on Flight 11 with the Earth visible below." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UM5q9UQKRhBuC7piHuzN9T.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">This view shows the six engines on Starship Flight 11's Ship 38 during reentry. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Starship's secret sauce is its envisioned ability to loft incredibly large payloads with mind-boggling frequency. The vehicle is capable of carrying 165 tons (150 metric tons) to the final frontier, and both of its stages — the Super Heavy booster and an upper stage known as Starship, or Ship for short — are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable.</p><p>SpaceX plans to bring both Super Heavy and Ship back to the pad after each flight, catching them with the launch tower's "chopstick" arms. This strategy — which SpaceX has demonstrated <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-loses-starship-upper-stage-again-but-catches-giant-super-heavy-booster-during-flight-8-launch-video"><u>three times</u></a> to date with Super Heavy, though not yet with Ship — will allow superfast inspection and reflight, potentially allowing Starship to launch multiple times per day from a single site, according to Musk.</p><p>Today's launch, by coincidence, occurred on the one-year anniversary of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-flight-5-launch-super-heavy-booster-catch-success-video"><u>SpaceX's first historic catch of a Super Heavy booster</u></a>, on the Starship Flight 5 test flight.</p><p>The current iteration of the vehicle, known as Version 2, stands about 403 feet (123 meters) tall fully stacked. But future variants <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/whats-next-for-spacexs-starship-mars-rocket-after-flight-10-success"><u>will be even bigger</u></a>: Version 3 will be roughly 408 feet (124.4 m) tall, and a "Future Starship" that Musk teased in a May 2025 presentation will tower a whopping 466 feet (142 m) above the ground.</p><p>"Future Starship" is likely Version 4, which Musk later <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1960208627278524438" target="_blank"><u>said</u></a> is expected to debut in 2027. V4 will have a total of 42 Raptor engines — three more than the V2 and V3 variants. (The extra three will go on Ship, giving the upper stage nine engines.)</p><h2 id="test-flight-setbacks-and-a-bounceback-2">Test flight setbacks — and a bounceback</h2><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_SGVdtmPD_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="SGVdtmPD"> <div id="botr_SGVdtmPD_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>These are quite ambitious plans, and this summer they seemed even more so. On three straight test launches — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-catches-super-heavy-booster-on-starship-flight-7-test-but-loses-upper-stage-video-photos"><u>Flight 7</u></a> in January, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-loses-starship-upper-stage-again-but-catches-giant-super-heavy-booster-during-flight-8-launch-video"><u>Flight 8</u></a> in March and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-starship-flight-9-to-space-in-historic-reuse-of-giant-megarocket-video"><u>Flight 9</u></a> in May — SpaceX lost Ship prematurely.</p><p>On Flights 7 and 8, the upper stage exploded less than 10 minutes after liftoff, sending <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-fiery-spacex-starship-flight-8-debris-rain-down-over-the-bahamas-video"><u>debris raining down</u></a> on parts of the Caribbean. On Flight 9, Ship broke apart upon reentry to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth's atmosphere</u></a>.</p><p>SpaceX lost another Ship in June, this time at Starbase: The vehicle that was being prepped for Flight 10 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacexs-starship-explodes-in-texas-during-preparations-for-10th-test-flight"><u>exploded on the test stand</u></a>, forcing the company to press another Ship into service.</p><p>But that replacement upper stage performed well, as did its Super Heavy partner: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-launches-starship-flight-10-critical-test-flight-video"><u>Flight 10</u></a>, which launched on Aug. 26, was a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/starship-mars-rocket-met-every-major-objective-on-epic-flight-10-launch-spacex-says"><u>complete success</u></a>. The booster came back to Earth as planned for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico about 6.5 minutes after liftoff, and Ship did the same in the Indian Ocean an hour later.</p><p>Ship also managed to relight one of its Raptors in space, demonstrating an ability that will be crucial for future missions to the moon and Mars. The vehicle also deployed some payloads — eight dummy versions of SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html"><u>Starlink</u></a> satellites, which were released on the same suborbital trajectory as that of Ship.</p><p>Flight 11 repeated those successes today.</p><h2 id="the-final-flight-of-starship-v2-2">The final flight of Starship V2</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="aSysibMidtLSYqp655X4cJ" name="Starship Flight 11 landing" alt="A split screen of the landing of Starship Flight 11 from Ship 38 on the left, with a view of the landing in the Indian Ocean from a buoy on the right." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aSysibMidtLSYqp655X4cJ.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">This split screen shows the landing of Starship Flight 11 from Ship 38 on the left, with a view of the landing in the Indian Ocean from a buoy on the right. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Flight 11's main goals were the same as those of Flight 10 — bring Super Heavy down in the Gulf and do the same with Ship off the coast of Western Australia, after an in-space Raptor relight and the deployment of eight more dummy Starlinks.</p><p>There were a few twists, however. For example, SpaceX employed a new landing burn strategy with Super Heavy today, trying out an engine configuration that will be used by the next-gen version of the booster.</p><p>"Super Heavy will ignite 13 engines at the start of the landing burn and then transition to a new configuration with five engines running for the divert phase," SpaceX wrote in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-11" target="_blank"><u>Flight 11 mission description</u></a>. "Previously done with three engines, the planned baseline for V3 Super Heavy will use five engines during the section of the burn responsible for fine-tuning the booster’s path, adding additional redundancy for spontaneous engine shutdowns."</p><p>Flight 11 also marked the second-ever reflight of a Super Heavy: This same booster also conducted Flight 8, ending its duties that day with a return to Starbase and a chopsticks catch. SpaceX changed out just nine of its 33 Raptors ahead of today's flight, meaning that 24 of them were flight-proven.</p><p>The company tweaked Ship a bit as well, to gather data that could aid its future trips back to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>. For example, SpaceX removed heat-shield tiles to stress-test certain "vulnerable areas" of the upper stage.</p><p>And, "to mimic the path a ship will take on future flights returning to Starbase, the final phase of Starship’s trajectory on Flight 11 includes a dynamic banking maneuver and will test subsonic guidance algorithms prior to a landing burn and splashdown in the Indian Ocean," SpaceX wrote in the mission description.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_dq4Q12mF_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="dq4Q12mF"> <div id="botr_dq4Q12mF_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>All of this went to plan on Flight 11,<strong> </strong>which kicked off with a launch from Starbase at 7:23 p.m. EDT (2323 GMT; 6:23 p.m. local Texas time). It was the final liftoff from the site's first orbital launch pad before it's overhauled to get ready for the Starship V3 variant.</p><p>"Among many other things, we're installing a new orbital launch mount, a new flame trench system, and upgrading the chopsticks for future catches," Jake Berkowitz, a SpaceX lead propulsion engineer, said during today's launch webcast. "So until that's complete, we'll be running launches from Pad 2, which will be online very soon."</p><p>Super Heavy and Ship separated about 2.5 minutes into flight today, and the booster made its pinpoint splashdown in the Gulf four minutes after that.</p><p>"Congrats to the whole SpaceX team," Berkowitz said after the huge booster hit the water. "That was incredible!"</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html">Starship and Super Heavy explained</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/starship-mars-rocket-met-every-major-objective-on-epic-flight-10-launch-spacex-says">Starship Mars rocket met 'every major objective' on epic Flight 10 test launch, SpaceX says</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/whats-next-for-spacexs-starship-mars-rocket-after-flight-10-success">What's next for SpaceX's Starship Mars rocket after Flight 10 success?</a></p></div></div><p>Ship deployed the eight payloads over a six-minute stretch that began about 19 minutes after liftoff, when the vehicle was 119 miles (192 kilometers) above Earth. The vehicle also aced its brief Raptor relight, which occurred just under 38 minutes after launch.</p><p>Ship then made its own return to Earth, surviving the intense heat of reentry despite the selective heat shield tile-stripping. The vehicle aced its banking maneuver, then splashed down in the Indian Ocean a little over 66 minutes after liftoff.</p><p>And it was a pinpoint landing, occurring within view of a buoy-mounted camera that SpaceX set up beforehand. The dramatic imagery memorializes the successful sendoff for Starship V2, which now cedes the spotlight to its even bigger successors.</p><p>"We promised maximum excitement," Berkowitz said toward the end of today's launch webcast. "And Starship delivered!"</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-starship-rocket-flight-11-launch-success</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ SpaceX's Starship megarocket aced its test flight today (Oct. 13), the 11th overall for the program and the final mission for this version of the giant vehicle. ]]>
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<pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:58:29 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6bFJvMamSwjyTRYqbHWekm-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'More joyous and sillier than 'Rick and Morty': 'Solar Opposites' showrunners on creating their own legacy as final season lands (exclusive) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Hulu's shamelessly adult animated sci-fi series <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-opposites-season-5-exclusive-clip"><u><strong>Solar Opposites</strong></u></a> has certainly pushed acceptable boundaries and fans’ funny bones over the past five seasons with its tale of a bizarre family of extraterrestrial refugees escaping the destruction of their planet, Schlorp, and crash landing on Earth in a generic suburban neighborhood.</p><p>Now, Korvo, Terry, Jessie, Yumyulack, and the Pupa will make one final appearance in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/is-there-something-emerging-from-my-head-solar-opposites-season-6-clip-reveals-the-horror-of-beta-nuts-exclusive"><u><strong>sixth and final season</strong></u></a>, premiering all ten episodes on Oct. 13, 2025.</p><p>20th Television Animation's "Solar Opposites" is delivered by executive producers Mike McMahan ("Rick and Morty," "Star Trek: Lower Decks"), Josh Bycel (“American Dad”), and Sydney Ryan ("Rick and Morty"). We had the chance to chat with the first two-thirds of the creative trio about this wild final outing.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xCSY0bOU934" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>"Finales are hard, especially in comedy and especially when you don't want them to happen," McMahan tells Space.com regarding the show's semi-sad ending. "We would keep making 'Solar Opposites' until we were dust in the ground. We have this big, long arc of the story in The Wall, of these little people stuck in this wall terrarium. We really wanted to do something that felt like both the end of an era, but also a preview of what could keep happening.</p><p>"So there's really cool stuff that ends in The Wall, and there's also some really cool stories that are offered. We finally bring the SilverCops story to an end in a satisfying way. And we also bring Terry and Korvo and all of the Schlorpians' story to a resolution in a way that I don't even know people were expecting. We really made an effort to close the book on that, too, even for characters that didn't seem like they were in a big dramatic storyline."</p><p>As the unhinged comedy comes to a conclusion, Bycel loves that they took the Solars in a different direction for Season 6 by getting rid of their "funds" to reveal a wealth of latent talents.</p><p>"They started as these all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful aliens who had unlimited resources, and over the years we’ve made them more human," Bycel notes.</p><p>"Now all of a sudden, this year they have no money and they have to go out and get jobs and change who they are, and I love that evolution. I love the fact that if it wasn't for the diamond machine getting destroyed, we'd never have found out that Terry is an amazing romantasy novelist. Or that Yumyulack and Jessie are actually smart. Or that Korvo could break out of his mold of just wanting the mission to succeed, to realize that he's a great dad and a great husband, and that he actually would be very good at bossing around other people. That one little thing of getting rid of their money allowed us to unlock so much more."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:55.70%;"><img id="s78hewrtFLX9Pv7QwDjrd" name="so6-1" alt="a promo banner for an animated sci-fi TV show" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s78hewrtFLX9Pv7QwDjrd.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1280" height="713" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">"Solar Opposites" lands for a sixth and final season on Oct. 13. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Hulu)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Adult animation has come into its own over the past decade, and "Solar Opposites" deserves a slot in the conversation of influential shows that will stand the test of time.</p><p>"It's funny, whenever I talk to other people that work on adult animated shows, they're always big fans of 'Solar,' because we do crazy stuff, we take big experimental swings," McMahan notes.</p><p>"In hanging out with 'The Simpsons'' legend Matt Selman, he's like, 'Man, you guys get to do stuff that's so different than what we get to do.' If 'Solar' has a legacy, it's going to be as a sister show to 'Rick and Morty,' I mean, that was the big gorilla, a show that moved the bottom line for an entire corporation. Then our show shows up and we're dropping all the episodes at once, we're about a queer-coded couple, and it's more joyous and sillier than 'Rick and Morty.'</p><p>"It's why I think 'American Dad' did so great," continues McMahan, noting that the show carved out "its own identity as this funny, interesting thing" that doesn't have to compete with the shows that spawned it.</p><p>"If you binge 'Solar' all at once, it's a really special thing that we might not ever get again. It was a streaming era show that is both equal parts standalone comedy and heavily thought-out and serialized. There's a million reasons you don't do something like that. It feels really special and unique, and that's what stands out."</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D5al9GEt9Bc" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>Bycel had worked on "American Dad" and many other iconic animated shows, but to him, this one project felt from the very beginning like they could almost get away with anything.</p><p>"Hulu was so supportive, and because we were the little bastard stepchild to 'Rick and Morty,' there weren't as many eyes on us in the beginning," explains Bycel. "I think it made us want to experiment as much as we could. Mike and I first bonded over our love of TV and movies, and being latchkey kids raised by afternoon TV. That's something that was in every episode. There's so much joy in these characters, even when they were fighting, even when killing each other, there was so much joy, because they were so much fun to write."</p><p><strong>"Solar Opposites" Season 6 streams exclusively on Hulu (US) or Disney+ (UK) starting today, along with the previous five seasons.</strong></p><div class="product editors-choice"><div class="editors-choice__title">Editors Choice</div><a data-dimension112="4b0be7a9-17a7-47a4-93ac-3aae8a1eb9e7" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:135px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:85.93%;"><img id="3tQPyCpo79ZtQdxCrnkbAG" name="Comparison table(NordVPN).jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3tQPyCpo79ZtQdxCrnkbAG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="135" height="116" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><a href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="4b0be7a9-17a7-47a4-93ac-3aae8a1eb9e7" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25=""><strong>Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days</strong></a></p><p>A VPN allows you to watch your streaming shows from anywhere in the world, avoiding pesky geoblocking restrictions.<br><br>There are lots of VPN services to choose from, but NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast, and it has top-level security features, too. With over 5,000 servers across 60 countries, and at a great price, it's easy to recommend.<a class="view-deal button" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="4b0be7a9-17a7-47a4-93ac-3aae8a1eb9e7" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25="">VIEW DEAL ON </a></p></div> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/more-joyous-and-sillier-than-rick-and-morty-solar-opposites-showrunners-on-creating-their-own-legacy-as-final-season-lands-exclusive</link>
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<![CDATA[ We talk to "Solar Opposites "executive producers Mike McMahan and Josh Bycel about the show's wild final season. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jeff Spry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ahLRwYeMNrHTGCuXSh5n5i-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Hulu]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[five aliens riding motorcycles down a suburban street]]></media:text>
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<title><![CDATA[ Is low Earth orbit getting too crowded? New study rings an alarm bell ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Hundreds of satellites may soon be flying in orbital regions that are already too packed to allow safe and long-term operations, a new study suggests.</p><p>The study found that, while in 2019 only 0.2% of satellites in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a> orbit were forced to perform more than 10 collision-avoidance maneuvers per month, that percentage had risen sevenfold by early 2025, to 1.4%. That number might still seem low, but it means that some 340 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html"><u>satellites</u></a> spend a lot of time dodging debris and other spacecraft.</p><p>Moreover, the satellite population is set to keep growing. While in 2019 about 13,700 objects (including <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/kessler-syndrome-space-debris"><u>space junk</u></a>) zoomed around the planet in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit"><u>low Earth orbit</u></a> (LEO), at altitudes below 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers), that number has since risen to 24,185 objects in 2025, an increase of 76%, according to the study. By the end of this decade, some 70,000 satellites may reside in LEO, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-global-satellite-market-is-forecast-to-become-seven-times-bigger" target="_blank"><u>industry growth predictions</u></a>, representing a more than fivefold increase compared to the 2019 situation.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_EU7RsbRZ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="EU7RsbRZ"> <div id="botr_EU7RsbRZ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The study team members said that they selected 10 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-50000-collision-avoidance-maneuvers-space-safety"><u>collision-avoidance maneuvers</u></a> per month as a threshold at which satellite operation may become too complicated to be beneficial.</p><p>"Operators don't want to be spending all their time worrying about collision avoidance," study co-author Maya Harris, a research assistant and science graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), told Space.com. "They don't want to spend all of their propellant doing maneuvers."</p><p>The researchers used data from the catalog of space objects maintained by U.S. Space Command and modeled the likelihood of a collision for each pair of objects, satellites and debris alike, residing in the same orbital region. Every time two objects came within less than 66 feet (200 meters) of each other, the researchers noted the event as requiring a collision-avoidance maneuver.</p><p>Different operators choose a different threshold to perform collision-avoidance maneuvers. NASA spacecraft mostly maneuver when the collision risk is greater than 1 in 100,000. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a> — the world's biggest satellite operator, with its Starlink broadband megaconstellation — is more cautious, using its autonomous space dodging system to avoid an object posing a risk greater <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/starlink-manoeuvre-update-july-2025-hugh-lewis-utkhe/?trackingId=RS9rT9th%2F%2BePE1UKtDt6iA%3D%3D" target="_blank"><u>than 1 in a million</u></a>.</p><p>Frequent maneuvers present a disruption to operations that some satellite handlers are better able to absorb than others, Hugh Lewis, a space debris expert and professor of astronautics at the University of Birmingham in England, told Space.com.</p><p>"For an Earth-observation spacecraft, there's probably a much bigger disruption to make a maneuver, because they have to control their altitude and inclination very precisely in order to achieve a particular ground track," said Lewis, who was not part of the new study. "But for spacecraft like <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html"><u>Starlink</u></a>, they have a great deal of flexibility about the orbits that they can be in and still deliver the service."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_6Tx16xb1_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="6Tx16xb1"> <div id="botr_6Tx16xb1_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>In addition to the disruption to service, the avoidance maneuvers are not guaranteed to succeed. Space tracking is not perfectly accurate, and miscalculations are possible. On top of that, earlier studies have shown that performing an avoidance maneuver creates a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/satellites-collision-avoidance-maneuvers-increase-collision-risk"><u>higher risk of a subsequent collision</u></a> with another spacecraft, as it alters the satellite's trajectory in a way that collision-prediction algorithms may not immediately account for. The more satellites in orbit, the higher the risk of one of these maneuvers failing.</p><p>Lewis said that data suggest there is already around a 10% chance of an in-orbit collision happening within a year from now. A full-on satellite collision would create thousands of new debris fragments, which would further increase the need to maneuver for operational spacecraft in nearby orbits and thus boost the probability of subsequent collisions. It is this risk of collisions that concerns researchers and operators alike.</p><p>"If we have more collisions that create a lot of debris, that will lead to us reaching [full orbital] capacity much sooner," Harris said.</p><p>Lewis said that, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/starlink-manoeuvre-update-july-2025-hugh-lewis-utkhe/?trackingId=RS9rT9th%2F%2BePE1UKtDt6iA%3D%3D"><u>the latest report</u></a> filed to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX's Starlink satellites performed 145,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers in the six months prior to July 2025. That would be equivalent to around four maneuvers per satellite per month.</p><p>"They seem to be able to accommodate that really well," Lewis said. "They don't seem to be saying that it's getting really hard, so they might be able to accommodate it even if we get to the 10 per month."</p><p>The new study found that satellites orbiting at certain altitudes face more congestion than others. In orbital regions between the altitudes of 25 miles and 370 miles (400 to 600 km) and 435 miles and 500 miles (700 and 800 km), many satellites are already forced to dodge collisions more than 10 times per month.</p><p>"Although most of the orbit is not yet at capacity, some regions already are," said Harris. "The two most affected areas are between 400 and 600 kilometers, where many active satellites are, and then between 700 and 800 kilometers, where there is a lot of space debris."</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://vanilla.tools/9708-worst-space-debris-events-time.html">The worst space debris events of all time</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/12860-photos-space-debris-images-cleanup-concepts.html">Photos: Space debris images & cleanup concepts</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/kessler-syndrome-space-debris">Kessler Syndrome and the space debris problem</a></p></div></div><p>The new study suggests that satellite operators may be able to better use the available space by launching less into orbits that are already too crowded and operating their constellations in a coordinated manner so that their satellites' orbits are in sync rather than crossing each other.</p><p>Lewis, however, questions whether global coordination of satellite operations is feasible. SpaceX is currently the by far largest satellite operator, but the company could soon have some competition for that title: Countries all over the world, including perceived adversaries like China, have plans to develop their own constellation of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/china-launches-8th-batch-satellites-guowang-satnet-internet-megaconstellation-video"><u>tens of thousands of satellites</u></a>.</p><p>"I don't think it's likely to happen that you would get SpaceX and the Chinese coordinate how they structure and operate their systems," Lewis said.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576525006332?dgcid=author" target="_blank"><u>The study</u></a> was published in the October issue of the journal Acta Astronautica.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/is-low-earth-orbit-getting-too-crowded-new-study-rings-an-alarm-bell</link>
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<![CDATA[ Hundreds of satellites may soon be flying in orbital regions that are already too packed to allow safe and long-term operations, a new study suggests. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ tereza.pultarova@futurenet.com (Tereza Pultarova) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tereza Pultarova ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sEoeyvUbZCESaRbMwNXGPi-1280-80.jpg">
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<media:text><![CDATA[view from the upper stage of a rocket looking down at its closely packed satellite payload and Earth in the background]]></media:text>
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<title><![CDATA[ The Taurid meteor shower 2025 has begun and could spawn dramatic fireballs in the coming weeks ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Two annual meteor streams are now active that have the potential to spawn dramatic fireballs in the weeks leading up to their November peaks.</p><p>As their names suggest, meteors from both the Southern Taurid and Northern Taurid <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/meteor-showers-shooting-stars.html"><u>meteor showers</u></a> appear to emanate from a point of origin in the constellation <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17101-taurus-constellation.html"><u>Taurus</u></a>, which can be found rising in the eastern sky in the hours preceding midnight throughout October. They also share a common parent in the form of the wandering <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/53-comets-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html"><u>comet</u></a> 2P/Encke, which sheds debris in a vast loop as it traverses its 3.3-year orbit around <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html"><u>the sun</u></a>. When Earth travels through this debris, particles of dust and other matter heat up due to the friction of our planet's atmosphere and create the fiery spectacles we see in the sky.</p><p>The Northern Taurids become active on Oct. 20 and are forecast to crescendo overnight on Nov. 11-12, while the Southern Taurids have been in play since Sept. 20 and are expected to peak during the night of Nov. 4-5.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Stargazers could see up to 5 meteors per hour during each period of peak activity under ideal dark sky conditions, though the light of a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html"><u>full moon</u></a> will likely blot out dimmer meteors during the Southern Taurid peak. What makes the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/taurid-meteor-shower"><u>Taurid meteor streams</u></a> truly exciting is their potential to occasionally birth magnificent fireballs capable of briefly turning night to day as they flare in the post-sunset sky.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Nikon Z8</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="kHk3xHtaxDqfvkrSMNvC2f" name="Nikon Z8 square.jpg" caption="" alt="The Nikon Z8 body sat on a white surface" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kHk3xHtaxDqfvkrSMNvC2f.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://adorama.evyy.net/c/221109/51926/1036?subId1=space-us-4361465057035128139&sharedId=space-us&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2Fnkz8.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nikon Z8</a> excels in just about every department and we rate it as the best overall camera out there. Check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nikon-z8-review">Nikon Z8 review</a> for a more in-depth look.</p></div></div><p>The southern and northern Taurids are born of the same highly dispersed debris cloud. The periods when both are active have been known to correspond with a significant uptick in fireball activity, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/#Northern+Taurids"><u>American Meteor Society</u></a>.</p><p>A fireball is the name given to a particularly bright meteor that outshines even the planet <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/44-venus-second-planet-from-the-sun-brightest-planet-in-solar-system.html"><u>Venus</u></a> in the night sky. They often leave pronounced trails in their wake and are created when an object ranging from a few inches to several feet collides with our atmosphere.</p><p>Feeling the itch to photograph the night sky? Then check out our roundups of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras-for-astrophotography"><u>best cameras</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lenses-for-astrophotography"><u>lenses for astrophotography</u></a>, along with our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/how-to-photograph-meteor-showers"><u>guide to imaging fast moving meteors and fireballs</u></a>.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you snap an image of a fireball and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/taurid-meteor-shower-2025-has-begun-and-could-spawn-dramatic-fireballs-in-the-coming-weeks</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Taurid meteor streams have a reputation for generating impressive fireball meteors. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Meteors & Meteor Showers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Uj44pYuCjaNRxUn9Ar75Z9-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Zhengshun Tang via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Two meteors are pictured streaking through a star-studded sky alongside the glowing band of the Miilky Way towards a dark ocean. Rocky outcrops are visible to the left of the screen, where a subtle glow creeps skyward.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Two meteors are pictured streaking through a star-studded sky alongside the glowing band of the Miilky Way towards a dark ocean. Rocky outcrops are visible to the left of the screen, where a subtle glow creeps skyward.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ How do asteroids spin in space? The answer could help us prevent a catastrophic Earth impact ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>When it comes to saving Earth from a potential doomsday rock, knowing where to hit it and how it spins could make all the difference. Two new studies presented last month at the Europlanet Science Congress in Helsinki may have just given scientists both answers.</p><p>In one study, researchers led by Wen-Han Zhou of the University of Tokyo used data from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22562-european-space-agency.html"><u>European Space Agency</u></a>'s now-retired <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/41312-gaia-mission.html"><u>Gaia mission</u></a> to study how an asteroid's spin depends on how often it's been hit by other space rocks. In another study, a team led by Rahil Makadia of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a method for identifying the safest regions on an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html"><u>asteroid</u></a> to strike with a deflection mission, without accidentally steering it back toward Earth.</p><p>Together, the findings offer a new way to understand the structure and behavior of these ancient bodies — knowledge that could prove critical to deflecting a dangerous asteroid if it were ever on a collision course with our planet.</p><p>"By leveraging Gaia's unique dataset, advanced modelling and AI tools, we've revealed the hidden physics shaping asteroid rotation, and opened a new window into the interiors of these ancient worlds," Zhou said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.europlanet.org/epsc-dps2025-gaia-solves-mystery-of-tumbling-asteroids-and-finds-a-new-way-to-probe-their-interiors/" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_MqH4jL81_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="MqH4jL81"> <div id="botr_MqH4jL81_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h2 id="how-asteroids-get-their-spin-2">How asteroids get their spin</h2><p>In recent decades, astronomers have been puzzled by why some asteroids <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/29056-fast-spinning-asteroid-explosion.html"><u>rotate like spinning tops</u></a> while <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/asteroid-2008-os7-earth-flyby-nasa-radar-images"><u>others tumble through space</u></a> in chaotic, unpredictable ways. Zhou's team set out to solve that mystery using Gaia's vast archive of asteroid light patterns and new computer models.</p><p>Their analysis <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/EPSC-DPS2025-893.html" target="_blank"><u>showed</u></a> that an asteroid's spin pattern boils down to a cosmic "tug of war" between two forces: collisions that knock them into unstable motion and internal friction that gradually smooths their rotation.</p><p>"When these two effects balance, they create a natural dividing line in the asteroid population," Zhou said in the statement.</p><p>Machine learning revealed this "dividing line" in Gaia's data as a clear gap between fast-spinning asteroids and slow, tumbling ones. Slower rotators, the researchers found, are more easily jolted into a wobble by impacts, while faster ones resist those disturbances, according to the statement.</p><p>Sunlight also plays a subtle but important role, the study reports. As an asteroid's surface heats up during the day and cools at night, it emits tiny bursts of radiation that act like microscopic thrusts. For smoothly spinning asteroids, those pushes line up in the same direction and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/3543-sunlight-increases-space-rock-spin.html"><u>gradually change their spin rate</u></a>. But for tumblers, the pushes more or less cancel each other out, trapping them in their slow, chaotic motion.</p><p>The results also indicate that many asteroids aren't solid chunks of rock, but loose clusters of rock and dust held together weakly by gravity, known to astronomers as "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/rubble-pile-asteroids-resilient-long-lived"><u>rubble piles</u></a>." That distinction matters for planetary defense, scientists say, because a fragile, porous asteroid would <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/asteroids-rubble-piles-earth-planetary-defense"><u>react to a spacecraft's impact</u></a> very differently than a dense, solid one.</p><p>As more sky surveys come online, scientists will be able to apply this method to much larger samples, Zhou said in the statement. With upcoming observatories such as the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/vera-rubin-observatory-broad-views-universe"><u>Vera C. Rubin Observatory</u></a>'s Legacy Survey of Space and Time, "we'll be able to apply this method to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/the-rubin-observatory-found-2-104-asteroids-in-just-a-few-days-it-could-soon-find-millions-more"><u>millions more asteroids</u></a>, refining our understanding of their evolution and make-up."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_M9Adn7x2_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="M9Adn7x2"> <div id="botr_M9Adn7x2_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h2 id="finding-the-safe-spots-to-strike-2">Finding the safe spots to strike</h2><p>If knowing how an asteroid spins is the first step, the next is figuring out where to hit it.</p><p>Makadia's team investigated what happens when a spacecraft slams into an asteroid, and found that not all impact sites are created equal. Striking the wrong spot could send an asteroid drifting into what scientists call a gravitational keyhole — a tiny region of space where a planet's gravity could subtly bend the asteroid's orbit and make it <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/attempting-to-deflect-a-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-could-accidentally-put-it-on-a-collision-course-with-earth"><u>swing back toward Earth on a future pass</u></a> decades or centuries later.</p><p>"Even if we intentionally push an asteroid away from Earth with a space mission, we must make sure it doesn't drift into one of these keyholes afterwards," Makadia said in a different <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.europlanet.org/epsc-dps2025-look-out-for-the-keyhole-how-to-find-the-safest-spots-to-deflect-a-hazardous-asteroid/" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>. "Otherwise, we'd be facing the same impact threat again down the line."</p><p>To avoid such a cosmic boomerang effect, Makadia's team created probability maps of asteroid surfaces that could guide mission planners. Using lessons from NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dart-asteroid-mission"><u>DART mission</u></a>, which slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022, and realistic spacecraft trajectories, they simulated hundreds of millions of kinetic-impact missions, each varying slightly in speed, angle and timing.</p><p>For each simulation, they calculated how an asteroid's motion would change, and whether it might drift into one of these gravitational keyholes. Repeating this process for a range of impact points and rotation angles allowed them to pinpoint the safest and most effective strike zones, according to the second statement.</p><p>"With these probability maps, we can push asteroids away while preventing them from returning on an impact trajectory, protecting the Earth in the long run," said Makadia.</p><p>To test their model, the researchers applied it to the near-Earth asteroid <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/39958-asteroid-bennu.html"><u>Bennu</u></a>, one of the best-studied near-Earth objects thanks to NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33776-osiris-rex.html"><u>OSIRIS-REx mission</u></a>, which precisely mapped its surface, studied its orbit and brought a sample of the space rock home to Earth.</p><p>Earlier models had shown that Bennu's path included <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-spacecraft-provides-insight-into-asteroid-bennus-future-orbit/" target="_blank"><u>several potential gravitational keyholes</u></a> that could, in theory, redirect it toward Earth sometime in the 22nd century. But data from OSIRIS-REx dramatically reduced those uncertainties, ruling out many potential keyholes and future impact scenarios.</p><p>Using that precise orbital data, Makadia's team simulated spacecraft impacts under a variety of conditions and projected Bennu's potential keyhole encounters, creating detailed impact-probability maps.</p><p>These maps show which areas on an asteroid would make the safest targets, and which regions could increase the long-term risk of a future encounter, the study notes. The optimal strike zones, marked as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/EPSC-DPS2025-77.html" target="_blank"><u>bright crosshairs in the model</u></a>, show where a spacecraft could nudge an asteroid's orbit away from Earth without triggering a dangerous return later on.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_j88m6dUV_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="j88m6dUV"> <div id="botr_j88m6dUV_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html">What are asteroids?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/planetary-defense-explained">Planetary defense: Protecting Earth from space-based threats</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dart-asteroid-mission">NASA's DART asteroid-smashing mission: The ultimate guide</a></p></div></div><p>According to the study, this kind of analysis could help design safer deflection missions even using only ground-based observations, when time doesn't allow for a dedicated rendezvous spacecraft.</p><p>"Fortunately, this entire analysis, at least at a preliminary level, is possible using ground-based observations alone, although a rendezvous mission is preferred," Makadia said in the statement.</p><p>As next-generation telescopes and missions uncover millions more asteroids, studies like these are helping scientists write a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/planetary-defense-explained"><u>planetary defense</u></a> blueprint to safeguard Earth.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/how-do-asteroids-spin-in-space-the-answer-could-help-us-prevent-a-catastrophic-earth-impact</link>
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<![CDATA[ From how space rocks wobble to where to hit them, scientists are learning the fine art of asteroid deflection — and it could one day save Earth. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Asteroids]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sharmila Kuthunur ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/THjMY86NsnVfKF9QzzMtt7-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[ESA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An illustration showing a spacecraft to the right of a rocky asteroid in the foreground with the Earth in the left background ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An illustration showing a spacecraft to the right of a rocky asteroid in the foreground with the Earth in the left background ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 4 clip sees the Enterprise stranded on a... well, a strange new world (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_digWP0CRt8" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-release-date-cast-episodes-and-how-to-watch"><u><strong>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3</strong></u></a> just wrapped up, but we won't have long to wait for more Enterprise adventures as Paramount just dropped the first full "Strange New Worlds" Season 4 trailer at New York Comic Con.</p><p>This clip from the upcoming season 4 premiere episode finds the Enterprise crew observing a spectacular cosmic storm. When they receive an SOS message from a starship distress buoy inside that fiery interstellar maelstrom, Pike and his crew plunge directly into the churning plasma only to become marooned and drained of Iridium within a warp field. Their only hope of survival is to locate a high-grade source of the essential element to repair their ailing vessel.</p><p>"Well, Number One, you wanted a mission on a strange new world? Looks like you got one," Pike tells his loyal second in command (he said the line!) as they discover a nearby planet that just might save them.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="y7uKe64ftpZrJJpfSGU6F4" name="SNW_401_JT_0311_1524_RT" alt="Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura in season 4, Episode 1 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/y7uKe64ftpZrJJpfSGU6F4.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Celia Rose Gooding stars as Lt. Uhura in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 4 </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>As a spinoff of "Star Trek: Discovery" created by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-showrunners-explain-season-3s-intense-cosmic-horror-finale-exclusive"><u><strong>Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers</strong></u></a>, "Strange New Worlds" is a return to the classic "planet of the week" episodic formula seen in "Star Trek: The Original Series," with some amusing <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/it-was-kind-of-a-blast-director-jonathan-frakes-breaks-down-star-trek-strange-new-worlds-wiggy-holodeck-episode-a-space-adventure-hour-exclusive"><u><strong>gimmicky genre episodes</strong></u></a> tossed in for variety and good old-fashioned fun.</p><p>Season 3's talent roster included Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Spock), Celia Rose Gooding (Nyota Uhura), Rebecca Romijn (Number One), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (La’An Noonien-Singh), Melissa Navia (Erica Ortegas), and Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga).</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="WPnEfd88H33XZkCoZ7RiA4" name="SNW_401_JT_0304_0462_RT" alt="Melissa Navia as Ortegas in season 4, Episode 1 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WPnEfd88H33XZkCoZ7RiA4.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Melissa Navia (Erica Ortegas) co-stars in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 4 </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>We also saw some returning stars in the wider lineup, including Paul Wesley (James T. Kirk), Melanie Scrofano (Marie Batel), Martin Quinn (Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott), and Carol Kane (Pelia), alongside newcomer Cillian O’Sullivan (Dr. Roger Korby).</p><p>Despite the clip being named a "first peek," that's not entirely accurate — fans were gifted a hilarious look at Season 4 this past summer at San Diego Comic Con when an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/captain-pike-looks-like-a-right-muppet-in-this-star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-4-teaser-video"><u><strong>all-puppet episode</strong></u></a> was teased starring a felt and cloth version of Captain Christopher Pike.</p><p><strong>Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 4 arrives sometime in 2026.</strong></p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="140cc132-23de-4634-aa9f-fbe536fb106b" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="$7.99/month" data-dimension48="$7.99/month" href="https://www.paramountplus.com/account/signup/pickplan/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="DPNpJqokGZesFzripsmnef" name="ParamountPlus logo" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DPNpJqokGZesFzripsmnef.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="800" height="800" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Watch everything Star Trek on Paramount+.</strong></p><p>Paramount Plus prices start from <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="140cc132-23de-4634-aa9f-fbe536fb106b" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="$7.99/month" data-dimension48="$7.99/month" data-dimension25=""><u><strong>$7.99/month</strong></u></a> in the US, <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>£4.99/month</strong></u></a> in the U.K., and <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>$6.99 (AUD)/month</strong></u></a> in Australia. </p><p>You can also get a <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/account/signup/pickplan/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>seven-day free trial</strong></a>.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.paramountplus.com/account/signup/pickplan/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="140cc132-23de-4634-aa9f-fbe536fb106b" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="$7.99/month" data-dimension48="$7.99/month" data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product editors-choice"><div class="editors-choice__title">Editors Choice</div><a data-dimension112="0d95315d-f085-4f67-90ad-43e773f2e1de" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:720px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="2LGCs5VtFknFUSkuVLSX3f" name="NordVPN" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2LGCs5VtFknFUSkuVLSX3f.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="720" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><a href="https://nordvpn.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="0d95315d-f085-4f67-90ad-43e773f2e1de" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25=""><strong>Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days</strong></a></p><p>Exploring strange new worlds and still want to watch your streaming shows? Well, sorry, the internet only exists on Earth, but if you are staying planetside, then a VPN will allow you to watch your streaming shows from anywhere in the world, avoiding pesky geoblocking restrictions.<br><br>There are lots of VPN services to choose from, but NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast, and it has top-level security features, too. With over 5,000 servers across 60 countries, and at a great price, it's easy to recommend.<a class="view-deal button" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="0d95315d-f085-4f67-90ad-43e773f2e1de" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25="">VIEW DEAL ON </a></p></div> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-4-clip-sees-the-enterprise-stranded-on-a-well-a-strange-new-world-video</link>
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<![CDATA[ The Vezda might be vanquished, but there are more cosmic threats for Captain Pike and the Enterprise crew to confront in 2026. ]]>
</description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jeff Spry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9eZpX4QkQffEMacmRtxeH4-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Paramount]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Anson Mount as Captain Pike in season 4, Episode 1 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Anson Mount as Captain Pike in season 4, Episode 1 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ A volcano or a meteorite? New evidence sheds light on puzzling discovery in Greenland's ice sheet ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><em>This article was originally published at </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation.</em></u></a><em> The publication contributed the article to Space.com's </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tag/expert-voices"><u><em>Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights</em></u></a><em>.</em></p><p>Buried deep in Greenland's ice sheet lies a puzzling chemical signature that has sparked intense scientific debate. A sharp spike in platinum concentrations, discovered in an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/climate-change-greenland-ice-sheet-sea-rise"><u>ice core</u></a> (a cylinder of ice drilled out of ice sheets and glaciers) and dated to around 12,800 years ago, has provided support for a hypothesis that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1303924110" target="_blank"><u>the Earth was struck</u></a> by an exotic <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42636-meteorites.html"><u>meteorite</u></a> or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/comets.html"><u>comet</u></a> at that time.</p><p>Our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0331811" target="_blank"><u>new research</u></a> offers a much more mundane explanation: this mystery platinum signature may have originated from a volcanic fissure eruption in Iceland, not space.</p><p>The timing matters. The platinum spike occurs near the beginning of our planet's last great cold period, the Younger Dryas Event. This lasted from about 12,870 to 11,700 years ago and saw temperatures plummet across the northern hemisphere.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_LBU8p0jQ_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="LBU8p0jQ"> <div id="botr_LBU8p0jQ_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>This happened just as the planet had actually been warming up from the last <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ice-ages-on-earth-could-humans-survive"><u>ice age</u></a>. Understanding what triggered this cold snap could help us understand how Earth's climate may change in the future.</p><p>We propose that this icy phase in Earth's climatic history was in fact caused either by a large volcanic eruption in Germany or by the eruption of an unknown volcano.</p><h2 id="a-climate-mystery-2">A climate mystery</h2><p>Ice cores show that during the millennium-long Younger Dryas Event, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/34346" target="_blank"><u>temperatures across Greenland dropped</u></a> to more than 15°C colder than they are today. Europe returned to near glacial conditions, with tundra replacing forests that had begun to flourish. Low-latitude rainbelts shifted to the south.</p><p>The traditionally accepted explanation involves a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/341318a0" target="_blank"><u>massive release of freshwater</u></a> from melting North American ice sheets. This freshwater pulse disrupted the ocean circulation, affecting temperatures. However, other researchers have proposed that the event was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0706977104" target="_blank"><u>triggered</u></a> by a comet or asteroid impact <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/695704" target="_blank"><u>over North America</u></a>.</p><p>In 2013, researchers analyzing ice cores drilled as part of the Greenland Ice Sheet Project (GISP2) discovered platinum concentrations that were well <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1303924110" target="_blank"><u>above normal levels</u></a>. The ratio of platinum to a radioactive element called iridium was also unusual because space rocks usually have high levels of iridium, while the ice core spike does not. The ice core signature was very different from anything seen in known meteorites or volcanic rocks.</p><p>The authors of the space impact paper suggested that perhaps the unusual ice chemistry reflected the impact of an unusual asteroid made up of iron.</p><p>A subsequent paper proposed that the ice chemistry could reflect the German <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/14/969/2018/" target="_blank"><u>Laacher See volcanic eruption</u></a>, which had an unusual geochemistry and occurred around that time. To test this idea, we collected and analyzed 17 samples of volcanic pumice from deposits left behind by the Laacher See eruption. We measured platinum, iridium, and other trace elements to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0331811" target="_blank"><u>create a chemical fingerprint</u></a> of the eruption.</p><p>Our results were clear: the Laacher See pumices contain virtually no platinum, with concentrations below or barely at detection limits. Even though some platinum may have escaped to the atmosphere before being trapped in the rock, the eruption was clearly not the source of Greenland's platinum spike.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="vJnyViqzJyTGCqcAaDm34K" name="Volcano-creative commons" alt="A photograph of a volcanic eruption in Iceland, where a short volcano spews lava into the air with smoke" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vJnyViqzJyTGCqcAaDm34K.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Volcanic eruptions can produce strange chemical signatures. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: © Giles Laurent, gileslaurent.com, License CC BY-SA, CC BY-SA 4.0 )</span></figcaption></figure><p>Additionally, when we examined the timing carefully, using updated ice core chronologies, we found the platinum spike actually occurred about 45 years after the Younger Dryas began – too late to have triggered the cooling.</p><p>This result was arrived at independently but was consistent with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825223001915?via%3Dihub" target="_blank"><u>previous research</u></a> finding the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379121004674" target="_blank"><u>same</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/16/1565/2020/"><u>thing</u></a>. Importantly, the elevated platinum concentrations lasted for 14 years, suggesting a prolonged event rather than an instantaneous asteroid or comet impact.</p><p>We compared the ice core's chemical signature with various other geological samples and found the closest match was with volcanic gas condensates (the products formed when gases released from a volcano cool from a gas to a liquid or solid state) particularly from submarine volcanoes.</p><p>Iceland's volcanoes can produce fissure eruptions lasting years or even decades, matching the 14-year duration of the platinum spike. During the melting phase that preceded the Younger Dryas, Iceland's volcanic activity increased dramatically as melting ice sheets reduced pressure on the Earth’s crust.</p><p>Crucially, submarine or subglacial eruptions interact with water in ways that could explain the unusual chemistry. Seawater can strip away sulphur compounds while concentrating other elements like platinum in volcanic gases. These platinum-rich gases could then travel to Greenland and be deposited on the ice sheet, explaining the odd geochemistry.</p><p>Recent research on historical Icelandic eruptions supports this mechanism. The 8th-century Katla eruption produced a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01350-6" target="_blank"><u>12-year spike</u></a> in heavy metals like bismuth and thallium in Greenland ice cores. The 10th-century Eldgjá eruption resulted in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023JD040142" target="_blank"><u>cadmium spike</u></a> within glacial ice. Although platinum was not measured in those studies, these examples show Icelandic volcanoes regularly deliver heavy metals to the Greenland ice sheet.</p><h2 id="a-smoking-gun-2">A smoking gun?</h2><p>Because of the chronological mismatch, whatever mechanism was responsible for the platinum spike didn't trigger the Younger Dryas. Our research does, however, highlight previous results showing a massive volcanic sulphate spike in multiple ice cores <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379121004674" target="_blank"><u>coinciding precisely</u></a> with the onset of cooling 12,870 years ago.</p><p>This eruption, whether from the Laacher See eruption or an unknown volcano, injected enough sulphur into the atmosphere to rival the largest eruptions in recorded history. Volcanic eruptions can trigger cooling by releasing sulphur into the stratosphere, reflecting incoming sunlight and potentially setting off a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/14/969/2018/" target="_blank"><u>cascade of positive feedbacks</u></a> including sea ice expansion, changed wind patterns and disruption of ocean currents, though future research needs to explore this further.</p><p>The substantial volcanic forcing around the Younger Dryas onset – a time when climate was already sitting between a glacial and an interglacial (the periods between cold snaps) – may have provided the nudge that tipped Earth’s climate back into a cold state.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/satellites-reveal-a-hidden-lake-burst-through-greenland-ice-sheet-in-2014-causing-major-flooding-and-a-deep-crater"> Satellites reveal a hidden lake burst through Greenland Ice Sheet in 2014, causing major flooding and a deep crater</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/climate-change-greenland-ice-sheet-sea-rise">Greenland ice sheets are weaker to climate change than we thought</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/what-is-the-us-space-force-doing-in-greenland">What is the US Space Force doing in Greenland?</a></p></div></div><p>It is important to note that our research focused on the platinum spike and did not consider other evidence, such as spherules (spherical fragments of melted rock) and black mats (mysterious dark layers in soil), for an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/695703" target="_blank"><u>extraterrestrial impact</u></a>. That said, based on our analysis of the new results and existing data, a large northern hemispheric volcanic eruption seems to be the most straightforward explanation for the Younger Dryas Event.</p><p>Understanding past climate triggers is vital for anticipating what lies ahead. Although the chance of a large meteorite impact or volcanic eruption in any given year is low, such events are virtually certain to occur eventually. Knowing how Earth’s climate responded in the past is therefore crucial for preparing for the consequences of the next major event.</p><p><em>This article is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation</em></u></a><u><em> </em></u><em>under a Creative Commons license. Read the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/a-volcano-or-a-meteorite-new-evidence-sheds-light-on-puzzling-discovery-in-greenlands-ice-sheet-265257" target="_blank"><u><em>original article</em></u></a><u><em>.</em></u></p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243022/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/a-volcano-or-a-meteorite-new-evidence-sheds-light-on-puzzling-discovery-in-greenlands-ice-sheet</link>
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<![CDATA[ New research suggests that this mystery platinum signature underneath the Greenland ice sheet may have originated from a volcanic fissure eruption in Iceland, not space. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Earth]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ James Baldini ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dEjQbzwaPM4TzkKyqgUyYC-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A red helicopter hovers over a large ice sheet, kicking up snow with its propellers]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A red helicopter hovers over a large ice sheet, kicking up snow with its propellers]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ NASA will say goodbye to the International Space Station in 2030 − and welcome in the age of commercial space stations ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><em>This article was originally published at </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation.</em></u></a><em> The publication contributed the article to Space.com's </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tag/expert-voices"><u><em>Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights</em></u></a><em>. </em></p><p>For 24 hours a day, seven days a week since November 2000, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html"><u>NASA</u></a> and its international partners have sustained <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/celebrating-25-years-of-continuous-human-presence-aboard-the-international-space-station/" target="_blank"><u>a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit</u></a>, including at least one American – a streak that will soon reach 25 years.</p><p>When viewed in the history of spaceflight, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html"><u>International Space Station</u></a> is perhaps one of humanity's most amazing accomplishments, a shining example of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/the-international-space-station-at-20-offers-hope-and-a-template-for-future-cooperation-149363" target="_blank"><u>cooperation in space</u></a> among the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan and Russia. But all good things must come to an end.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_nsPhB2e0_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="nsPhB2e0"> <div id="botr_nsPhB2e0_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>In 2030, the International Space Station <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-international-space-station-us-deorbit-vehicle/" target="_blank"><u>will be deorbited</u></a>: driven into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.</p><p>I'm an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=x2zVF5QAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate" target="_blank"><u>aerospace engineer</u></a> who has helped build a range of hardware and experiments for the ISS. As a member of the spaceflight community for over 30 years and a 17-year member of the NASA community, it will be hard for me to see the ISS come to an end.</p><p>Since the first pieces of the International Space Station were launched in 1998, the station has been <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/20-breakthroughs-from-20-years-of-science-aboard-the-international-space-station/" target="_blank"><u>home to significant research accomplishments</u></a> across domains that include materials science, biotechnology, astronomy and astrophysics, Earth science, combustion and more.</p><p>Astronauts performing research inside the space station and payload experiments attached to the station's exterior have generated many publications in peer-reviewed science journals. Some of them have <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00257-4" target="_blank"><u>advanced our understanding of thunderstorms</u></a>, led to improvements in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-019-0090-3" target="_blank"><u>the crystallization processes</u></a> of key cancer-fighting drugs, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://issnationallab.org/press-releases/release-ng20-lambdavision-retinal-implant/" target="_blank"><u>detailed how to grow artificial retinas</u></a> in space, explored the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/optical-fiber-production/" target="_blank"><u>processing of ultrapure optical fibers</u></a> and explained <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18364-0" target="_blank"><u>how to sequence DNA in orbit</u></a>.</p><p>In total, more than 4,000 experiments have been conducted aboard the ISS, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-research-and-technology/space-station-research-results/" target="_blank"><u>resulting in more than 4,400 research publications</u></a> dedicated to advancing and improving life on Earth and helping forge a path for future space exploration activities.</p><p>The ISS has proven the value of conducting research in the unique environment of spaceflight – which has very low gravity, a vacuum, extreme temperature cycles and radiation – to advance scientists’ understanding of a wide range of important physical, chemical and biological processes.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="ZLyQbg348bTUuCFRZstAo" name="International Space station" alt="An image of the International Space Station, with its many solar panels and modules, floating above Earth in space" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZLyQbg348bTUuCFRZstAo.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1280" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The International Space Station will be deorbited in 2030. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="keeping-a-presence-in-orbit-2">Keeping a presence in orbit</h2><p>But in the wake of the station's retirement, NASA and its international partners are not abandoning their outpost in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit"><u>low-Earth orbit</u></a>. Instead, they are looking for alternatives to continue to take advantage of low Earth orbit's promise as a unique research laboratory and to extend the continuous, 25-year human presence some 250 miles (402 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.</p><p>In December 2021, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-companies-to-develop-commercial-destinations-in-space/" target="_blank"><u>NASA announced three awards</u></a> to help develop <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/commercial-space-stations/" target="_blank"><u>privately owned, commercially operated space stations</u></a> in low-Earth orbit.</p><p>For years, NASA has successfully sent supplies to the International Space Station <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/commercial-resupply/" target="_blank"><u>using commercial partners</u></a>, and the agency recently began similar business arrangements with SpaceX and Boeing for transporting crew aboard <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/dragon" target="_blank"><u>the Dragon</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner" target="_blank"><u>Starliner spacecraft</u></a>, respectively.</p><p>Based on the success of these programs, NASA invested more than US$400 million <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20230002770/downloads/ATTACHMENT%201%20CLDP-WP-1101_ConOps_Final.pdf" target="_blank"><u>to stimulate the development</u></a> of commercial space stations and hopefully launch and activate them before the ISS is decommissioned.</p><h2 id="dawn-of-commercial-space-stations-2">Dawn of commercial space stations</h2><p>In September 2025, NASA issued a draft announcement <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/leo-economy/nasa-seeks-industry-input-on-next-phase-of-commercial-space-stations/" target="_blank"><u>for Phase 2 partnership proposals</u></a> for commercial space stations. Companies that are selected will receive funding to support critical design reviews and demonstrate stations with four people in orbit for at least 30 days.</p><p>NASA will then move forward with formal design acceptance and certification to ensure that these stations meet NASA's stringent safety requirements. The outcome will allow NASA to purchase missions and other services aboard these stations on a commercial basis – similar to how NASA gets cargo and crew to the ISS today.</p><p>Which of these teams will be successful, and on what timescale, remains to be seen.</p><p>While these stations are being built, Chinese astronauts will continue to live and work aboard their <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tiangong-space-station"><u>Tiangong space station</u></a>, a three-person, permanently crewed facility orbiting approximately 250 miles (402 km) above the Earth's surface. Consequently, if the ISS's occupied streak comes to an end, China and Tiangong will take over as the longest continually inhabited space station in operation: It's been occupied for approximately four years and counting.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xg9R4yykvqU" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><h2 id="in-the-meantime-enjoy-the-view-2">In the meantime, enjoy the view</h2><p>It will be several years before any of these new commercial space stations <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-the-international-space-station-orbit-earth-without-burning-up-240412" target="_blank"><u>circle the Earth</u></a> at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-facts-and-figures/" target="_blank"><u>around 17,500 miles per hour</u></a> (28,000 kilometers per hour) and several years before the ISS is deorbited in 2030.</p><p>So while you have a chance, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://astroviewer.net/" target="_blank"><u>take a look up</u></a> and enjoy the view. On most nights when the ISS flies over, it is simply magnificent: a brilliant blue-white point of light, usually the brightest object in the sky, silently executing a graceful arc across the sky.</p><p>Our ancestors could hardly have imagined that one day, one of the brightest objects in the night sky would have been conceived by the human mind and built by human hands.</p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243022/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/nasa-will-say-goodbye-to-the-international-space-station-in-2030-and-welcome-in-the-age-of-commercial-space-stations</link>
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<![CDATA[ In 2030, the International Space Station will be deorbited: driven into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 17:01:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[International Space Station]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Missions]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ John M. Horack ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cRRqZguM2iX38GsQppG3q6-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a space station hangs in black]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a space station hangs in black]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Is the universe infinite, or does it have a limit? ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>After a century of observations spanning the breadth of the cosmos and theoretical insights that push humanity's vision of the universe to its utmost limits, we can finally, confidently say that the universe is infinite.</p><p>Or not. It's complicated.</p><p>Let's start with something we can say for certain: We live in an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/52-the-expanding-universe-from-the-big-bang-to-today.html"><u>expanding universe</u></a>. But if the universe is expanding, then what is it expanding into? And what is it expanding from? Where's the edge of the universe, and where is its center?</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_N6kuiF2n_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="N6kuiF2n"> <div id="botr_N6kuiF2n_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>It's easy to imagine an expanding universe, and there are plenty of analogies to help guide our thinking. We can imagine drawing little <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15680-galaxies.html"><u>galaxies</u></a> on the surface of a balloon and inflating that balloon to see the galaxies getting farther apart. We can imagine baking a loaf of bread with raisins in it and seeing how, as the bread rises, the raisins get farther apart.</p><p>But the balloon has both a center and an edge. And the bread has a center and a crust. So where's the center of the universe, and where is its edge?</p><p>Here's the uncomfortable answer: The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html"><u>Big Bang</u></a> has no center, and it has no edge. How can this make any sense?</p><p>Let's start with the center. Where did the Big Bang start? Right here. And right over there. And in the next galaxy over. The Big Bang happened everywhere, all at once. It had to happen everywhere, because everywhere is, by definition, part of the universe. It was not an explosion that occurred somewhere in space. It was an explosion of space — when the expansion of the universe first got started. It was not a place but a time.</p><p>Now what about the other side of the coin? If <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/52-the-expanding-universe-from-the-big-bang-to-today.html"><u>the universe</u></a> is expanding, what is it expanding into? Where's the crust in our expanding loaf of bread, and what's the oven we're sitting in?</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1250px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="kxm2tE2E25CeEZg8F7P9eL" name="Rubin_Expanding_Universe_Investigation_Assets_(rubin-p10)" alt="A blue cylinder with a flared end on a black background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kxm2tE2E25CeEZg8F7P9eL.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1250" height="1250" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An illustration that shows the timeline of our universe, from the Big Bang to today. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This is going to get weird. I don't even want to say something like "the universe isn't expanding into anything," because that still conjures up the wrong mental image. It's too tempting to imagine a wall or boundary, with galaxies and stuff on one side and nothingness on the other, with the universe expanding to fill that nothingness.</p><p>But that's wrong. Even the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/is-the-vacuum-of-space-truly-empty"><u>vacuum of space is something</u></a>. There are still points, locations and existence. There's no "outside" of the universe because "outside" implies existence, even an empty one. But the universe is, by definition, all there is. There is nothing to physical reality except the universe. Walls separate one region from another, but the universe comprises all of the regions simultaneously.</p><p>If there were an edge, you could imagine working hard enough to get outside that edge. But that's not possible. There is no outside; there is no side. There is just the universe.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/is-the-universe-infinite-or-does-it-have-a-limit</link>
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<![CDATA[ If the universe is expanding, then what is it expanding into, and what is it expanding from? Where's the edge of the universe, and where is its center? ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Paul Sutter ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GezhNbtcp2rX98sSdCaDYB-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Roberto Machado Noa/Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a red field of bright gas on a starry background]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a red field of bright gas on a starry background]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ This might be the smallest clump of pure dark matter ever found ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A "dark object" detected as an anomalous notch in the arc of a gravitationally warped section of space, could be the smallest clump of pure dark matter yet found.</p><p>If so, it would further validate the concept of cold <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.html"><u>dark matter</u></a> and will help constrain the properties of dark matter particles as physicists and astronomers continue to hunt for what exactly the invisible substance is made from.</p><p>"Hunting for dark objects that do not seem to emit any light is clearly challenging," said Devon Powell of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mpg.de/25518363/1007-asph-astronomers-image-a-mysterious-dark-object-in-the-distant-universe-155031-x?c=2249" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_IQ4rb03o_6SDdZpbt_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="6SDdZpbt" data-playlist-id="IQ4rb03o"> <div id="botr_IQ4rb03o_6SDdZpbt_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The discovery came as a byproduct while scientists were observing an Einstein ring. This is the most spectacular form of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/gravitational-lensing-explained"><u>gravitational lensing</u></a> in which the gravity of a foreground object — in this case a massive <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22395-elliptical-galaxies.html"><u>elliptical galaxy</u></a> — is warping space. The light from a background <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15680-galaxies.html"><u>galaxy</u></a>, almost perfectly aligned with the elliptical galaxy and our line of sight, is lensed into an almost complete ring around the foreground galaxy.</p><p>Combining the power of radio telescopes across the world, including the European Very Long Baseline Interferometric Network of radio telescopes in Europe, Asia, South Africa and Puerto Rico, plus the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/green-bank-observatory.html"><u>Green Bank Telescope</u></a> in West Virginia in the U.S. and the Very Long Baseline Array in Hawaii, gave astronomers an instrument with a baseline almost as large as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>.</p><p>The larger the baseline, the smaller the details that can be seen.</p><p>Astronomers led by John McKean of the University of Groningen, the University of Pretoria and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, and Devon Powell of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany, were aiming to resolve the lensed image of a compact symmetric object (CSO). This is an object, such as an active <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/supermassive-black-hole"><u>supermassive black hole</u></a>, that is producing relatively small (smaller than 3,200 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/light-year.html"><u>light-years</u></a>) lobes of radio emission.</p><p>The team succeeded in identifying the CSO, but in doing so spotted something even more tantalizing. The data had to be analyzed with algorithms running on supercomputers that can produce a "gravitational image," which in essence maps where the gravity is. Close inspection of the gravitational image turned up something surprising: a notch in the arc of radio emission belonging to the CSO and its host galaxy. This notch can only be produced by another object between the background and foreground galaxies and with a mass a million times greater than our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html"><u>sun</u></a>.</p><p>There are two explanations. One is that it is an inactive dwarf galaxy while the other, given that the object seems completely dark, is that it is a relatively small clump of dark matter: the smallest ever seen on its own, by a factor of 100, that's located 10 billion light-years away from us.</p><p>"Given the sensitivity of our data, we were expecting to find at least one dark object, so our discovery is consistent with the so-called cold dark matter theory on which much of our understanding of how galaxies form is based," Powell said. "Having found one, the question now is whether we can find more and whether the numbers will agree with the models."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:848px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:91.75%;"><img id="TPsT5PGh3Vm83859xLiE3o" name="original (2)" alt="The ring is seen in black and white." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TPsT5PGh3Vm83859xLiE3o.webp" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="848" height="778" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Keck/EVN/GBT/VLBA)</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:848px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:92.81%;"><img id="ovDf5S6bgZ7CmbYEpgd7uj" name="dark matter" alt="The enlarged portion of the ring." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ovDf5S6bgZ7CmbYEpgd7uj.webp" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="848" height="787" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Keck/EVN/GBT/VLBA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Cold dark matter is the leading model of dark matter, which posits that it is made from low energy particles that can clump together through their mutual gravity. If dark matter were "hot," meaning high in energy, then it wouldn't be able to clump because all its particles would be speeding through space at almost the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15830-light-speed.html"><u>speed of light</u></a>, like <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-are-neutrinos"><u>neutrinos</u></a> do.</p><p>The question has always been, how small can clumps of cold dark matter become? And can small dark matter clumps exist without forming <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/57-stars-formation-classification-and-constellations.html"><u>stars</u></a> inside them? The size of the smallest dark matter clumps can therefore place constraints on the properties of dark matter particles.</p><p>"Finding low-mass objects such as this one is critical for learning about the nature of dark matter," said team-member Chris Fassnacht of the University of California, Davis.</p><p>The findings are described in two papers, one in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02651-2" target="_blank"><u>Nature Astronomy</u></a> discussing the dark object, and one in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl/article/544/1/L24/8262431?login=false" target="_blank"><u>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</u></a> focusing on the CSO.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/dark-universe/this-might-be-the-smallest-clump-of-pure-dark-matter-ever-found</link>
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<![CDATA[ The discovery of what is potentially the smallest clump of dark matter ever seen strengthens the case for cold dark matter. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Dark Universe]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Keith Cooper ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WYMY5humYpUTah2nbbpVZb-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Keck/EVN/GBT/VLBA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[On the left, the Einstein ring is seen in black and white and on the right is an enlarged portion of a section of the ring where the clump is.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[On the left, the Einstein ring is seen in black and white and on the right is an enlarged portion of a section of the ring where the clump is.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Uranus and Neptune may not be 'ice giants' after all, new research suggests ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Astronomers have long called Uranus and Neptune the "ice giants" because models suggested that these outer planets' interiors are largely made of mixtures of water, ammonia and other ices — compounds that freeze easily in deep space. But new research reveals that we actually know very little about what's going on inside these planets, causing researchers to propose that Uranus and Neptune be called "rocky giants" instead.</p><p>The problem with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/45-uranus-seventh-planet-in-earths-solar-system-was-first-discovered-planet.html"><u>Uranus</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/41-neptune-the-other-blue-planet-in-our-solar-system.html"><u>Neptune</u></a> is that we have extremely little data available to us. Unlike Jupiter and Saturn, both of which have received dedicated missions like the Cassini probe and the Juno spacecraft, the outer planets have not received any visitors since the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/voyager-2"><u>Voyager 2</u></a> flybys more than 30 years ago.</p><p>So, to build an understanding of these planets' interiors, we must rely on a variety of indirect clues, like their magnetic fields, observations of surface atmosphere features, and subtle changes in the orbits of their moons. For decades, models of solar system formation dictated that the outer realms of the solar system were dominated by molecules like water and ammonia ice. So naturally, those compounds would make up the bulk of Uranus and Neptune, hence their "ice giant" moniker.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_bVYMvtq6_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="bVYMvtq6"> <div id="botr_bVYMvtq6_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>But a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.00175" target="_blank"><u>new pre-print study</u></a> accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics took a completely different approach. Instead of trying to build a physical model of planetary interiors from possibly flawed and biased assumptions, the authors generated a series of random models of the interior contents of Uranus and Neptune. Then, they compared those random models to a host of observational data and built a database of all models compatible with observations.</p><p>The models yielded a few expected results. Each planet is less than a quarter hydrogen and helium, which matches predictions from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/how-did-solar-system-form"><u>solar system formation</u></a> models and the observed densities of the planets. The models also created layers of electrically conductive material, which can explain the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="9djF8GtfJv2W4AMtKGa7LQ" name="jwst neptune auroras" alt="two views of a pale blue orb dotted with pale green and white splotches" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9djF8GtfJv2W4AMtKGa7LQ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1280" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">At the left, an enhanced-color image of Neptune from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. At the right, that image is combined with data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The cyan splotches, which represent auroral activity, and white clouds, are data from Webb's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), overlaid on top of the full image of the planet from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Heidi Hammel (AURA), Henrik Melin (Northumbria University), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Stefanie Milam (NASA-GSFC))</span></figcaption></figure><p>But this agnostic approach did yield one major surprise: We may not have any idea what the interiors of Uranus and Neptune are really like.</p><p>For example, the rock-to-water ratio for Uranus varies widely, anywhere from a low of 0.04, meaning the planet is almost entirely water, to as much as 3.92, which is the complete opposite. Neptune is slightly better understood, but it could still have anywhere from as much as five times as much water as rock up to twice as much rock as water.</p><p>If that's the case, then "ice giants" may be the wrong name for these planets. Most of their bulk could be in the form of rock, potentially giving them more rocky material than even <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html"><u>Jupiter</u></a> or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html"><u>Saturn</u></a>, even though Neptune and Uranus are much smaller than those two gas giants.</p><p>If this idea holds up, it could challenge existing models of solar system formation, as we would have to figure out a way to get enough rocky material into the outer solar system to let it accumulate onto these planets.</p><p>Only a dedicated mission to Uranus or Neptune could resolve these issues, as we need high-quality data from an orbiter to fully understand what's going on.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/uranus-and-neptune-may-not-be-ice-giants-after-all-new-research-suggests</link>
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<![CDATA[ We actually know very little about what's going on inside Uranus and Neptune, causing researchers to propose that these planets be called "rocky giants" instead. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Exoplanets]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Paul Sutter ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pSVqQ43SdPbu86rUk69rh8-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA, ESA, Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC), Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley), Andrew I. Hsu (UC Berkeley)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A composite image of Uranus (left) and Neptune based on Hubble Space Telescope observations.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A composite image of Uranus (left) and Neptune based on Hubble Space Telescope observations.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Meteor hunters rejoice! The Orionid meteor shower 2025 peaks next week with no moon in sight ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Get ready stargazers! The Orionid meteor shower peaks next week overnight on Oct. 20-21, bringing with it a flurry of spectacular 'shooting stars' to brighten a blissfully dark moonless sky.</p><p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/34373-orionid-meteor-shower-guide.html"><u>Orionid meteor shower</u></a> is active from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7. It occurs when <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a> barrels through the trail of debris shed by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19878-halleys-comet.html"><u>Halley's Comet</u></a> as it makes its 76-year orbital tour of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html"><u>solar system</u></a>. Orionid 'shooting stars' arise when ancient comet particles collide with our planet at speeds of roughly 41 miles per second (66 kilometers per second), burning up in a magnificent display as they are overwhelmed by friction.</p><p>In 2025, the shower will reach peak activity overnight on Oct. 20-21, when 10-20 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/meteor-showers-shooting-stars.html"><u>meteors</u></a> could be witnessed each hour blazing away from a point of origin — known as a radiant — located in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16659-constellation-orion.html"><u>constellation Orion</u></a>, fairly close to the red giant star <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22009-betelgeuse.html"><u>Betelgeuse</u></a>. During exceptional years, the shower can see peak rates of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/#Orionids"><u>50 to 75 meteors each hour</u></a>, putting it on par with the more prolific August <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32868-perseid-meteor-shower-guide.html"><u>Perseid meteor shower</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The Orionid meteor shower will unfold against a pristinely dark, moonless sky — unlike the Perseids, whose August peak was somewhat ruined by the light cast by a waning gibbous moon that hid dimmer members of the shower from view.</p><h2 id="viewing-tips-2">Viewing tips</h2><p>As always when viewing meteor showers, it's best to wrap up warm, head away from city lights and allow 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the night sky. The best time to hunt for Orionids is in the predawn hours of Oct. 21, when the radiant can be found high above the southern horizon.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Nikon Z8</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="kHk3xHtaxDqfvkrSMNvC2f" name="Nikon Z8 square.jpg" caption="" alt="The Nikon Z8 body sat on a white surface" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kHk3xHtaxDqfvkrSMNvC2f.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://adorama.evyy.net/c/221109/51926/1036?subId1=space-us-4361465057035128139&sharedId=space-us&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2Fnkz8.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nikon Z8</a> excels in just about every department and we rate it as the best overall camera out there. Check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nikon-z8-review">Nikon Z8 review</a> for a more in-depth look.</p></div></div><p>To maximize your chances of seeing the Orionids, first locate Betelgeuse shining to the upper left of the three distinctive stars that form the famous <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-is-an-asterism"><u>asterism</u></a> of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/28072-orions-belt.html"><u>Orion's Belt</u></a>. Next pick out a patch of sky 40 degrees above the star. (The width of your clenched fist held at arm's length accounts for 10 degrees of sky.) Here the shooting stars will be at their most impressive.</p><p>Orionids are known for their blistering speed and for the glowing trains, or trails left in their wake, which can endure for several seconds after their passage. While viewing them, be on the lookout for spectacular fireballs — especially bright meteors that flare dramatically to outshine even the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33619-visible-planets-guide.html"><u>brightest planets</u></a> in the night sky.</p><p>Be sure to read our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/how-to-photograph-meteor-showers"><u>guide to photographing shooting stars</u></a> if you're interested in capturing your own unique view of the Orionid meteor shower and while you're at it why not check out our picks of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lenses-for-astrophotography"><u>best lenses</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras-for-astrophotography"><u>cameras for astrophotography in 2025</u></a>.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you take an image of an Orionid meteor and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo along with your comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/orionid-meteor-shower-peaks-next-week-with-no-moon-in-sight-oct-2025</link>
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<![CDATA[ The annual Orionid meteor shower comes to a peak on Oct. 20-21 ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:07:43 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Meteors & Meteor Showers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZpetsnMWFbQ6tve87ghXk-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Photo by IBRAHIM CHALHOUB/AFP via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Meteors are pictured crossing the glowing band of the Milky Way above a star-studded sky. The Milky Way is pictured streaming vertically towards the horizon, which is framed by brightly lit foliage.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Meteors are pictured crossing the glowing band of the Milky Way above a star-studded sky. The Milky Way is pictured streaming vertically towards the horizon, which is framed by brightly lit foliage.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Rubin Observatory spins beneath the stars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 13, 2025 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/vera-rubin-observatory-broad-views-universe"><u>Vera C. Rubin Observatory</u></a> has begun its decade-long survey to scan the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.bnl.gov/lsst/" target="_blank"><u>entire night sky</u></a> every three days. To do this, it uses the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/vera-c-rubin-observatory/simonyi-survey-telescope/" target="_blank"><u>Simonyi Survey Telescope</u></a> and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/vera-rubin-observatory-record-breaking-first-photos.html"><u>Legacy Survey of Space and Time</u></a> (LSST) camera, the world's largest digital camera.</p><h2 id="what-is-it-2">What is it?</h2><p>Together, the telescope and camera work to make this process as efficient as possible. The Simonyi Survey Telescope has an advanced drive system that allows it to move more quickly than any other telescope of its size, completing an exposure and repositioning itself for the next image in as little as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2540a/" target="_blank"><u>five seconds</u></a>, allowing Rubin to scan the sky at an unprecedented pace.</p><p>Similarly impressive, the LSST camera has a massive focal plane that can cover an area of the sky 45 times larger than the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html"><u>full moon</u></a> with every exposure, building an ever-expanding record of a universe in motion.</p><h2 id="where-is-it-2">Where is it?</h2><p>This long-exposure image was taken at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-to-unveil-1st-images-from-the-vera-c-rubin-observatory-on-june-23-watch-the-big-moment-live"><u>Cerro Pachón</u></a> in Chile.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="5Bo7yCT4fnLeNkBGavwALJ" name="iotw2540a" alt="A long exposure image shows rings of glowing lights inside the dome of an observatory with streaks through the open dome showing the stars" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5Bo7yCT4fnLeNkBGavwALJ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">This image shows just how much the Simonyi Survey Telescope spins in the observatory. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NSF/DOE/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/H. Stockebrand)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="why-is-it-amazing-2">Why is it amazing?</h2><p>The glowing streaks in this long-exposure image show how often and how fast the Simonyi Survey Telescope spins as it scans the night skies. This scanning will continue for years to come as the Vera Rubin Observatory continues its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/lsst-named-vera-rubin-observatory.html"><u>Legacy Survey of Space and Time</u></a> flagship project. Over the course of a decade, Rubin will repeatedly scan the entire visible sky, creating a dynamic portrait of cosmic change in the universe.</p><p>The LSST is designed to track the shifting positions of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html"><u>asteroids</u></a> and other <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40239-near-earth-asteroid-detection-space-telescope.html"><u>near-Earth objects</u></a>, monitor the flickering of stars and capture the explosive brilliance of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/6638-supernova.html"><u>supernovae</u></a>. Beyond these immediate discoveries, Rubin will also probe some of the most profound mysteries in modern science: the nature of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/we-need-to-broaden-our-search-and-now-we-can-scientists-are-set-to-unleash-a-powerful-new-weapon-in-the-hunt-for-dark-matter"><u>dark matter </u></a>and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dark-energy-what-is-it"><u>dark energy</u>. </a></p><h2 id="want-to-learn-more-2">Want to learn more?</h2><p>You can learn more about the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/vera-rubin-observatory-broad-views-universe"><u>Rubin Observatory</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.html"><u>dark matter.</u></a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/rubin-observatory-spins-beneath-the-stars-space-photo-of-the-day-for-oct-13-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Simonyi Survey Telescope scans the heavens to start its decade-long exploration in the search for dark matter. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5Bo7yCT4fnLeNkBGavwALJ-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NSF/DOE/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/H. Stockebrand]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A long exposure image shows rings of glowing lights inside the dome of an observatory with streaks through the open dome showing the stars]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A long exposure image shows rings of glowing lights inside the dome of an observatory with streaks through the open dome showing the stars]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Scientists open untouched Apollo 17 lunar samples from 1972 — they may hold clues about the moon's violent origins ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Scientists have found that a sample of the moon brought to Earth in 1972 by Apollo 17 astronauts contains a ratio of sulfur isotopes very different to what we see on Earth. It's a discovery that could either tell us about the giant impact that formed the moon, or about the moon's earliest history.</p><p>When the six <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/apollo-program-overview.html"><u>Apollo missions</u></a> that landed on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>moon</u></a> returned home, some samples of lunar rocks and regolith they brought with them were stored, pristine and unopened. This is because scientists wanted to preserve them for a later date when more advanced instruments could be used for their analysis.</p><p>In recent years, NASA has been gradually releasing these stored samples from the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis program to researchers armed with instruments that hadn't even been invented in 1972.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_hiKi3BAL_6SDdZpbt_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="6SDdZpbt" data-playlist-id="hiKi3BAL"> <div id="botr_hiKi3BAL_6SDdZpbt_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Among those instruments is a secondary ion mass spectrometer, employed by a team of researchers led by James Dottin, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences from Brown University.</p><p>Dottin's team requested one of the "double drive tubes," which Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt pushed 23.6 inches (60 centimeters) into the lunar regolith, sampling material from just beneath the surface and storing it in a metal cylinder. This sample has been left untouched since it arrived on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>.</p><p>In particular, Dottin's team wanted a sample of volcanic rock that was originally part of the moon's mantle. Scientists think that the moon <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19275-moon-formation.html"><u>formed</u></a> when a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html"><u>Mars</u></a>-size protoplanet called Theia slammed into Earth, forming debris that coalesced into the moon. Therefore, the chemistry of the lunar mantle can teach us about this giant impact and the material that was re-made into the moon.</p><p>Previous studies of lunar samples have found the ratio of different isotopes of oxygen in the moon's mantle broadly match that on Earth, suggesting the moon is formed mostly of debris from Earth.</p><p>Returning to the team's analysis, an isotope is an atom of a specific element that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons — and Dottin wanted to check the isotopic ratios of sulfur, which a secondary ion mass spectrometry can measure precisely.</p><p>"I was targeting sulfur that had a texture that would suggest it was erupted with the rock and not added through a different process," Dottin said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-10-06/sulfur-isotopes-apollo-samples"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><p>However, the analysis showed that compared to the ratios of different isotopes of sulfur on Earth, the moon seems to be depleted in sulfur-33 (meaning sulfur with 33 neutrons), which is one of the four stable sulfur isotopes (sulfur-32, sulfur-34 and sulfur-36 being the others).</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="H7LS5PDg6ahUkVNMwG7jNV" name="Dottin2" alt="Two people sit at a desk looking at two computers with images and diagrams." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/H7LS5PDg6ahUkVNMwG7jNV.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1500" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">James Dottin and co-author Brian Monteleone analyzing data from the secondary ion mass spectrometer, which is the large contraption in the background. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Dottin/Brown University.)</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:133.33%;"><img id="YPtVsJn8snTC4pBNbxcMhe" name="Dottin1" alt="A person opening a metal cylinder." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YPtVsJn8snTC4pBNbxcMhe.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1200" height="1600" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">James Dottin of Brown University at the secondary ion mass spectrometer. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: James Dottin/Brown University)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"Before this, it was thought that the lunar mantle had the same sulfur isotope composition as Earth," said Dottin. "That's what I expected to see when analyzing these samples, but instead we saw values that are very different from anything we find on Earth. My first thought was, 'holy shmolies, that can't be right', so we went back to make sure we had done everything properly, and we had. These are just very surprising results."</p><p>Dottin's team have come up with two possible explanations. One is that the isotopic ratios of sulfur are a legacy not of Earth, but of the chemical composition of Theia, and that more of the moon is made from debris originating from this ancient protoplanet than had been thought.</p><p>The other possibility is that sulfur-33 became depleted after the moon formed. It is suspected that the very young moon was wrapped in a thin atmosphere — and, if sulfur was present in this atmosphere, it could have interacted with ultraviolet light from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html"><u>sun</u></a>. The chemical reactions resulting from this interaction could have led to a depleted amount of sulfur-33.</p><p>If this is the case, it means the altered sulfur in the moon's early and brief atmosphere must have somehow been transported from the lunar surface down to the mantle. Then, it would have erupted back to the surface at a later date.</p><p>"That would be evidence of an ancient exchange of materials from the lunar surface to the mantle," said Dottin. "On Earth, we have plate tectonics that does that, but the moon doesn't have plate tectonics. So this idea of some kind of exchange mechanism on the early moon is exciting."</p><p>For now, there's no way to know which explanation is the correct one. However, if future missions can measure the isotopic ratios of sulfur on other bodies in the solar system, such as Mars and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html"><u>asteroids</u></a>, it could provide clues as to whether the sulfur-33 depletion on the moon is a legacy of its other parent Theia, which could have been made of the same material as Mars and asteroids, or whether it is a consequence of chemical reactions that took place after the moon had formed.</p><p>The findings were published on Sept. 10 in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JE008834" target="_blank"><u>Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets</u></a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/scientists-open-untouched-apollo-17-lunar-samples-from-1972-they-may-hold-clues-about-the-moons-violent-origins</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The isotopic ratio of sulfur-33 on the moon differs from that of Earth. Did the moon's sulfur instead come from the impactor that formed it? ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[The moon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Keith Cooper ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wDTLmPQWKHHpram2PVcSnH-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A black and white photo of an astronaut on the moon.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A black and white photo of an astronaut on the moon.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' gets all late-night with Stephen Colbert and a steamy scene in NYCC trailer (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rHDDzcyNWGs" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>School is officially in session here in the U.S. and abroad, and that also goes for the ambitious class of young starry-eyed candidates making their way in the 32nd century, as evidenced by this fresh "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-everything-we-know"><u><strong>Star Trek: Starfleet Academy</strong></u></a>" trailer that just launched at this weekend's New York Comic Con.</p><p>After "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-finale-blurs-the-line-between-sci-fi-and-fantasy-and-thats-ok"><u><strong>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds</strong></u></a>" Season 3 wrapped up its third successful season in September, there's a distinct absence of "Star Trek"-centric entertainment on our scanners. But not to worry, as Paramount+'s "Starfleet Academy" will arrive on January 15, 2026 to fill that dark void.</p><p>As reported when the<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/a-familiar-face-returns-to-starfleet-in-1st-trailer-for-star-trek-starfleet-academy-video"> <u><strong>first trailer</strong></u> </a>dropped at San Diego Comic Con in July, "Starfleet Academy" hails from executive producers and showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, and revolves around Holly Hunter's Captain Nahla Ake, new chancellor of the withered institution that is Starfleet following 120 years of diminishing importance amid the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-trek-discovery-season-3-episode-11"><u><strong>post-Burn crisis</strong></u></a> seen in "Star Trek: Discovery."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="CaYtrn2Fqrfp3pLPkHwmqm" name="SFA_108_BP_1216_0305_RT" alt="L-R: Tig Notaro as Jett Reno, Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir and Romeo Carere as Ocam in season 1 , episode 8 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CaYtrn2Fqrfp3pLPkHwmqm.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Cadets aboard the U.S.S. Athena in "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Gathering a select group of promising interstellar adventurers, Captain Ake guides these dreamers aboard the teaching starship U.S.S. Athena to help resurrect the optimism and beliefs of Starfleet as a beacon of hope for the entire galaxy. When an enigmatic cosmic threat appears, these inexperienced students will be "forging unbreakable friendships, clashing in explosive rivalries, experiencing first loves, and stepping into their destiny as the next generation of Starfleet officers."</p><p>This latest trailer reveals much more (maybe too much!) of the relationships and histories of the characters, especially between Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti’s complicated pasts. But it also delivers some breathtaking interstellar action and the bright, spirited tone the series is evidently trying to project.</p><p>"Starfleet Academy's" eclectic coming-of-age cast also boasts the talents of Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir, Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, and Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe. Season 1 also features special appearances by Gina Yashere as Commander Lura Thok and Paul Giamatti playing a Klingon/Tellarite hybrid called Nus Braka, whose backstory might be connected to one of the show's major cadets.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Ax9M5mjXceFgEGmwdqe4om" name="SFA_108_MG_0115_00902_RT" alt="L-R: Zoë Steiner as Tarima Sadal and Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir in season 1 , episode 8 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ax9M5mjXceFgEGmwdqe4om.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>It was revealed as part of the NYCC Star Trek Universe show that Stephen Colbert will be joining the cast, voicing Starfleet Academy’s Digital Dean of Students. According to the press release, he'll be "giving daily announcements to the students and alerting them of anything that needs their immediate attention."</p><p>Added stars include Tig Notaro and Robert Picardo reprising their roles as Jett Reno and The Doctor, as well as guest stars Oded Fehr and Mary Wiseman, who play Admiral Vance and Sylvia Tilly.</p><p><strong>"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" warps exclusively onto Paramount+ on January 15, 2026, for its 10-episode debut season.</strong></p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="9841ac36-0970-4b89-88d4-62e2c1caae4f" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="$7.99/month" data-dimension48="$7.99/month" href="https://www.paramountplus.com/account/signup/pickplan/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="DPNpJqokGZesFzripsmnef" name="ParamountPlus logo" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DPNpJqokGZesFzripsmnef.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="800" height="800" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Watch everything Star Trek on Paramount+.</strong></p><p>Paramount Plus prices start from <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="9841ac36-0970-4b89-88d4-62e2c1caae4f" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="$7.99/month" data-dimension48="$7.99/month" data-dimension25=""><u><strong>$7.99/month</strong></u></a> in the US, <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>£4.99/month</strong></u></a> in the U.K., and <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>$6.99 (AUD)/month</strong></u></a> in Australia. </p><p>You can also get a <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/account/signup/pickplan/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>seven-day free trial</strong></a>.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.paramountplus.com/account/signup/pickplan/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="9841ac36-0970-4b89-88d4-62e2c1caae4f" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="$7.99/month" data-dimension48="$7.99/month" data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product editors-choice"><div class="editors-choice__title">Editors Choice</div><a data-dimension112="83938b63-fca8-475f-9136-c4a12423a056" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:720px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="2LGCs5VtFknFUSkuVLSX3f" name="NordVPN" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2LGCs5VtFknFUSkuVLSX3f.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="720" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><a href="https://nordvpn.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="83938b63-fca8-475f-9136-c4a12423a056" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25=""><strong>Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days</strong></a></p><p>Joining Starfleet Academy and still want to watch your streaming shows? You're in luck! A VPN allows you to watch your streaming shows from anywhere in the world, avoiding pesky geoblocking restrictions.<br><br>There are lots of VPN services to choose from, but NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast, and it has top-level security features, too. With over 5,000 servers across 60 countries, and at a great price, it's easy to recommend.<a class="view-deal button" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="83938b63-fca8-475f-9136-c4a12423a056" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25="">VIEW DEAL ON </a></p></div> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-starfleet-academy-stephen-colbert-nycc-trailer</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ "Show me you’re worthy of this uniform!" — We finally have a release date for 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,' with the Paramount+ TV series warping onto our screens on Jan 15, 2026. ]]>
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<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jeff Spry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6s5J9xsyg2zJboGptgReum-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Paramount]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[L-R, Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe and Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir in season 1, episode 5 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: John Medland/Paramount+]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[L-R, Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe and Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir in season 1, episode 5 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: John Medland/Paramount+]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Information could be a fundamental part of the universe – and may explain dark energy and dark matter ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><em>This article was originally published at </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><u><em>The Conversation.</em></u></a><em> The publication contributed the article to Space.com's </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tag/expert-voices"><u><em>Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights</em></u></a><em>. </em></p><p>For more than a century, physics has been built on two great theories. Einstein's general relativity explains gravity as the bending of space and time.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/topics/quantum-mechanics-157" target="_blank"><u>Quantum mechanics</u></a> governs the world of particles and fields. Both work brilliantly in their own domains. But put them together and contradictions appear – especially when it comes to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15421-black-holes-facts-formation-discovery-sdcmp.html"><u>black holes</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.htmlhttps://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.htmlhttps://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.html"><u>dark matte</u></a><u>r</u>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dark-energy-what-is-it"><u>dark energy</u></a> and the origins of the cosmos.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_CgjZKFmj_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="CgjZKFmj"> <div id="botr_CgjZKFmj_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>My colleagues and I have been exploring a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/will-we-have-to-rewrite-einsteins-theory-of-general-relativity-50057" target="_blank"><u>new way to bridge that divide</u></a>. The idea is to treat information – not matter, not energy, not even spacetime itself – as the most fundamental ingredient of reality. We call this framework <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/26/12/1039" target="_blank"><u>the quantum memory matrix</u></a> (QMM).</p><p>At its core is a simple but powerful claim: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html"><u>spacetime </u></a>is not smooth, but discrete – made of tiny "cells", which is what quantum mechanics suggests. Each cell can store a quantum imprint of every interaction, like the passage of a particle or even the influence of a force such as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/four-fundamental-forces.html"><u>electromagnetism</u></a> or nuclear interactions, that passes through. Each event leaves behind a tiny change in the local quantum state of the spacetime cell.</p><p>In other words, the universe does not just evolve. It remembers.</p><p>The story begins with the black hole information paradox. According to relativity, anything that falls into a black hole is gone forever. According to quantum theory, that is impossible. Information <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://phys.org/news/2011-03-quantum-no-hiding-theorem-experimentally.html" target="_blank"><u>cannot be ever destroyed</u></a>.</p><p>QMM offers a way out. As matter falls in, the surrounding spacetime cells record its imprint. When the black hole eventually evaporates, the information is not lost. It has already been written into spacetime's memory.</p><p>This mechanism is captured mathematically by what we call the imprint operator, a reversible rule that makes information conservation work out. At first, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/26/12/1039" target="_blank"><u>we applied this to gravity</u></a>. But then we asked: what about the other forces of nature? It turns out they fit the same picture.</p><p>In our models assuming that spacetime cells exist, the strong and weak nuclear forces, which hold atomic nuclei together, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/27/2/153" target="_blank"><u>also leave traces in spacetime</u></a>. Later, we <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202503.0551/v1" target="_blank"><u>extended the framework to electromagnetism</u></a> (although this paper is currently being peer reviewed). Even a simple electric field changes the memory state of spacetime cells.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:180px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:93.33%;"><img id="AwsWyFepMnuMWYmeEw2ZQZ" name="KiDSDMmap2015" alt="A gif of a deep space image with a purple blob of light appearing on top of the image and then disappearing showing a dark matter heat map of sorts." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AwsWyFepMnuMWYmeEw2ZQZ.gif" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="180" height="168" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A gif of a dark matter map from the 2015 Kilo-degree Survey at the Very Large Telescope in Chile. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Kilo-degree Survey (KiDS), CC BY-SA 4.0 )</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="explaining-dark-matter-and-dark-energy-2">Explaining dark matter and dark energy</h2><p>That led us to a broader principle that we call the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003491625001253" target="_blank"><u>geometry-information duality</u></a>. In this view, the shape of spacetime is influenced not just by mass and energy, as Einstein taught us, but also by how quantum information is distributed, especially through entanglement. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31933-quantum-entanglement-action-at-a-distance.html"><u>Entanglement</u></a> is a quantum feature in which two particles, for example, can be spookily connected, meaning that if you change the state of one, you automatically and immediately also change the other – even if it's light years away.</p><p>This shift in perspective has dramatic consequences. In one study, currently under peer review, we found that clumps of imprints <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202504.2379/v1" target="_blank"><u>behave just like dark matter</u></a>, an unknown substance that makes up most of the matter in the universe. They cluster under gravity and explain the motion of galaxies – which appear to orbit at unexpectedly high speeds – without needing any exotic new particles.</p><p>In another, we showed how <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2674-0346/4/3/16" target="_blank"><u>dark energy might emerge too</u></a>. When spacetime cells are saturated, they cannot record new, independent information. Instead, they contribute to a residual energy of spacetime. Interestingly, this leftover contribution has the same mathematical form as the "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/cosmological-constant"><u>cosmological constant</u></a>", or dark energy, which is making the universe expand at an accelerated rate.</p><p>Its size matches the observed dark energy that drives cosmic acceleration. Together, these results suggest that dark matter and dark energy may be two sides of the same informational coin.</p><h2 id="a-cyclic-universe-2">A cyclic universe?</h2><p>But if spacetime has finite memory, what happens when it fills up? Our latest cosmological paper, accepted for publication in The Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.13816" target="_blank"><u>points to a cyclic universe</u></a> – being born and dying over and over. Each cycle of expansion and contraction deposits more entropy – a measure of disorder – into the ledger. When the bound is reached, the universe “bounces” into a new cycle.</p><p>Reaching the bound means spacetime's information capacity (entropy) is maxed out. At that point, contraction cannot continue smoothly. The equations show that instead of collapsing to a singularity, the stored entropy drives a reversal, leading to a new phase of expansion. This is what <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202508.1391/v1" target="_blank"><u>we describe as a "bounce"</u></a>.</p><p>By comparing the model to observational data, we estimate that the universe has already gone through three or four cycles of expansion and contraction, with fewer than ten remaining. After the remaining cycles are completed, the informational capacity of spacetime would be fully saturated. At that point, no further bounces occur. Instead, the universe would enter a final phase of slowing expansion.</p><p>That makes the true "informational age" of the cosmos about 62 billion years, not just the 13.8 billion years of our current expansion.</p><p>So far, this might sound purely theoretical. But we have already tested parts of QMM on today's quantum computers. We treated qubits, the basic units of quantum computers, as tiny spacetime cells. Using imprint and retrieval protocols based on the QMM equations, we recovered the original quantum states with over 90% accuracy.</p><p>This showed us two things. First, that the imprint operator works on real quantum systems. Second, it has practical benefits. By combining imprinting with conventional error-correction codes, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/qute.202500262" target="_blank"><u>we significantly reduced logical errors</u></a>. That means QMM might not only explain the cosmos, but also help us build better <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/fault-tolerant-quantum-computer-10000-qubit-machine"><u>quantum computers.</u></a></p><p>QMM reframes the universe as both a cosmic memory bank and a quantum computer. Every event, every force, every particle leaves an imprint that shapes the evolution of the cosmos. It ties together some of the deepest puzzles in physics, from the information paradox to dark matter and dark energy, from cosmic cycles to the arrow of time.</p><p>And it does so in a way that can already be simulated and tested in the lab. Whether QMM proves to be the final word or a stepping stone, it opens a startling possibility: the universe may not only be geometry and energy. It is also memory. And in that memory, every moment of cosmic history may still be written.</p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243022/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/dark-universe/information-could-be-a-fundamental-part-of-the-universe-and-may-explain-dark-energy-and-dark-matter</link>
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<![CDATA[ An academic dives into using quantum physics to explore dark matter. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Dark Universe]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Florian Neukart ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/T4iZRi5EMLKL6PbdYhJCwZ-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/J. Pinto, CC BY 4.0]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A series of blue sparkling webs create a tangle of threads across a dark blue background, symbolizing dark matter in the universe. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A series of blue sparkling webs create a tangle of threads across a dark blue background, symbolizing dark matter in the universe. ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Watch SpaceX launch its Starship Flight 11 megarocket test flight today ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_WOPtLBtA_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="WOPtLBtA"> <div id="botr_WOPtLBtA_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p><strong>Update for 8:42p.m. ET: </strong>SpaceX successfully launched its Starship Flight 11 rocket into space, with its Super Heavy booster making a planned - and controlled - splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The Ship 38 upper stage then successfully splashed down in Indian Ocean one hour and 6 minutes after liftoff after completing a Starlink payload deployment demonstration, engine relight test and "dynamic banking" manuever during landing. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-starship-rocket-flight-11-launch-success"><u><strong>Read our Starship Flight 11 launch wrap story</strong></u></a> top see launch photos and video.</p><p>SpaceX plans to launch Flight 11 of its Starship megarocket tonight (Oct. 13), and you can watch the action live.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html"><u>Starship</u></a>, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, is scheduled to lift off for the 11th time on Monday (Oct. 13), during a 75-minute window that opens at 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT).</p><p>The launch will take place from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a>'s Starbase site in South Texas. You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of the company; coverage will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="euipSctwPuFpdYA7oBuPTf" name="1756265698.jpg" alt="a huge rocket launches into the sky with wetlands and a calm ocean in the background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/euipSctwPuFpdYA7oBuPTf.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">SpaceX's Starship megarocket launches on the vehicle's 10th flight test, on Aug. 26, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Starship consists of a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or Ship for short. Both of these elements are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable.</p><p>SpaceX believes that the vehicle's unprecedented combination of power and reusability will allow humanity to settle <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html"><u>Mars</u></a>, a long-held dream of company founder and CEO <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html"><u>Elon Musk.</u></a></p><p>Starship Flight 11 will look a lot like <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-launches-starship-flight-10-critical-test-flight-video"><u>Flight 10</u></a>, if all goes according to plan. On that most recent launch, which took place on Aug. 26, Super Heavy steered itself to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico about 6.5 minutes after liftoff, and Ship did that same in the Indian Ocean roughly an hour later.</p><p>Ship also managed to relight one of its Raptor engines in space and deploy some payloads — eight dummy versions of SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html"><u>Starlink</u></a> broadband satellites.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4096px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.18%;"><img id="KG7U5atdnb5eqepdW8RRCE" name="1760028709.jpg" alt="a giant metal launch tower lifts a silver rocket using two metallic arms" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KG7U5atdnb5eqepdW8RRCE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="4096" height="2301" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Flight 11 Super Heavy booster is placed atop Starbase's orbital launch mount by the tower's "chopstick" arms. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Those will be the main goals for Flight 11 as well. SpaceX also plans to test a new landing burn engine configuration for Super Heavy and gather data that will help pave the way for Ship to end its missions with a return to Starbase, where it will be caught by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms.</p><p>Super Heavy has already done this on three previous Starship test flights. In fact, the booster flying on Monday is a spaceflight veteran, having conducted <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-loses-starship-upper-stage-again-but-catches-giant-super-heavy-booster-during-flight-8-launch-video"><u>Starship Flight 8</u></a> earlier this year.</p><p>"For reentry, tiles have been removed from Starship to intentionally stress-test vulnerable areas across the vehicle," SpaceX wrote in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-11" target="_blank"><u>Flight 11 mission description</u></a>.</p><p>"Several of the missing tiles are in areas where tiles are bonded to the vehicle and do not have a backup ablative layer," the company added. "To mimic the path a ship will take on future flights returning to Starbase, the final phase of Starship’s trajectory on Flight 11 includes a dynamic banking maneuver and will test subsonic guidance algorithms prior to a landing burn and splashdown in the Indian Ocean."</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/space-starship-flight-11-launch-webcast</link>
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<![CDATA[ SpaceX plans to launch Flight 11 of its huge, reusable Starship rocket on Monday evening (Oct. 13), and you can watch the action live. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/y4dKGS4fjmZzhVshYrKzpB-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[SpaceX's Starship megarocket launches on its 10th-ever test flight, on Aug. 26, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[SpaceX's Starship megarocket launches on its 10th-ever test flight, on Aug. 26, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Microbes essential for human health can survive the stress of spaceflight. That's great news for astronauts ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Microbes essential for human health have proven resilient against the extreme forces of space travel, offering hope for maintaining astronaut well-being on future long-duration missions.</p><p>Researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Australia sent spores of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis — a bacterium known to support the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronauts-immune-systems-disturbed-by-microgravity-scientists-find"><u>human immune system</u></a>, gut health and blood circulation — in a 3D-printed microtube holder on a sounding rocket flight to test how they would fare under the stresses of launch, microgravity and reentry. Bacteria like B. subtilis will be vital for sustaining human life over decades — a necessity for establishing a presence beyond Earth, such as a future <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/37200-read-elon-musk-spacex-mars-colony-plan.html"><u>Mars colony</u></a>.</p><p>The microbes were exposed to accelerations of up to 13 times Earth's gravity, a six-minute <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/23017-weightlessness.html"><u>weightless</u></a> period at around 162 miles (260 kilometers) altitude, and punishing decelerations reaching 30 g while spinning about 220 times per second during descent. After recovery, scientists found the structure of the spores showed no signs of damage and grew just as they would have on Earth, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2025/oct/space-bacteria" target="_blank"><u>a statement</u></a> from the university.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_2jC0EocU_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="2jC0EocU"> <div id="botr_2jC0EocU_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"Our research showed an important type of bacteria for our health can withstand rapid <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/classical-gravity.html"><u>gravity</u></a> changes, acceleration and deacceleration," Elena Ivanova, co-author of the study and professor from RMIT University, said in the statement. "It's broadened our understanding on the effects of long-term spaceflight on microorganisms that live in our bodies and keep us healthy. This means we can design better life support systems for astronauts to keep them healthy during long missions."</p><p>Astronauts rely on a healthy microbiome to help regulate digestion, immunity and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/live-long-prosper-long-term-spaceflight-health-risks"><u>overall well-being</u></a>, especially during extended missions. Knowing that beneficial bacteria can survive the harsh transition phases of spaceflight suggests they could be carried safely on journeys to the moon, Mars and beyond.</p><p>This marks the first study to test how bacteria respond to the real conditions of spaceflight outside the lab, with findings that could help develop reliable and sustainable life support systems for waste recycling, food production and plant growth during future long-term space missions.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1220px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:60.00%;"><img id="LCicgYbTYKAsLYTpWBGEzF" name="news-payload-1220x732px" alt="a blue cylinder with a glass window sits in a hangar surrounded by wires and metal boxes" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LCicgYbTYKAsLYTpWBGEzF.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1220" height="732" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A rideshare payload adapter, in which researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Australia sent spores of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis into suborbital space on a sounding rocket. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Gail Iles, RMIT University)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Microbes have previously been <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/spacex-just-launched-disease-causing-bacteria-to-the-international-space-station"><u>studied on the International Space Station</u></a> (ISS), where spores have endured months in the airless vacuum of space and exposed to harsh radiation. What sets this experiment apart is its focus on the real stresses of a rocket flight from launch to landing. While B. subtilis spores are exceptionally hardy, the study offers a benchmark for testing other microbes more directly tied to human health and agriculture, the researchers said.</p><p>Understanding microbial resilience in harsh environments also has benefits on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>, by helping scientists develop new antibacterial treatments and strategies to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria, while offering fresh clues for the search for life on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17738-exoplanets.html"><u>other planets</u></a>.</p><p>"It could guide the development of more effective life-detection missions, helping us to identify and study microbial life forms that could thrive in environments previously thought to be uninhabitable," Ivanova said in the statement.</p><p>Their findings were <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-025-00526-4" target="_blank"><u>published Oct. 6</u></a> in the journal npj Microgravity.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/science/microbes-essential-for-human-health-can-survive-the-stress-of-spaceflight-thats-great-news-for-astronauts</link>
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<![CDATA[ Microbes essential for human health have proven resilient against the extreme forces of space travel, offering hope for maintaining astronaut well-being on future long-duration missions. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Samantha Mathewson ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tw3KBjLF8Th2jHBTYuxRWS-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Dr Graham Beards/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[blue squiggly lines on a grey background]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[blue squiggly lines on a grey background]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Moonrise moments: A skywatching quiz ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The moon has captivated human imagination for millennia. As Earth's only natural satellite, it has inspired myths, guided calendars, and lit up countless night skies. But beyond its poetic allure lies a world of fascinating science—from its formation and orbit to the way it influences tides and eclipses.</p><p>This quiz invites you to dive deeper into the moon's mysteries and discover how much you really know about our luminous neighbor.</p><p>Each <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/62-earths-moon-phases-monthly-lunar-cycles-infographic.html">phase of the moon</a> tells a story. Whether it's the slender crescent rising at dusk or the brilliant full moon dominating the sky, these changing shapes are more than just beautiful—they're the result of precise cosmic choreography. Understanding the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/62-earths-moon-phases-monthly-lunar-cycles-infographic.html">lunar cycle</a> not only enhances your skywatching experience but also connects you to the rhythms of nature that have guided humanity for centuries.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sBCPpwIi_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="sBCPpwIi"> <div id="botr_sBCPpwIi_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>So whether you're gazing up from your backyard or planning your next<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33786-lunar-eclipse-guide.html"> lunar eclipse</a> viewing party, this quiz is your launchpad to lunar literacy.</p><p>Try it out below and see how well you score!</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-OaaVKO"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/OaaVKO.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/moonrise-moments-a-skywatching-quiz</link>
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<![CDATA[ From phases to phenomena, this moon-themed skywatching quiz will test your lunar knowledge. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[The moon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bhr98HQJrscqPRSdm5kWWU-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Robert Lea]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[The half-illuminated last quarter moon against a background of the moon during other phases.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The half-illuminated last quarter moon against a background of the moon during other phases.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ See Orion hunt the half-lit moon on Oct. 12 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Look to the eastern horizon shortly before midnight on Oct. 12 to see the moon rising majestically with the red giant Betelgeuse and the stars of the constellation Orion. Jupiter will be close on their heels.</p><p>Head out an hour before midnight local time to see the half-lit moon climb above the northeastern horizon, with the reddish light of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22009-betelgeuse.html"><u>Betelgeuse</u></a> twinkling brightly to its right. The left half of the lunar disk will be bathed in direct sunlight and its left veiled in shadow.</p><p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16659-constellation-orion.html"><u>constellation Orion</u></a> will provide a wealth of beautiful naked eye targets to observe on the night of Oct. 12. Most notable is the red star Betelgeuse , a colossal stellar body in the twilight of its existence. It is expected to explode in a dramatic <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/6638-supernova.html"><u>supernova</u></a> as bright as a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html"><u>full moon</u></a> in Earth's sky upon exhausting its supply of helium and heavier fuel reserves — a process that could take tens of thousands of years.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Top telescope pick!</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="oHGyztQQsxjtzFjsskzJEa" name="Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ.jpg" caption="" alt="Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oHGyztQQsxjtzFjsskzJEa.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Looking for a telescope for the next night sky event? We recommend the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review">Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ</a> as the top pick for basic astrophotography in our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31229-best-beginner-telescopes.html">best beginner's telescope guide</a>.</p></div></div><p>Look to the right of Betelgeuse to spot the three <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/57-stars-formation-classification-and-constellations.html"><u>stars</u></a> of the famous <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/28072-orions-belt.html"><u>Orion's Belt</u></a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-is-an-asterism"><u>asterism</u></a> — Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka — stacked on top of each other, with the blue supergiant Rigel, the brightest point of light in the famous constellation, shining less than 10 degrees beyond. Remember, 10 degrees is the equivalent to the width of your fist held at arm's length against the night sky.</p><p>You may notice a hazy blur of light close to Orion's belt as the constellation slips free of the horizon. That's the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/orion-nebula"><u>Orion nebula</u></a>, the closest <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nebula-definition-types"><u>stellar nursery</u></a> to Earth where a new generation of incandescent stars are being formed.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1407px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.01%;"><img id="fifdoZL6wQ3trVu5Gq5pXn" name="Constellation Orion October sky" alt="A map of the night sky showing the constellation Orion rising over a silhouetted eastern horizon. the stars are joined by a blue line. the red giant star Betelgeuse is labelled to the left of the formation, as is the asterism of Orion's belt off to the right and the Orion Nebula beyond that." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fifdoZL6wQ3trVu5Gq5pXn.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1407" height="788" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An illustration of the stars of the Orion constellation, with the the Orion nebula circled to the right of the three stars that make up Orion's 'belt'. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Created by Anthony Wood in Canva)</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's best to observe faint deep-sky objects using the averted gaze technique, wherein you place the object on the periphery of your vision, where the cells that excel at low-light vision are clustered. Gazing through a telescope with an aperture of 6 inches will help reveal the structure of the vast, glowing nebula.</p><p>Look below the moon around midnight to spot the gleaming orb of light of Jupiter rise above the eastern horizon, embedded in the stars of the constellation Gemini.</p><p>Stargazers looking to get a closer look at the myriad wonders of Orion and the wider sky should check out our roundup of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><u>best telescope</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/binoculars-deals-sale-discount"><u>binocular deals available in 2025</u></a>.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/see-orion-hunt-the-half-lit-moon-on-oct-12</link>
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<![CDATA[ Don't miss the moon, Jupiter and the stars of the constellation Orion rise along the southern horizon on Oct. 12. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SyGbi3uHZmf83fs2vR5xJd-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Alan Dyer/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a starry night sky]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a starry night sky]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ The moon cozies up to Jupiter tonight. Here's how to see it ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>If you're up late on Monday night (Oct. 13), or awake in the predawn hours of Tuesday (Oct. 14), look east for a striking sight.</p><p>The moon, just hours past its last quarter phase, will rise above the east-northeastern horizon shortly before midnight local time. Shining about 6 degrees to its right will be Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.</p><p>To estimate the distance between them, hold out your clenched fist; it measures roughly 10 degrees across at arm's length, so <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>the moon</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html"><u>Jupiter</u></a> will be separated by roughly a little more than half of a fist. It is, of course, an illusion of perspective: the moon is only 235,000 miles (378,000 kilometers) from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>. Meanwhile, Jupiter is 477 million miles (768 million km) away, more than 2,000 times farther out in space compared to our natural satellite.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h2 id="best-views-early-tuesday-morning-2">Best views early Tuesday morning</h2><p>Next to dazzling Venus, Jupiter is the best observer's planet during fall and much of the upcoming winter season. Currently, however, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/44-venus-second-planet-from-the-sun-brightest-planet-in-solar-system.html"><u>Venus</u></a> is a morning object, not appearing until the break of dawn and appearing only as a brilliant dot in telescopes, leaving Jupiter unchallenged during the late evening and predawn morning hours. Look for it currently glimmering balefully just above the east-northeast horizon by 11:40 p.m. local daylight time. But Jupiter will not reach an altitude of 30 degrees above the horizon — one third of the way up in the sky — until 2:30 a.m. For some, that's considered to be the dividing line between objects that are "low" versus objects that are considered to be "well placed." Sharp telescopic views are seldom possible until an object reaches an altitude of 30 degrees, given the typical turbulent state of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth's atmosphere</u></a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="C8sHvaRifH9NyqKrMxuUHN" name="Jupiter and the moon" alt="night sky graphic map showing jupiter shining to the lower right of a half lit moon with betelguese shining over on the right hand side of the image." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C8sHvaRifH9NyqKrMxuUHN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Approximate location of the moon and Jupiter at midnight local time on Oct. 13. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Created in Canva Pro by Daisy Dobrijevic)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="jupiter-soaring-high-in-gemini-2">Jupiter soaring high in Gemini</h2><p>Right now, Jupiter is in the constellation of Gemini, the Twins, near the star that marks the right hand of the twin brother <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22068-pollux.html"><u>Pollux</u></a> (Kappa Geminorum). Gemini is also where the ecliptic, the pathway of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html"><u>the sun</u></a>, moon and planets, comes farthest north. This gives northern observers a decided advantage, for the farther north a planet is, the more time it spends above the horizon and the higher up over the southern part of the sky it will appear.</p><p>When Jupiter reaches its highest point in the southern sky, at around the time of local sunrise, it will stand about 65 degrees high for Portland, Oregon and Minneapolis/St. Paul; 70 degrees for Salt Lake City and Philadelphia; 80 degrees for Houston and New Orleans and 85 degrees (practically overhead) for Brownsville, Texas and the Florida Keys.</p><h2 id="what-to-see-through-a-telescope-2">What to see through a telescope</h2><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Top telescope pick!</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="bssuvceUVCdkc9TmrGRbiP" name="celestron-nexstar-8se-16x9.jpg" caption="" alt="Review photos of the Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope with its orange optical tube" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bssuvceUVCdkc9TmrGRbiP.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Looking for a telescope for the next stargazing event? We recommend the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=72128&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2FB000GUFOC8%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-21%26linkCode%3Dogi%26th%3D1%26psc%3D1%26ascsubtag%3Dspace-gb-9520219931477379930-21" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Celestron NexStar 8SE</a> as the top pick in our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-telescopes-for-seeing-planets#section-best-telescope-overall">best telescopes for seeing planets</a> guide.</p></div></div><p>In a telescope, Jupiter is always a fascinating sight. Light and dark cloud belts in the giant planet's atmosphere appear to parallel the equator and slowly change. Meanwhile, the famous <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/jupiter-great-red-spot.html"><u>Great Red Spot</u></a>, appears to be contracting in size as well as wobbling like a bowl of jelly while undergoing dynamic fluctuations and changing shape, squeezing in and out. Once large enough to fit two to three Earths, the spot now fits only about one Earth.</p><p>The other attractions are the four Galilean satellites. During the overnight hours of late Monday night into Tuesday morning, steadily-held binoculars or a telescope will readily show all four of these big moons. Late Monday night into Tuesday morning, you'll see <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16448-callisto-facts-about-jupiters-dead-moon.html"><u>Callisto</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15498-europa-sdcmp.html"><u>Europa</u></a>, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16419-io-facts-about-jupiters-volcanic-moon.html"><u>Io</u></a> lined up on one side of the planet, with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16440-ganymede-facts-about-jupiters-largest-moon.html"><u>Ganymede</u></a> alone on the other.</p><h2 id="a-rare-2026-occultation-awaits-2">A rare 2026 occultation awaits</h2><p>In a little less than a year from now, Jupiter and the moon will be part of one of the best celestial highlights of 2026. On the morning of Oct. 6, much of North America will be treated to a spectacular eclipse (occultation) of Jupiter by a waning crescent Moon just 4 days before new.</p><p>This event will be visible across much of eastern and central North America. Nocturnal (nighttime) occultations of Jupiter are quite rare for any one given place. For most U.S. locations, for instance, the last opportunity was in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/570-rare-event-jupiter-hide-moon.html"><u>December 2004.</u></a> The sheer beauty of a crescent moon hiding such a brilliant object as Jupiter — along with the bonus of the Galilean Satellites in binoculars and telescopes — will likely place this event near the top of "must-see" events in 2026.</p><p>Mark your calendars!</p><p>If you're looking for a telescope to view Jupiter our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-telescopes-for-deep-space"><u>best telescopes for deep space</u></a> guide may help. We also have a guide to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astrophotography-for-beginners-guide"><u>astrophotography for beginners</u></a> which covers everything from equipment to shooting modes and more.</p><p><em>Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amnh.org/our-research/hayden-planetarium"><u><em>Hayden Planetarium</em></u></a><em>. He writes about astronomy for </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/"><u><em>Natural History magazine</em></u></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://skyandtelescope.org/"><u><em>Sky and Telescope</em></u></a><em> and other publications.</em></p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note:</strong></em><em> If you snap a photo of Jupiter and the moon and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/the-moon-cozies-up-to-jupiter-on-oct-13-2025-heres-how-to-see-it</link>
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<![CDATA[ Two bright wanderers share the autumn sky as Jupiter rises beside the half moon. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Joe Rao ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mtusntLLBvxUJ3AsuUcWoW-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Dr K Kar via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[close up view of the third quarter moon, appears half illuminated with large craters peppering the surface. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[close up view of the third quarter moon, appears half illuminated with large craters peppering the surface. ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ This Week In Space podcast: Episode 181 — World Space Week ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/74OuhQEIJ3s" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>On <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/181?autostart=false" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Episode 181 of This Week In Space</a>, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Alma Okpalefe, World Space Week Association's executive director, to discuss the global celebration of all things space, bringing together thousands of participants from all over the planet to celebrate our future in space.</p><p>Chartered by the United Nations in 1999, this year's theme is "Living in Space." The many associated events from across the world are a reminder to all of the importance of space in our lives and our future, and a clarion call to international youth of the value of their future involvement. We spoke with the Okpalefe, who explained their origins, activities, and plans for the future. It's one of the premier space-related events of the year, and when you're done with the episode, you'll want to know more!</p><p><strong>Download or subscribe</strong> to this show at:<strong> </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space" target="_blank">https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space</a>.<br><br>Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/clubtwit" target="_blank">https://twit.tv/clubtwit</a></p><h2 id="space-news-of-the-week-2">Space news of the week</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-11" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Starship Flight 11</a></li><li><a href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/6-000-and-counting-the-next-30-years-in-the-search-for-exoplanets">6,000 and counting: The next 30 years in the search for exoplanets</a></li><li><a href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/not-all-alphas-mars-crews-should-be-a-mix-of-personality-types-study-suggests">Not all alphas: Mars crews should be a mix of personality types, study suggests</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alma-okpalefe/overlay/about-this-profile/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Alma Okpalefe</a></li><li><a href="https://www.worldspaceweek.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">What Is World Space Week</a></li><li><a href="https://www.worldspaceweek.org/world-space-week-highlights/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">World Space Week Theme - Living in Space</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">International Space Station</a></li></ul><h2 id="model-falcon-9-2">Model Falcon 9!</h2><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">TOP TELESCOPE PICK:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="cbAPCR7Y6HkbgamUsCtVj5" name="celestron top telescope.jpg" caption="" alt="A Celestron telescope on a white background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cbAPCR7Y6HkbgamUsCtVj5.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Looking for a telescope to see planets and comets? We recommend the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=72128&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB01L0EQLTI%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dspace-us-4730590304221485000-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Celestron Astro Fi 102</a> as the top pick in our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31229-best-beginner-telescopes.html">best beginner's telescope guide</a>.</p></div></div><p>Finally, did you know you can launch your own SpaceX rocket? Model rocket maker Estes' <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-estes-model-rocket">stunning scale model of a Falcon 9 rocket</a> that you can pick up now. The launchable model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and retails for $149.99. You can <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://estesrockets.com/product/002161-spacex-falcon-9/" target="_blank">save 10% by using the code IN-COLLECTSPACE at checkout</a>, courtesy of our partners collectSPACE.com.</p><h2 id="about-this-week-in-space-2">About This Week In Space</h2><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space" target="_blank">This Week in Space</a> covers the new space age. Every Friday we take a deep dive into a fascinating topic. What's happening with the new race to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars?</p><p>Join Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/" target="_blank">Space.com</a> as they tackle those questions and more each week on Friday afternoons. You can subscribe today on your favorite podcatcher.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/this-week-in-space-podcast-episode-181-world-space-week</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ On Episode 181 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Alma Okpalefe to discuss World Space Week, a global celebration of all things space. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:29:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ info@space.com (Space.com Staff) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Space.com Staff ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yCX8U6jKVXDsCB8PLsrT4U-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[TWiT]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[This Week in Space podcast 181 — World Space Week]]></media:text>
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<title><![CDATA[ May the trivia be with you: a 'Star Wars' quiz ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Welcome to the galaxy's ultimate trivia showdown!</p><p>From the sands of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/how-common-are-tatooine-alien-planets.html">Tatooine</a> to the forests of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32381-ewok-extinction-star-wars-death-star.html">Endor</a>, we're diving deep into the lore, legends, and battles that span generations in this '<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31744-star-wars-space-exploration.htmlhttps://www.space.com/31744-star-wars-space-exploration.html">Star Wars</a>' quiz.</p><p>Since it's premiere, 'Star Wars' has captured imaginations with its epic storytelling, unforgettable characters, and iconic moments.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_qRMJ5HrG_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="qRMJ5HrG"> <div id="botr_qRMJ5HrG_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Whether you're loyal to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/witness-the-birth-of-the-rebellion-in-andor-season-2-featurette-video">Rebellion</a>, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-wars-empire-strikes-back-40th-anniversary.html">Empire</a>, or just here for the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40009-star-wars-droids-nasa-repair-robots.html">droids</a>, there's something in this quiz for every kind of galactic traveler.</p><p>Try it out below and see how well you score!</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-WQd5ne"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/WQd5ne.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/may-the-trivia-be-with-you-a-star-wars-quiz</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ This 'Star Wars' quiz is your chance to prove your knowledge of the saga that changed cinema — and pop culture — forever. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GbugDumELAw2CKdzRAqvKn-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Lucasfilm]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Star Wars: Visions_Lucasfilm]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Star Wars: Visions_Lucasfilm]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 11 launch today? ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_WOPtLBtA_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="WOPtLBtA"> <div id="botr_WOPtLBtA_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p><strong>Update for 8:42p.m. ET: </strong>SpaceX successfully launched its Starship Flight 11 rocket into space, with its Super Heavy booster making a planned - and controlled - splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The Ship 38 upper stage then successfully splashed down in Indian Ocean one hour and 6 minutes after liftoff after completing a Starlink payload deployment demonstration, engine relight test and "dynamic banking" manuever during landing. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-starship-rocket-flight-11-launch-success"><u><strong>Read our Starship Flight 11 launch wrap story</strong></u></a> top see launch photos and video.</p><p>SpaceX plans to launch the 11th test flight of its Starship megarocket tonight (Oct. 13), and we've got the information you need to tune in live.</p><p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html"><u>Starship</u></a> Flight 11 test is scheduled to launch from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas on <strong>Monday (Oct. 13)</strong>, during a 75-minute window that opens at <strong>7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT; 6:15 p.m. local Texas time)</strong>. You can <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/space-starship-flight-11-launch-webcast"><u>watch the liftoff live on Space.com</u></a>, courtesy of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a>. You can visit our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/news/live/spacex-starship-missions-updates"><u>Starship Flight 11 live updates</u></a> page for the latest info.</p><p>Flight 11 will be the fifth Starship launch of 2025. SpaceX hopes to build on the success of Flight 10, which <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-launches-starship-flight-10-critical-test-flight-video"><u>launched on Aug. 26</u></a> and achieved all of its major objectives. (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-wraps-up-investigation-of-starship-flight-7-explosion-video"><u>Flight 7</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/faa-investigating-spacex-starship-flight-8-explosion-that-disrupted-commercial-flights"><u>Flight 8</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-starship-flight-9-to-space-in-historic-reuse-of-giant-megarocket-video"><u>Flight 9</u></a>, which also launched this year, were more checkered; SpaceX lost the Starship upper stage prematurely on each of them.) SpaceX intends to settle <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html"><u>Mars</u></a> using Starship, and NASA has tapped the vehicle as the first crewed lander for its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html"><u>Artemis program</u></a> of moon exploration. But the 400-foot-tall (121-meter-tall) Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built — is still in the testing phase, and the company hopes Monday's action will get it closer to the finish line.</p><h2 class="article-body__section" id="section-what-time-is-spacex-s-starship-flight-11-launch"><span>What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 11 launch?</span></h2><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_JEjLYqvm_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="JEjLYqvm"> <div id="botr_JEjLYqvm_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>SpaceX is targeting <strong>Monday (Oct. 13)</strong>, for the launch of Starship Flight 11, with liftoff expected at <strong>7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT)</strong>. SpaceX has a 75-minute launch window, however, so Starship could fly any time between <strong>7:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. EDT (2315 to 0030 GMT)</strong>.</p><p>According to local road closure alerts around Starbase, SpaceX has backup Flight 11 launch dates on <strong>Tuesday (Oct. 14)</strong> and <strong>Wednesday (Oct. 15)</strong>, if Starship can't get off the ground on Monday.</p><p><strong>Related: Read our SpaceX</strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html"><strong> Starship and Super Heavy guide</strong></a><strong> for a detailed look</strong></p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="0b7c5f93-382c-4f75-a144-a6e5a51bdd51" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension48="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension25="$47.99" href="https://www.amazon.com/wltk-SpaceX-Starship-Diecast-Rocket/dp/B0BX3WVBTL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=T7YR9VPWSYSD&keywords=spacex%2Bstarship&qid=1681987946&sprefix=spacex%2Bstarship%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:679px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:104.57%;"><img id="R6rCE5qJvwhi2ZjPuubNSQ" name="starship desktop model.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/R6rCE5qJvwhi2ZjPuubNSQ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="679" height="710" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Starship Die Cast Rocket Model </strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/wltk-SpaceX-Starship-Diecast-Rocket/dp/B0BX3WVBTL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=T7YR9VPWSYSD&keywords=spacex%2Bstarship&qid=1681987946&sprefix=spacex%2Bstarship%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="0b7c5f93-382c-4f75-a144-a6e5a51bdd51" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension48="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension25="$47.99"><strong>Now $47.99 on Amazon</strong></a><strong>. </strong></p><p>Even if you can't see SpaceX's Starship in person, you can score a model of your own. Standing at 13.77 inches (35 cm), this is a 1:375 ratio of SpaceX's Starship as a desktop model. The materials here are alloy steel and it weighs just 225g.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com/wltk-SpaceX-Starship-Diecast-Rocket/dp/B0BX3WVBTL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=T7YR9VPWSYSD&keywords=spacex%2Bstarship&qid=1681987946&sprefix=spacex%2Bstarship%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="0b7c5f93-382c-4f75-a144-a6e5a51bdd51" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension48="Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $47.99 on Amazon" data-dimension25="$47.99">View Deal</a></p></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-can-i-watch-spacex-s-starship-flight-11-launch"><span>Can I watch SpaceX's Starship Flight 11 launch?</span></h3><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_MX6Zco7d_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="MX6Zco7d"> <div id="botr_MX6Zco7d_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>You can watch SpaceX's Starship Flight 11 test launch in a few ways.</p><p>SpaceX will stream the liftoff live via its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/spacex" target="_blank"><u>X account</u>,</a> as well as on its Starship <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-11" target="_blank"><u>Flight 11 mission page</u></a> and the X TV app. Coverage will begin about 30 minutes before launch — so, at <strong>6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT)</strong>, if SpaceX continues to target the beginning of the launch window on Monday.</p><p>Space.com will simulcast the SpaceX Flight 11 stream on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/space-starship-flight-11-launch-webcast"><u>our watch live page</u></a>, as well as on our homepage <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31KE1XY32SE" target="_blank"><u>and our YouTube channel</u></a>.</p><p>If you want a longer livestream, you can check out <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bcpnn_PO-A" target="_blank">NASASpaceflight's webcast on YouTube</a>. This stream <strong>will begin at about 4:15 p.m. EDT (2015 GMT) </strong>and feature live commentary during "go for launch" polling and other key preflight activities.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7bcpnn_PO-A" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>Finally, if you're in the area, you can watch SpaceX's Starship Flight 11 in person. SpaceX doesn't have an official launch-viewing site for the public or the media, but you can find a spot yourself.</p><p>One good option is Cameron County Amphitheater, in Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island, which provides<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-launch-first-person-experience"> clear views of Starbase's orbital launch mount</a> from across the water. You can also stake out a place along the shore of nearby Port Isabel.</p><p>Traffic in the area tends to get very heavy in the leadup to a Starship launch, so plan to get to your preferred viewing site early — multiple hours early, if possible.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-how-long-is-spacex-s-starship-flight-11"><span>How long is SpaceX's Starship Flight 11?</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="EVdRBXg43QAQi46ZNvxnCR" name="starship flight 9 profile" alt="A diagram showing SpaceX's Flight 11 Starship mission profile." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EVdRBXg43QAQi46ZNvxnCR.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A diagram showing SpaceX's Flight 11 Starship mission profile. The flight should last just over 1 hour. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>If all goes according to plan, Starship Flight 11 will last just over an hour. The mission will be broadly similar to Flight 10, with ocean landings planned for both Starship stages — the Super Heavy booster and Starship (or "Ship" for short) upper stage. (There will be no <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-flight-5-launch-super-heavy-booster-catch-success-video"><u>"chopsticks" catch</u></a> of Super Heavy by the Starbase launch tower this time.)</p><p>"The upcoming flight will build on the successful demonstrations from Starship’s 10th flight test with flight experiments gathering data for the next-generation Super Heavy booster, stress-testing Starship's heat shield, and demonstrating maneuvers that will mimic the upper stage’s final approach for a future return to launch site," SpaceX wrote <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-11" target="_blank"><u>in a mission overview.</u></a></p><p>The Flight 11 Super Heavy already has a launch under its belt — it conducted Flight 8 on March 6, capping its work that day with a successful return to Starbase for a chopsticks catch. Twenty-four of its 33 Raptor engines are veterans of that previous mission, according to SpaceX.</p><p>The chief objective for Super Heavy this time around is to test a new landing-burn strategy for the next-generation Starship, a bigger vehicle that's expected to debut early next year. (Flight 11 will be the final launch of the current "Version 2" iteration of Starship.)</p><p>"Super Heavy will ignite 13 engines at the start of the landing burn and then transition to a new configuration with five engines running for the divert phase," SpaceX wrote in the mission description.</p><p>"Previously done with three engines, the planned baseline for V3 Super Heavy will use five engines during the section of the burn responsible for fine-tuning the booster’s path, adding additional redundancy for spontaneous engine shutdowns," the company added. "The booster will then transition to its three center engines for the end of the landing burn, entering a full hover while still above the ocean surface, followed by shutdown and dropping into the Gulf of America."</p><div ><table><caption>SpaceX Starship Flight 11 Launch Timeline</caption><thead><tr><th class="firstcol " ><p>TIME (Hr:Min:Sec)</p></th><th ><p>EVENT</p></th><th ></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-1:15:00</p></td><td ><p>Flight director polls for fueling</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-0:53:00</p></td><td ><p>Ship liquid methane loading begins</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-0:46:10</p></td><td ><p>Ship liquid oxygen loading begins</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-0:41:15</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy liquid methane loading begins</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-0:35:52</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy liquid oxygen loading begins</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-00:19:40</p></td><td ><p>Raptor engine chilldown begins on Ship and Super Heavy</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-00:3:20</p></td><td ><p>Ship fueling complete</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-00:2:50</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy fueling complete</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-00:0:30</p></td><td ><p>Flight Director GO for launch poll</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-00:00:10</p></td><td ><p>Flame deflector activation</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-00:00:03</p></td><td ><p>Raptor ignition sequence startup</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T-00:00:00</p></td><td ><p>Liftoff ("Excitement Guaranteed," SpaceX says)</p></td><td ></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div ><table><caption>Starship Flight 11 Mission Timeline</caption><thead><tr><th class="firstcol " ><p>TIME (Hr:Min:Sec)</p></th><th ><p>FLIGHT EVENT</p></th><th ></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+00:02</p></td><td ><p>Liftoff </p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+01:02</p></td><td ><p>Ship/Super Heavy reach "Max Q"</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+02:37</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy main engine cutoff</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+02:39</p></td><td ><p>Hot-staging separation/Ship Raptor engine ignition</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+02:49</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy boostback burn startup</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+03:38</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy boostback burn engine shutdown</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+03:40</p></td><td ><p>Hot-stage jettison</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+06:20</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy landing burn startup</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+06:36</p></td><td ><p>Super Heavy landing burn shutdown (followed by splashdown)</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+08:58</p></td><td ><p>Starship engine cutoff</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+00:18:28</p></td><td ><p>Payload deploy demo starts</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+00:25:33</p></td><td ><p>Payload deploy demo complete</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+00:37:49</p></td><td ><p>Ship engine relight demonstration</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+00:47:43</p></td><td ><p>Ship reentry</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+01:03:30</p></td><td ><p>Ship transonic</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+1:03:52</p></td><td ><p>Ship is subsonic</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+1:05:58</p></td><td ><p>Landing burn start</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+1:06:00</p></td><td ><p>Landing flip</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+1:06:09</p></td><td ><p>Landing burn three to two engines</p></td><td ></td></tr><tr><td class="firstcol " ><p>T+1:06:25</p></td><td ><p>"An exciting landing!" SpaceX says.</p></td><td ></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Ship will fly much farther and longer than Super Heavy on Flight 11. As on Flight 10, the upper stage will deploy eight payloads (dummy versions of SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html"><u>Starlink</u></a> broadband satellites) into suborbital space. This milestone is scheduled to occur over a seven-minute stretch beginning 18.5 minutes after liftoff.</p><p>Ship will also briefly reignite one of its six <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-vacuum-raptor-rocket-engine-test"><u>Raptor</u></a> engines in space a little under 38 minutes into the flight, demonstrating a key capability for a vehicle designed to travel to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>the moon</u></a> and Mars.</p><p>In addition, Flight 11 will put Ship's heat shield and other reentry systems to the test, gathering data to pave the way for "chopstick" catches of the upper stage down the road.</p><p>"For reentry, tiles have been removed from Starship to intentionally stress-test vulnerable areas across the vehicle," SpaceX wrote in the mission description. "Several of the missing tiles are in areas where tiles are bonded to the vehicle and do not have a backup ablative layer. To mimic the path a ship will take on future flights returning to Starbase, the final phase of Starship’s trajectory on Flight 11 includes a dynamic banking maneuver and will test subsonic guidance algorithms prior to a landing burn and splashdown in the Indian Ocean."</p><p>Ship is expected to reenter <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth's atmosphere</u></a> just under 48 minutes after launch and hit the water off the coast of Western Australia about 18 minutes later.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-what-if-starship-flight-11-can-t-launch"><span>What if Starship Flight 11 can't launch?</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1970px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="ys4sJMRhJsvoGHm47FQKeG" name="1760028733.jpg" alt="closeup of the base of a giant rocket, showing dozens of engines" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ys4sJMRhJsvoGHm47FQKeG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1970" height="1108" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A closeup of the Starship Flight 11 Super Heavy's engines as it's lifted atop the orbital launch mount at Starbase in South Texas. SpaceX posted this photo on X on Oct. 8, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-launches-starship-flight-10-critical-test-flight-video">SpaceX's giant Starship Mars rocket nails critical 10th test flight in stunning comeback (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html">Starship and Super Heavy: SpaceX's Mars transportation system</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<strong> </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/u-s-air-force-cancels-plans-to-build-starship-landing-pads-on-island-bird-sanctuary">Air Force cancels plan to build Starship landing pads on island bird sanctuary</a></p></div></div><p>SpaceX has two official backup days for Flight 11 at this point, according to a beach and road closure <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/order-closing-boca-chica-beach-and-state-hwy-4october-13-2025-with-alternative-dates-of-october-14-2025-or-october-15-2025/" target="_blank"><u>notice</u></a> issued by Texas' Cameron County — <strong>Tuesday (Oct. 14)</strong> and <strong>Wednesday (Oct. 15)</strong>.</p><p>The launch windows are likely the same on Tuesday and Wednesday, though we'll have to wait for confirmation from SpaceX on that end.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-flight-11-launch-what-time</link>
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<![CDATA[ SpaceX plans to launch the 11th test flight of its Starship megarocket at 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT) on Monday (Oct. 13). Here's how you can watch. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 11 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KG7U5atdnb5eqepdW8RRCE-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[SpaceX lifts the Starship Flight 11 Super Heavy booster atop the orbital launch mount at its Starbase site in South Texas. SpaceX posted this photo on X on Oct. 8, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[SpaceX lifts the Starship Flight 11 Super Heavy booster atop the orbital launch mount at its Starbase site in South Texas. SpaceX posted this photo on X on Oct. 8, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Incredible telescope image shows baby exoplanet being born ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A baby planet has been spotted nestled inside a ring around its young parent star, offering a never-before-seen view of planet formation.</p><p>Using the Magellan Telescope in Chile and the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona, astronomers have captured a striking new view of a protoplanet named <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/a-remarkable-discovery-astronomers-find-1st-exoplanet-in-multi-ring-disk-around-star"><u>WISPIT 2b</u></a> — a gas giant in its infancy estimated to be about five times more massive than <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html"><u>Jupiter</u></a> and just five million years old. The baby planet can be seen within a ring-shaped gap in the dusty disk surrounding its young parent star, named WISPIT 2, as it gathers material to grow into a fully realized planet.</p><p>The new image marks the first direct evidence of a growing planet observed within the very ring gap that it's shaping, confirming a longstanding prediction of how <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/30372-gas-giants.html">g<u>as giants</u></a> form, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/exoplanets/discovery-alert-baby-planet-photographed-in-a-ring-around-a-star-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank"><u>a statement</u></a> from NASA.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1997px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="Hq9RGZrux5MU8Us5QZBB44" name="1760123533.jpg" alt="illustration showing an orange baby exoplanet surrounded by a cloud of dust, with its parent star in the background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hq9RGZrux5MU8Us5QZBB44.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1997" height="1123" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An artist's concept of the baby planet WISPIT 2b accreting matter as it orbits within a gap in the dusty disk surrounding its parent star. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC))</span></figcaption></figure><p>WISPIT 2b orbits a star about 437 light-years from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>. The disk of gas and dust, or "protoplanetary disk," that surrounds a young star functions as the birthplace for new planets. It has been suggested that gaps or clearings within these disks can be created by growing planets as they scatter material outwards.</p><p>WISPIT 2b was first detected using the European Southern Observatory's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40736-very-large-telescope.html"><u>Very Large Telescope</u></a> Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch instrument (VLT-SPHERE) in northern Chile, which initially revealed ringlike bands and a conspicuous gap that hinted at the protoplanet's activity.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17738-exoplanets.html">Exoplanets: Everything you need to know about the worlds beyond our solar system</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/a-remarkable-discovery-astronomers-find-1st-exoplanet-in-multi-ring-disk-around-star">'A remarkable discovery': Astronomers find 1st exoplanet in multi-ring disk around star</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/exoplanet-without-a-sun-found-gobbling-up-6-billion-tons-of-gas-and-dust-per-second">Exoplanet without a sun found gobbling up 6 billion tons of gas and dust per second</a></p></div></div><p>Now, using Magellan's MagAO-X extreme adaptive optics system, astronomers have detected the faint glow of H-alpha light — the spectral fingerprint of hydrogen gas heating up as it falls onto a forming planet. Meanwhile, observations from the Large Binocular Telescope's infrared cameras captured WISPIT 2b in the same spot, helping to confirm that the emission came from an actively accreting <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17738-exoplanets.html"><u>planet</u></a> rather than another source, according to the statement.</p><p>In the recent image shared by NASA, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-witness-the-birth-of-a-planetary-system-for-the-1st-time-photo-video"><u>protoplanet</u></a> WISPIT 2b is a small purple dot to the right of a bright white ring of dust surrounding the system's parent star. A fainter white ring outside of WISPIT 2b can also be seen.</p><p>The position of WISPIT 2b inside the disk's gap suggests that it is not merely passing through but shaping its surroundings, sweeping up material and pushing dust aside as it grows. Astronomers even spotted a faint second source in another, inner ring gap that could mark a sibling world in formation.</p><p>Their findings from MagAO-X were <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf7a5" target="_blank"><u>published Aug. 26</u></a> in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, alongside <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf721" target="_blank"><u>another study</u></a> published the same day using observations from the VLT-SPHERE instrument.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/incredible-telescope-image-shows-baby-exoplanet-being-born</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ A baby exoplanet has been spotted nestled inside a ring around its young parent star, offering a never-before-seen view of planet formation. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 11 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Exoplanets]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Samantha Mathewson ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2mAm8xHBEmi5fuZ26L4qkU-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Laird Close, University of Arizona]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[WISPIT 2b appears as a small purple dot beside a bright white dust ring encircling its star, with a fainter outer ring visible beyond it in new observations from the Magellan and Large Binocular Telescopes. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[WISPIT 2b appears as a small purple dot beside a bright white dust ring encircling its star, with a fainter outer ring visible beyond it in new observations from the Magellan and Large Binocular Telescopes. ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Japanese astronaut eyes typhoon from orbit | On the International Space Station Oct. 6 - 10, 2025 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Science and maintenance work continued this week aboard the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html"><u>International Space Station</u></a>, but updates regarding those activities have been all but halted by the U.S. government shutdown. Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui's social media posts were the exception...</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-orbital-observation"><span>Orbital observation</span></h3><p>Expedition 73 flight engineer Kimiya Yui of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html"><u>JAXA</u></a> (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) saw not one but two typhoons this week from aboard the International Space Station. (Typhoons are the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/cyclone.html" target="_blank"><u>same weather phenomenon</u></a> as hurricanes: both are tropical cyclones. This type of powerful storm is called a hurricane in the Atlantic and central and eastern North Pacific regions, and a typhoon in the Northwest Pacific.)<br><br>"The eye of Typhoon 22 has become somewhat unclear, but it still appears to be maintaining its strong intensity as before," wrote Yui <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/Astro_Kimiya/status/1976176755267469701" target="_blank">on social media</a> on Thursday (Oct. 9). "Typhoon 23 is a bit distant, but it is swirling with thick rain clouds on its southern side."</p><p>"Stay safe while keeping up with the latest typhoon information!" he said.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="j9r9JFyK7L9kiTmxDZHxF5" name="iss_expedition_73_yui_typhoon2" alt="a radial cloud formation is seen on Earth from above on a space station" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j9r9JFyK7L9kiTmxDZHxF5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, an Expedition 73 flight engineer, captured this photo of Typhoon 23 from aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: JAXA/Kimiya Yui)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-astronaut-activity"><span>Astronaut activity</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="8jkTUuzxSg3dJNvHFYEbyc" name="iss_expedition_73_yui_prox" alt="a large robotic arm extends from a space station over the horizon of a blue and white planet" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8jkTUuzxSg3dJNvHFYEbyc.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm extends out in a test ahead of capturing a visiting spacecraft. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: JAXA/Kimiya Yui)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Yui worked with his Expedition 73 crewmates and ground controllers to check out PROX, a device that will be used when Japan's next-generation cargo vehicle, the HTV-X, approaches the International Space Station for berthing.</p><p>"Preparations to welcome HTV-X to the ISS are steadily progressing," wrote Yui in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/Astro_Kimiya/status/1976032519054295471" target="_blank"><u>social media post</u></a> on Oct. 8, 2025. "Here's the news: just like with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://space.com/japanese-htv-cargo-ship-final-launch-success.html"><u>Kounotori-kun</u></a>, I've been assigned to operate the arm and grasp it this time as well. The responsibility is significant, but I'll cooperate with everyone to reliably carry out the mission!"</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-by-the-numbers"><span>By the numbers</span></h3><p>As of Friday (Oct. 10), there are <strong>7 people</strong> aboard the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html"><u>International Space Station</u></a>: Expedition 73 commander Sergey Ryzhikov of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22724-roscosmos.html"><u>Roscosmos</u></a>; fellow cosmonauts Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov; Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke of NASA; and Kimiya Yui of JAXA, all flight engineers.</p><p>There are <strong>two docked crew spacecraft</strong>: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a>'s Dragon "Endeavour" attached to the zenith port of the Harmony module and Roscosmos' Soyuz MS-27 attached to the Earth-facing port of the Prichal node.</p><p>There are <strong>four docked cargo spacecraft</strong>: Roscosmos' Progress MS-31 (92P) docked to the space-facing port of the Poisk module and Progress M-32 (93P) docked to the aft port of the Zvezda service module, SpaceX's CRS-33 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18852-spacex-dragon.html"><u>Dragon</u></a> spacecraft docked to the forward port of Harmony Node 2 and Northrop Grumman's NG-23 Cygnus XL, the "SS William C. 'Willie' McCool," berthed to the Unity node.</p><p>As of Friday, the space station has been continuously crewed for <strong>24 years, 11 months and 8 days.</strong></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/japanese-astronaut-eyes-typhoon-from-orbit-on-the-international-space-station-oct-6-10-2025</link>
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<![CDATA[ Science and maintenance work continue on the International Space Station, but updates have been all but halted by the U.S. government shutdown. A JAXA astronaut's social media posts are the exception. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[International Space Station]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Missions]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ robert@collectspace.com (Robert Z. Pearlman) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Z. Pearlman ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UTmanNXtiRvmeFTT77CxMP-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[JAXA/Kimiya Yui]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a radial white cloud formation as viewed from above Earth]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a radial white cloud formation as viewed from above Earth]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ This fleet of sungazing spacecraft could help spot 'space tornadoes' headed towards Earth ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A fleet of sentinel spacecraft, including one with a huge solar sail, could watch out for sneaky "space tornadoes" posing a threat to Earth during solar storms, a new study suggests.</p><p>The proposal says that four deep-space spacecraft, collectively called Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT), could speed up "space weather" warnings by 40%. While three spacecraft would be powered by conventional fuel, the fourth would have a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-sail.html"><u>solar sail</u></a> roughly a third of the size of a football field.</p><p>That gigantic sail is needed to stabilize the fourth spacecraft in an unusually difficult orbit that gives it a closer perch to view the sun's activities. But the work will be worth it, scientists emphasize: Faster warnings for powerful, tornado-like plasma structures emerging from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html"><u>sun</u></a> would in turn help protect <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html"><u>satellites</u></a>, power lines and other critical infrastructure from these solar eruptions.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_ApvYTPh4_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="ApvYTPh4"> <div id="botr_ApvYTPh4_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>These spacecraft are not funded, nor have they been formally designed, so there is no firm estimate about how soon they would launch or how much they would cost. But the proposal, outlined in a study published in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adf855" target="_blank"><u>peer-reviewed Astrophysical Journal</u></a> on Monday (Oct. 6), gives an idea of how they would work. (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html"><u>NASA</u></a> and the National Science Foundation funded the study.)</p><p>To be sure, space agencies including NASA already have several sun-gazing spacecraft stationed to watch for solar activity. The sun is currently in a very active period in its 11-year cycle, increasing the frequency of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-flares-effects-classification-formation"><u>solar flares</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/coronal-mass-ejections-cme"><u>coronal mass ejections</u></a>.</p><p>CMEs carrying electrons (charged particles) towards Earth can transfer more solar wind energy into the magnetosphere (a part of our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html"><u>atmosphere</u></a>) under <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/aurora-tutorial" target="_blank"><u>certain conditions</u></a>, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states.</p><p>If the flow of solar particles is strong, and if the magnetic field carried with the solar wind is flowing southward and opposite to Earth's magnetic field, "there is a transfer of more solar wind energy into the magnetosphere," officials wrote.</p><p>The energy from this solar wind can cause damage if it interacts with satellites or power lines — just like what happened in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24983-auroras-1989-great-solar-storm.html"><u>province of Quebec in March 1989</u></a>, during a solar storm that plunged thousands into darkness during winter.</p><p>Improving predictions requires observations, so NASA and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22562-european-space-agency.html"><u>European Space Agency</u></a> have spacecraft stationed at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/30302-lagrange-points.html"><u>Lagrange Point</u></a> 1 or L1 — a gravitationally stable orbit between Earth and the sun that uses a minimum of fuel.</p><p>But as the University of Michigan writes, these spacecraft can't see everything: "A solar eruption aimed away from Earth, or with northward-pointing magnetic fields, might still toss vortices with southward-pointing magnetic fields toward Earth. Those tornadoes would go unnoticed if they miss the probes stationed at L1."</p><p>The tornados are more properly called "flux ropes", and describe features as small as 3,000 miles long (4,828 km) and as vast as 6 million miles (9.5 million km) wide. (For comparison, the distance between Earth and the sun is roughly 93 million miles or 150 million km). The tornadoes are hard to even simulate: too small for CME studies, but too large for probes of magnetic fields and plasma particles.</p><p>The new study, which researchers described as "unprecedented" in its resolution, includes simulations showing how tornados may arise. The sun is always sending out a "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22215-solar-wind.html"><u>solar wind</u></a>" of charged particles across the solar system, but a CME ejection is faster than that.</p><p>As a speedy CME pushes its way into the slower solar wind, the wave of faster-moving particles can shove aside "spinning masses of plasma, like a snowplow tossing snow," according to the study. Some of these masses do fall apart quickly, but some persist as "tornadoes".</p><p>The study says the proposed four-spacecraft constellation could spot these tornadoes on the fly. Scientists from the University of Michigan are leading the proposal, which would put the four machines into a flying formation shaped like a pyramid. Each side of the "pyramid" would be roughly 200,000 miles (322,000 km) long, which is nearly the average distance between Earth and the moon.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x4pLV-qpdNo" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>The study suggests placing one spacecraft in each of the three corners of the pyramid's base, which would be arranged on a plane (a virtual, flat surface) around L1. The fourth spacecraft is a bit of a special case. It would serve as a "hub", and would be situated beyond L1 and facing toward the sun.</p><p>That location beyond L1 is too unstable for the fourth spacecraft to use fuel to stabilize itself, but it could use a huge, aluminum solar sail that is about a third of the size of a football field. But that's assuming the success of a predecessor project for this sail concept, called Solar Cruiser. NOAA and NASA hope to get a rideshare launch for that spacecraft <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/tech/sailing-satellites-of-the-future-could-provide-early-warning-of-dangerous-space-weather"><u>in 2029</u></a>.</p><p>In theory, that sail size is enough to "catch enough photons to maintain the spacecraft's position, without burning fuel," the university wrote. "This configuration," officials added, "would allow SWIFT to see how the solar wind changes on its way to Earth, and its hub closer to the sun could make space weather warnings 40% faster."</p><p>And the team emphasized how important these spacecraft would be in finding tornadoes: "Our simulation shows that the magnetic field in these vortices can be strong enough to trigger a geomagnetic storm and cause some real trouble," added lead author Chip Manchester, a research professor of climate and space sciences and engineering at the university.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/this-fleet-of-sungazing-spacecraft-could-help-spot-space-tornadoes-headed-towards-earth</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Four proposed sun-gazing spacecraft, working together, could help speed up space weather warnings by 40%, a new study suggests. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[The Sun]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elizabeth Howell ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vx9W3ZjMiXnVvgcyJYtxui-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Steve Alvey, University of Michigan]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a rectangular kite-like spacecraft flies between a helix of yellow particles and earth on a starry black background]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a rectangular kite-like spacecraft flies between a helix of yellow particles and earth on a starry black background]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ How to find Comet Lemmon in the night sky as it brightens this October ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The past month has seen Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) brightening rapidly ahead of its close approach to the sun, leading to growing excitement that it could shine brightly enough to be seen by the naked eye in mid-late October.</p><p>Solar system comets tend to become increasingly active and bright in the weeks and months leading up to perihelion — their closest approach to the sun in a given orbit — and Comet Lemmon is no exception. Heat and energy from the sun vaporizes the comet's icy deposits, transforming them into a gaseous central coma and tail that drags dusty particles along with it, which reflect sunlight and create the dramatic spectacles we see through telescopes or in the night sky.</p><p>Read on to discover where and when to look for Comet Lemmon before, during and after its flyby of Earth on Oct. 21.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Magnitude</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Magnitude is the scale used to measure the apparent brightness of objects in the night sky. The lower the number, the brighter the object! For context, the brightest stars are around Mag +1, while a full moon is -13 and the sun is -27.</p></div></div><p>Comet Lemmon has brightened from magnitude +21.5 upon its discovery in January to approximately +5.7, according to the Comet Observation Database (COBS) maintained by the Crni Vrh Observatory in Slovenia. That technically places it above the +6 detection limit of the human eye in perfect dark sky conditions, though the light cast by the waning gibbous moon will add an extra barrier to visibility in the week ahead.</p><p>If Comet Lemmon continues its current brightening trend, it could become a beautiful, hazy naked eye target in the coming weeks, with its light becoming easier to define through a pair of binoculars, or a backyard telescope.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1364px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="m675UaXjzPUQTd2B6eTQvh" name="Comet Lemmon Predawn October" alt="A simulation showing the positions of constellations over the northeastern horizon in the predawn sky in October. A yellow line and circles represent the path of Comet Lemmon during this period." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/m675UaXjzPUQTd2B6eTQvh.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1364" height="767" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A map showing the approximate location of Comet Lemmon in white circles as it passes through the predawn sky in early October. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Created by Anthony Wood in Canva.)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Much like the planets and the moon, Comet Lemmon is constantly shifting relative to the stars beyond. Mid-October will see the wandering body pass close to the star Alkaphrah, or Chi Ursae Majoris in the constellation Ursa Major, just below the 'dipper' portion of the Big Dipper asterism, before beating a path through the night sky towards the star Cor Caroli in the constellation Canes Venatici.</p><p>Comet Lemon will be in the heart of the constellation Boötes, the Herdsman, as it makes its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 21, before travelling on to pass beneath the head of the great serpent represented in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ophiuchus-serpent-bearer-snake-constellation-august-2019.html"><u>constellation Serpens</u></a> on Oct. 26 to 27.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1349px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="kDyeCYvqZLgH9w3ajfMvSD" name="Comet Lemmon Evening October" alt="A simulation showing the positions of constellations over the western horizon in the evening sky in October. A yellow line and circles represent the path of Comet Lemmon during this period." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kDyeCYvqZLgH9w3ajfMvSD.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1349" height="759" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A map showing the approximate location of Comet Lemmon in white circles as it appears in the evening sky in mid-to-late October. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Created by Anthony Wood in Canva)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="5c0f386c-2627-4697-a5ba-454978398fef" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="best budget telescope" data-dimension48="best budget telescope" data-dimension25="$304" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L0EQPLC?tag=georiot-us-default-20&th=1&ascsubtag=livescience-us-4365282553401509508-20&geniuslink=true" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="ipgJfy3S3DMVHLCpDYxgqB" name="Celestron-Inspire 100AZ-refractor-telescope.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ipgJfy3S3DMVHLCpDYxgqB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="500" height="500" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Save $76 </strong>on our <a href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html#section-best-budget-telescope" data-dimension112="5c0f386c-2627-4697-a5ba-454978398fef" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="best budget telescope" data-dimension48="best budget telescope" data-dimension25="$304">best budget telescope</a>, now even cheaper! It has a 3.94-inch aperture and comes with a couple of eyepieces for different levels of magnification. </p><p>It is a great option for lunar viewing and getting better views of brighter objects in the night sky, like individual stars or planets. We did manage to see the Andromeda galaxy (M31) with it in our full <a href="https://www.space.com/celestron-inspire-100az-refractor-telescope-review">Celestron Inspire 100AZ review</a>, where we gave it four stars. <a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L0EQPLC?tag=georiot-us-default-20&th=1&ascsubtag=livescience-us-4365282553401509508-20&geniuslink=true" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="5c0f386c-2627-4697-a5ba-454978398fef" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="best budget telescope" data-dimension48="best budget telescope" data-dimension25="$304">View Deal</a></p></div><p>The optimal hour to search for the comet will shift depending on the time of the month in which you are looking. Comet Lemmon will be positioned high above the northeastern horizon in the hours preceding dawn in early October, but will have transitioned to the evening sky by the time it makes its close approach to Earth on Oct. 21, when it will appear low on the northwestern horizon.</p><p>Interested in capturing Comet Lemmon with a camera for yourself? Then be sure to read our guide on how to image a comet, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses available for astrophotography in 2025. Amateur astronomers should also check out our roundups of the best telescopes and binoculars for viewing the night sky.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/how-to-find-comet-lemmon-in-the-night-sky-as-it-brightens-this-october-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Here's how to find Comet Lemmon in October's night sky. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bYjXx4WH3uNgwvk5k7FGJ7-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Javier Zayas Photography via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A comet with a green corona and long tenuous tail is pictured streaking left to right across a black sky peppered with stars.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A comet with a green corona and long tenuous tail is pictured streaking left to right across a black sky peppered with stars.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ This is the world's 1st image of 2 black holes orbiting one another ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Astronomers have captured a radio image showing two black holes orbiting each other for the first time, confirming a prediction that has eluded scientists for decades.</p><p>The newly released image reveals a pair of supermassive black holes locked in a cosmic dance, situated within a bright quasar known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/two-quasars-one-galaxy"><u>OJ287</u></a>, located about 5 billion light-years away in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16970-cancer-constellation.html"><u>constellation Cancer</u></a>. Quasars are regions at the hearts of galaxies where the extreme, violent conditions around supermassive black holes cause gas and dust to heat up and glow bright.</p><p>Researchers say this new snapshot offers the clearest evidence yet that binary black holes, essentially two gravitational titans bound together, truly exist. "Quasar OJ287 is so bright that it can be detected even by amateur astronomers with private telescopes," study lead author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.utu.fi/en/people/mauri-valtonen" target="_blank"><u>Mauri Valtonen</u></a>, an astronomer at the University of Turku, Finland, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.utu.fi/en/news/press-release/scientists-capture-an-image-of-two-black-holes-circling-each-other-for-the-first" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_Mmr0xx5M_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="Mmr0xx5M"> <div id="botr_Mmr0xx5M_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Quasars rank among the brightest objects in the universe. Astronomers have previously imaged individual black holes, such as the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/event-horizon-black-hole-image-tests"><u>one in our Milky Way</u></a> and the one in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/jwst-captures-clearest-ever-image-of-m87-galaxys-supermassive-black-hole-jet"><u>Messier 87</u></a>, but never two orbiting together.</p><p>Although gravitational wave detections have provided <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/black-hole-pair-cosmic-dance-galactic-center"><u>indirect evidence for black hole pairs</u></a> and their eventual mergers, OJ287's two black holes had never been resolved visually, as telescopes simply lacked the resolution to distinguish them from a single point of light.</p><p>The quasar OJ287 has been observed for more than a century. Early photographs of the same patch of sky, taken in the late 1800s, happened to include it, decades before "it was inconceivable that black holes existed, let alone quasars," the statement read.</p><p>OJ287 began drawing attention in 1982, when Finnish astronomer Aimo Sillanpää noticed that its brightness rose and fell on a regular 12-year cycle, suggesting that two black holes might be orbiting within it, each feeding on the surrounding material. Since then, hundreds of astronomers have monitored OJ287 to test the theory and to seek definitive proof that the two black holes truly share the same galactic heart, according to the statement.</p><p>That long-awaited confirmation has now come from radio observations combining Earth-based telescopes with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/12329-russia-launches-deep-space-giant-radio-telescope.html"><u>RadioAstron (Spektr-R) satellite</u></a>, a Russian radio telescope that operated from 2011 to 2019. Its orbit extended halfway to the moon, giving astronomers a view roughly 100,000 times sharper than typical optical images.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1440px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="CLHB6WZWN7spVaMH7P6sr6" name="Combined2" alt="two images: on the left, a circle divided into 45-degree segments with several colored lines emanating from the center; on the right, a swirling mass of orange light on a black background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CLHB6WZWN7spVaMH7P6sr6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1440" height="810" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Two black holes in orbit around each other in quasar OJ287. On the left is a theoretical diagram, calculated by Lankeswar Dey, showing where the black holes and the jets emanating from them were at the time when the picture was taken. On the right is part of an image taken by the system including the RadioAstron satellite (J.L. Gomez and et al., 2022), where the two lower bright spots are the radio emission coming from the two black holes, and the topmost spot is the jet of the smaller black hole. This is shown as a dashed line on the left-hand side diagram, while the black holes are shown as dots. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: University of Turku, J.L. Gomez and et al., 2022)</span></figcaption></figure><p>When researchers compared the new radio image with past theoretical calculations, "the two black holes were there in the image, just where they were expected to be," the statement read.</p><p>"The black holes themselves are perfectly black, but they can be detected by these particle jets or by the glowing gas surrounding the hole," Valtonen added.</p><p>The images also revealed the jet from the smaller of the two black holes to be "twisted like a jet of a rotating garden hose," caused by its rapid motion around the larger one. The researchers say the jet will seem to wag back and forth like a cosmic tail as the smaller black hole continues its 12-year orbit, offering a rare opportunity to watch their motion evolve in real time.</p><p>This research has been described in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae057e" target="_blank"><u>paper</u></a> published Oct. 9 in the Astrophysical Journal.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/astronomers-capture-first-ever-image-of-two-black-holes-orbiting-each-other</link>
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<![CDATA[ After decades of searching, astronomers have imaged two supermassive black holes in orbit around each other at the heart of quasar OJ287. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Black Holes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sharmila Kuthunur ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LYZSVKfaD9QWCTx4yfD2ib-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[University of Turku/J.L. Gomez and et al., 2022]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a blurry group of orange and yellow clouds of light on a black background]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a blurry group of orange and yellow clouds of light on a black background]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is leaking water like a 'fire hose running at full blast,' new study finds ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A rocky visitor from beyond our solar system is leaking water like a "fire hose running at full blast," a new study reports.</p><p>Using NASA's Neil Gehrels <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/41328-swift-observatory.html"><u>Swift Observatory</u></a>, scientists have for the first time detected the chemical fingerprint of water spilling from interstellar <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/new-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-everything-we-know-about-the-rare-cosmic-visitor"><u>comet 3I/ATLAS</u></a>, only the third known object from another star system ever observed passing through our cosmic neighborhood.</p><p>Water is the universal yardstick of comet science, the baseline for measuring how sunlight drives a comet's activity and releases other gases. Detecting it in an interstellar visitor allows astronomers to compare 3I/ATLAS directly with comets native to our solar system, offering a rare glimpse into the chemistry of distant planetary systems.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_heebbhg8_6SDdZpbt_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="6SDdZpbt" data-playlist-id="heebbhg8"> <div id="botr_heebbhg8_6SDdZpbt_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"When we detect water — or even its faint ultraviolet echo, OH — from an interstellar comet, we're reading a note from another planetary system," study co-author Dennis Bodewits, a professor of physics at Auburn University, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1100952" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>. "It tells us that the ingredients for life's chemistry are not unique to our own."</p><h2 id="at-a-distance-where-we-didn-t-expect-it-2">'At a distance where we didn't expect it'</h2><p>Using the Swift telescope, Bodewits and his team observed 3I/ATLAS in July and August 2025, when it was about 2.9 times farther from the sun than Earth — well beyond the region where water ice typically vaporizes.</p><p>From this distance, Swift detected the faint ultraviolet glow of hydroxyl (OH), the product of water molecules broken apart by sunlight, the study reports. To tease out the delicate signal, astronomers stacked dozens of short, three-minute exposures, combining more than two hours of ultraviolet observations and 40 minutes in visible light.</p><p>The result, detailed in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae08ab" target="_blank"><u>paper</u></a> published Sept. 30 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, showed that 3I/ATLAS was losing water at a rate of roughly 40 kilograms per second, or "roughly the output of a fire hose running at full blast."</p><p>Based on that outflow rate, the team estimates that at least 8% of the comet's surface must be active, a surprisingly large fraction compared with the 3% to 5% typically seen in comets from our own solar system, the study notes.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:700px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="k4QPbDChCTLWorUzHmrmLm" name="Low-Res_apjlae08abf1_hr" alt="A diagram showing the comet's position on Jul 31, 2025 and Aug 19 2025" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k4QPbDChCTLWorUzHmrmLm.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="700" height="700" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">NASA's Swift telescope captured visible and ultraviolet views of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in July and August 2025. The faint ultraviolet glow of hydroxyl (OH) marks water vapor escaping from the comet — a signal detectable only from space. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Dennis Bodewits, Auburn University)</span></figcaption></figure><p>That level of activity, the researchers say, may come not from its solid surface, but by icy debris drifting around it. Near-infrared observations from Gemini South and NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility hint at chunks of ice floating in the coma, the cloud of gas and dust surrounding the nucleus. Once exposed to sunlight, these clumps are warmed up and act like miniature steam vents in space, releasing water vapor even though the comet itself remains too cold for its surface ice to sublimate directly, the researchers say.</p><p>"Every interstellar comet so far has been a surprise," Zexi Xing, a postdoctoral researcher at Auburn University in Alabama who led the new study, said in the same statement. "'Oumuamua was dry, Borisov was rich in carbon monoxide, and now ATLAS is giving up water at a distance where we didn't expect it. Each one is rewriting what we thought we knew about how planets and comets form around stars."</p><p>3I/ATLAS has since faded from Swift's view, but was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/ESA_s_ExoMars_and_Mars_Express_observe_comet_3I_ATLAS"><u>spotted again</u></a> in early October by the European Space Agency's Mars orbiters as it passed about 30 million kilometers from Mars. The agency said it will continue following the interstellar visitor; in November, it plans to turn its Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) toward 3I/ATLAS.</p><p>JUICE will observe the comet just after its closest approach to the sun, when it's expected to be at its most active, and is likely to have the best view of this action, the agency said.</p><p>Because JUICE is currently positioned on the far side of the sun and sending data through a slower backup antenna, scientists don't expect to receive its comet observations until February 2026.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-is-leaking-water-like-a-fire-hose-running-at-full-blast-new-study-finds</link>
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<![CDATA[ Scientists have spotted the first clear sign of water from an interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, offering new clues to the chemistry of other planetary systems. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Comets]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sharmila Kuthunur ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GQrzFqqn3zqddJJxsUp4AK-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/ ESA/Hubble]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A white dot is circled amid lots of light streaks against a dark background.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A white dot is circled amid lots of light streaks against a dark background.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'It felt like something out of Star Trek.' I got a first look at the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The brand new <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.unistellar.com/envision/" target="_blank">Unistellar Envision smart binoculars</a> are about to launch and I got the chance to try them out early during a trip to the Hudson River in New York. Immediately, I was struck by how sci-fi they felt.</p><p>First, some context: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/unistellar-odyssey-pro-smart-telescope-launch-ces-2024">Unistellar</a> is a telescope and binocular optics manufacturer known for its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/unistellar-odyssey-review">Odyssey smart telescopes</a> (not to mention <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/unistellar-equinox-2-telescope-review">the eQuinox 2</a>) that connect stargazers with the night sky. You can find our reviews of that gear on our list of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-smart-telescopes">best smart telescopes </a>available now.</p><p>But the Envision binoculars, which Unistellar initially developed via a Kickstarter that raised $2.7 million with 3,700 backers, are something new: a set of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/best-smart-binoculars">smart binoculars</a> that use GPS and geospatial data and an augmented reality overlay to give real-time information on what an observer is seeing. Unistellar began taking <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.unistellar.com/envision/" target="_blank">pre-orders for the binoculars on Oct. 1</a> for $999, offering $500 off the full price of $1,499.</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="908b4563-d426-47e4-9dc3-b0cb69782003" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Grab these brand new star-guiding smart binoculars now before the discount lapses, only 129 units left at this price at time of writing." data-dimension48="Grab these brand new star-guiding smart binoculars now before the discount lapses, only 129 units left at this price at time of writing." data-dimension25="$999" href="https://www.unistellar.com/envision/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1412px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:85.84%;"><img id="KRd7AfMG5HbBb565jQbLof" name="cta-footer.png" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KRd7AfMG5HbBb565jQbLof.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1412" height="1212" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>Grab these brand new star-guiding smart binoculars now before the discount lapses, only 129 units left at this price at time of writing.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.unistellar.com/envision/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="908b4563-d426-47e4-9dc3-b0cb69782003" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Grab these brand new star-guiding smart binoculars now before the discount lapses, only 129 units left at this price at time of writing." data-dimension48="Grab these brand new star-guiding smart binoculars now before the discount lapses, only 129 units left at this price at time of writing." data-dimension25="$999">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="AgTtQNu62oNDD8BQsqzc8b" name="tariq2" alt="A man looking through the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with a sunset in the background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AgTtQNu62oNDD8BQsqzc8b.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Views across the Hudson River gave me detailed placenames without issue. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="RJCPaCPFXCxHQEBkq2Tb7b" name="envisionback" alt="A back view of the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with water in the background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RJCPaCPFXCxHQEBkq2Tb7b.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="7gzwizSK7ZyEmsDWDcfV7b" name="envisionfront" alt="A side-front view of the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with water and houses in the background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7gzwizSK7ZyEmsDWDcfV7b.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>In my test, these 10x magnification binoculars use an augmented reality overlay projected into the eyepieces to guide me through the local topography and across the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html">night sky</a>. For stargazers, this is of interest as it synchronizes with a database of 200,000 stars via the Unistellar app.</p><p>By using GPS and mapping data, fed through a Bluetooth connection to Unistellar's app, the binoculars overlaid graphics onto the contours of the nearby mountains, telling me what I was seeing in real-time. It felt like something out of Star Wars or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31802-star-trek-space-tech.html">Star Trek</a>. Unistellar plans to have over 1 million terrestrial points of interest added to its database, with Envision including real-time altitude, distance and azimuth data into the display.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_EbWeKIkZ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="EbWeKIkZ"> <div id="botr_EbWeKIkZ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>I'm not that familiar with local geography and was pretty tickled to learn that what looked like a low hill in the distance was actually Mount Nebo, which was a fun name to learn. I can see how these binoculars can add to a sense of place and discovery when you're out on a hike or exploring a new place for the first time. At the time of writing, Unistellar is accepting pre-orders on units, which are also discounted $500, with just 129 units left.</p><p>But it was when night fell that the binoculars truly stood out. With a catalog of over 200,000 stars built into Unistellar's app, I was able to easily identify stars in the sky, both by name and location.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="Gu5c3AKn4jaDhkrjdoML3b" name="ar3" alt="A smartphone showing the view through the Unistellar Envision binoculars with a red AR overlay of the landscape with a lake in the background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Gu5c3AKn4jaDhkrjdoML3b.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">There's no built-in camera, but a smartphone can be easily attached to image views. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="wjkfVW9wzrCAJvZkGMad5b" name="ar2" alt="A smartphone showing the view through the Unistellar Envision binoculars with a red AR overlay of a mountain." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wjkfVW9wzrCAJvZkGMad5b.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="rVDQXKoAwQPzdjGYGpfxxa" name="AR-closeup" alt="A mountain in the distance with a red AR overlay through binoculars." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rVDQXKoAwQPzdjGYGpfxxa.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="ekRyuU2D8WBaGUYz7wtP7b" name="envisionside" alt="A side back view of the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with water in the background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ekRyuU2D8WBaGUYz7wtP7b.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Its guided navigation mode suggested some sights that we might find of interest, but I was more struck by its Target-Lock Sharing, in which Unistellar picked a star like Polaris for us to see, and another tester and I used different Envision binoculars to find the same target, guided by visible direction arrows on the overlay.</p><p>I initially assumed that the smart Envisions might have had a built-in camera to capture images but after extended testing, I felt that they were weighted more towards the personal experience of discovering and sharing views of the landscape and the night sky, rather than imaging those subjects. Ultimately, I understood the decision not to include this feature.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="FqpwVZapWvytB5Zqbswg8b" name="tariq3" alt="A man looking through the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with water in the background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FqpwVZapWvytB5Zqbswg8b.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">I used the binoculars both handheld and on a tripod, with equally rewarding results. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>During my testing period, I tried using Envision both handheld and on a tripod. While there are advantages to both methods, I felt the tripod would only be necessary if you're trying to take photos through the binoculars using a separate camera or phone mount. The binoculars do not have an internal camera because it can interfere with its built-in magnetometer to properly render its AR display, a distortion that was pretty wild to see in real-time by moving a phone closer to the device.</p><p>Five buttons on top of the Envision are used to control the smart binoculars, switching between modes and turning the AR display on or off as needed. Unistellar promises at least a 5-hour battery life for the rechargeable system, but was confident they could last up to 10 hours on a single charge, depending on the use.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="p563zwcqxrPNDoBo9wTM5b" name="envisionside2" alt="A side back view of the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with water and a boat in the background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p563zwcqxrPNDoBo9wTM5b.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Five buttons on the top of the binoculars control the Envision. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tariq Malik / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Initially, the $1,499 price tag for the Envision binoculars might seem steep (though the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.unistellar.com/envision/">$500 discount for early orders</a> is significant). However, considering smart binoculars are quite new to the market and there are few models available, what models exist are considerably expensive.</p><p>For context, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/swarovski-optik-ax-visio-10x32-binoculars-review">Swarovski Optik AX Visio 10x32</a> binocular that we reviewed is fantastic, but <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1805344-REG/swarovski_36005_10x32_ax_visio_binoculars.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12190206693&gbraid=0AAAAAD7yMh1OUlJ4aXvWqz-zM-VEJMWOz&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3aLHBhDTARIsAIRij5_O50ykMUJgqVuZ2ou8qDjTjatL50SGFZqJTinMxATWhoF4CAB5mZMaAiorEALw_wcB">currently costs around $4,899.</a> So $1,499 (or $999 with the early discount) feels suddenly quite affordable.</p><p>I see the value for the dedicated hiker or stargazer looking to better understand the night sky. And the ability to switch between the overlay and unaided modes adds a versatility that I could see tour groups, planetariums and even teachers use to introduce stargazers to the wonder of the night sky.</p><p>Ultimately, if you're up for some pretty game-changing binoculars and want to learn about the wonders of the stars (and landscape) without taking your eyes off the heavens, then these are the smart binoculars for you.</p><ul><li><em><strong>We've got you covered with reviews and rankings of the </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em><strong>best telescopes</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em><strong>binoculars</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em><strong>star projectors</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em><strong>cameras</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em><strong>drones</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/38810-best-lego-deals.html"><em><strong>Lego</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/streaming-deals-guide"><em><strong>streaming</strong></em></a><em><strong> and more.</strong></em></li></ul><p><strong>Key features:</strong> 10x magnification, 10-hour battery life (rechargeable), Bluetooth, red augmented reality interface with 5-button control</p><p><strong>Product launched:</strong> Pre-orders Oct. 1, first delivers ~ June-July 2026.</p><p><strong>Price comparison:</strong> At $999 for pre-orders, Envision is well below the $4,899 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/swarovski-optik-ax-visio-10x32-binoculars-review">Swarovski Optik AX Visio 10x32</a> (which uses AI to identify and snaps photos, but does not have AR elements).</p><p><strong>First impressions: </strong>The handheld Envision feels like a piece of Star Trek tech in your hands, is easy to align and is packed with target objects for a curated observing experience.</p><p><strong>Featured in guides: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/best-smart-binoculars">Best smart binoculars</a></p><p><strong>✅ Buy it if:</strong> You're an avid outdoors type looking to augment day and nighttime observing with AR-driven features for target tracking, sharing and identification.</p><p><strong>❌ Don't buy it if:</strong> You're looking for an astrophotography instrument, or looking for basic binoculars without the need for AR-assisted targeting.</p><p><em>Check out our other guides to the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em>best telescopes</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em>binoculars</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em>cameras</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em>star projectors</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em>drones</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lego-space-sets"><em>lego</em></a><em> and much more.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/unistellar-envision-smart-binoculars-feel-like-something-out-of-star-trek-first-look-video</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ These binoculars guide you through the night sky in real time, with a database of 200,000 stars, and in this hands-on test, I was impressed with their quality. They're currently also $500 off for pre-orders. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Skywatching Kit]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ tmalik@space.com (Tariq Malik) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tariq Malik ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L7CWD9p9iKDHF7F2xMFe3b-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Tariq Malik / Future]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A man looking up at the night sky with the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with water in the background.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A man looking up at the night sky with the Unistellar Envision smart binoculars with water in the background.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ The Delta Aurigid meteor shower 2025 peaks tonight in the light of a waning gibbous moon ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The little-known Delta Aurigid<strong> </strong>meteor shower peaks tonight, but you'll need luck on your side if you're to catch one of these swift shooting stars in mid-October's moon-drenched skies!</p><p>Delta Aurigid <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/meteor-showers-shooting-stars.html"><u>meteors</u></a> appear each year as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a> careens through a debris trail left by an unknown <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/53-comets-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html"><u>comet</u></a>. The shower is active between Oct. 10 to Oct. 18, coming to a peak at 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT) on Oct. 11, when up to two meteors could be seen brightening the sky each hour under ideal dark sky conditions, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20251011_10_100"><u>in-the-sky.org</u></a>.</p><p>Meteors will appear to originate from a patch of sky located in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/auriga-constellation.html"><u>constellation Auriga, the Charioteer</u></a>, close to the bright star Capella. This year, the Delta Aurigids will share the sky with a 66%-lit waning gibbous moon, which will rise alongside Auriga just a few hours after sunset and remain visible until dawn, making it challenging to spot fainter members of the shower.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h2 id="when-to-look-2">When to look</h2><p>Your best chance of spotting a Delta Aurigid meteor will come in the predawn hours of Oct. 11, when the radiant will be positioned high overhead. As always, be sure to wrap up warm, head away from city lights and allow 20-30 minutes for your eyes to become adjusted to the dark.</p><h2 id="finder-tip-2">Finder tip</h2><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Nikon Z8</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="kHk3xHtaxDqfvkrSMNvC2f" name="Nikon Z8 square.jpg" caption="" alt="The Nikon Z8 body sat on a white surface" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kHk3xHtaxDqfvkrSMNvC2f.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://adorama.evyy.net/c/221109/51926/1036?subId1=space-us-4361465057035128139&sharedId=space-us&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2Fnkz8.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nikon Z8</a> excels in just about every department and we rate it as the best overall camera out there. Check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nikon-z8-review">Nikon Z8 review</a> for a more in-depth look</p></div></div><p>Use a trusted smartphone astronomy app (e.g. Stellarium) to find Capella close to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>the moon</u></a>, then scan a patch of sky 40 degrees away from the bright star. Here, the meteor trails will be at their longest. If you catch just one shooting star, you will have witnessed the end of a speck of matter that has been hurtling through space — in one form or another — since the creation of our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html"><u>solar system</u></a> over 4 billion years ago!</p><p>The Delta Aurigids aren't the only meteor shower active on Oct. 11. The Southern Taurids and Orionids are also in play and there's always a chance that you could spot a sporadic meteor unrelated to any known shower briefly flare into the night sky.</p><p>Using the Delta Aurigids as a practice run for the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/34373-orionid-meteor-shower-guide.html"><u>Orionid meteor shower</u></a> later in the month? Then be sure to check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/how-to-photograph-meteor-showers"><u>guide to photographing meteor showers</u></a>, along with our roundups of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras-for-astrophotography"><u>best cameras</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lenses-for-astrophotography"><u>lenses for astrophotography</u></a>.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you would like to share your meteor photos with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/delta-aurigid-meteor-shower-peaks-in-light-of-a-waning-gibbous-moon-oct-11-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Delta Aurigids 2025 will make for a challenging skywatching event, here's why. ]]>
</description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Meteors & Meteor Showers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/X5w4ompuUrtEgG2q5Yuna4-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Milamai via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A meteor is pictured blazing through a star-strewn sky from the perspective of a viewer looking up through the barren tree branches of a snowy forest.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A meteor is pictured blazing through a star-strewn sky from the perspective of a viewer looking up through the barren tree branches of a snowy forest.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'Is there something emerging from my head?' 'Solar Opposites' season 6 clip reveals the horror of Beta Nuts (exclusive) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_L4D6ofUP_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="L4D6ofUP"> <div id="botr_L4D6ofUP_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Our favorite Schlorpian family is back for the sixth and final season of "Solar Opposites", as Korvo, Terry, Jessie, Yumyulack, and the Pupa continue to try to adapt to Earth’s crazy society. The sixth and final season debuts all episodes on Oct. 13, 2025, on Hulu, and we’ve got a side-splitting exclusive clip above to share as our kooky alien clan discovers what a Beta Nut is... to their horror!</p><p>Since the animated sci-fi series arrived on Hulu in 2020, it has been one of the streamer's most popular shows, thanks to its boundary-pushing lampoons, risqué gags, and shameless send-ups.</p><p>20th Television Animation's hilarious extraterrestrial comedy, "Solar Opposites," hails from executive producers Mike McMahan ("Star Trek: Lower Decks"), Josh Bycel ("Happy Endings”), and Sydney Ryan ("Rick and Morty").</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/39tinqfGV_I" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>The official synopsis for this season gives us a clue as to the adventures our extraterrestrial friends will be getting up to in their final run:</p><p>"Once their alien diamond-making machine gets destroyed, the Solar Opposites must face their greatest challenge yet: living their expensive lives on a budget! When their consumerist habits and expensive hobbies are gone, only their true selves will remain... but will they like who they find? ALSO: The epic story of the people of The Wall has all built to this thrilling and shocking conclusion…"</p><p>With its rowdy vocal cast of Dan Stevens ("Beauty and the Beast"), Thomas Middleditch ("Silicon Valley"), Mary Mack ("Kiff"), and Sean Giambrone ("The Goldbergs"), Hulu's "Solar Opposites" lands a 10-chapter last season on Oct. 13.</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="6b5eea04-8804-4bac-aac3-a99422415aed" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get Hulu + Live TV for $64.99/mo. for 3 months. You can save $18 per month ($53 total) and get access to this fantastic streaming service and Live TV combo.Hulu has a bunch of great sci-fi shows and movies, including Alien: Earth, Solar Opposites, Prey, and Mickey 17. Meanwhile, the Live TV bundle gives you access to 95 channels covering breaking news, live sports, and more great shows." data-dimension48="Get Hulu + Live TV for $64.99/mo. for 3 months. You can save $18 per month ($53 total) and get access to this fantastic streaming service and Live TV combo.Hulu has a bunch of great sci-fi shows and movies, including Alien: Earth, Solar Opposites, Prey, and Mickey 17. Meanwhile, the Live TV bundle gives you access to 95 channels covering breaking news, live sports, and more great shows." data-dimension25="$64.99" href="https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=kXQk6*ivFEQ&offerid=966271.482&type=3&subid=0&u1=hawk-custom-tracking" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="59dWTiq2EjpWz3MdUGYZP5" name="hulu logo.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/59dWTiq2EjpWz3MdUGYZP5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="500" height="500" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>Get Hulu + Live TV for $64.99/mo. for 3 months. You can save $18 per month ($53 total) and get access to this fantastic streaming service and Live TV combo.</p><p></p><p>Hulu has a bunch of great sci-fi shows and movies, including Alien: Earth, Solar Opposites, Prey, and Mickey 17. Meanwhile, the Live TV bundle gives you access to 95 channels covering breaking news, live sports, and more great shows.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=kXQk6*ivFEQ&offerid=966271.482&type=3&subid=0&u1=hawk-custom-tracking" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="6b5eea04-8804-4bac-aac3-a99422415aed" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get Hulu + Live TV for $64.99/mo. for 3 months. You can save $18 per month ($53 total) and get access to this fantastic streaming service and Live TV combo.Hulu has a bunch of great sci-fi shows and movies, including Alien: Earth, Solar Opposites, Prey, and Mickey 17. Meanwhile, the Live TV bundle gives you access to 95 channels covering breaking news, live sports, and more great shows." data-dimension48="Get Hulu + Live TV for $64.99/mo. for 3 months. You can save $18 per month ($53 total) and get access to this fantastic streaming service and Live TV combo.Hulu has a bunch of great sci-fi shows and movies, including Alien: Earth, Solar Opposites, Prey, and Mickey 17. Meanwhile, the Live TV bundle gives you access to 95 channels covering breaking news, live sports, and more great shows." data-dimension25="$64.99">View Deal</a></p></div><div class="product editors-choice"><div class="editors-choice__title">Editors Choice</div><a data-dimension112="42b8dcbb-5e3a-4e76-b309-8e35ef4e08ee" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:135px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:85.93%;"><img id="3tQPyCpo79ZtQdxCrnkbAG" name="Comparison table(NordVPN).jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3tQPyCpo79ZtQdxCrnkbAG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="135" height="116" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><a href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="42b8dcbb-5e3a-4e76-b309-8e35ef4e08ee" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25=""><strong>Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days</strong></a></p><p>Traveling to a foreign country to avoid getting infected with Beta Nuts and still want to watch Solar Opposites? A VPN allows you to watch your streaming shows from anywhere in the world, avoiding pesky geoblocking restrictions.<br><br>There are lots of VPN services to choose from, but NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast, and it has top-level security features, too. With over 5,000 servers across 60 countries — and at a great price — it's easy to recommend.<a class="view-deal button" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="42b8dcbb-5e3a-4e76-b309-8e35ef4e08ee" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25="">VIEW DEAL ON </a></p></div> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/is-there-something-emerging-from-my-head-solar-opposites-season-6-clip-reveals-the-horror-of-beta-nuts-exclusive</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Hulu's adult animated sci-fi series launches its final season on Oct. 13. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jeff Spry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oCnWzrae8y4ae7JqYcvCpd-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Hulu]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Three aliens react to a weird creature emerging from another alien's head]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Three aliens react to a weird creature emerging from another alien's head]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Colossal 'hole' in the sun could spark impressive auroras this weekend ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A large coronal hole in the sun's atmosphere is currently facing Earth, sending a blast of high-speed solar wind our way that could trigger geomagnetic storms and auroras this weekend.</p><p>The fast <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22215-solar-wind.html"><u>solar wind</u></a> stream is predicted to arrive late Saturday into Sunday (Oct. 11-12), according to space weather forecasters from both <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/forecast-discussion" target="_blank"><u>NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center </u></a>and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/space-weather#:~:text=Four%2DDay%20Space%20Weather%20Forecast,of%20an%20isolated%20Strong%20flare." target="_blank"><u>U.K. Met Office.</u></a> Geomagnetic activity could start picking up late Oct. 11, with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/3-day-forecast"><u>highest activity</u></a> slated for between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT (0900-1700 GMT) on Oct. 12.</p><p>If the predicted minor (G1) geomagnetic storm conditions are reached on Oct. 12, auroras could be visible as far south as northern Michigan and Maine, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation" target="_blank"><u>NOAA's G-scale</u></a>, which rates the strength of these disturbances. But given the time of year, just past the recent <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/autumnal-equinox-2025-brings-fall-to-the-northern-hemisphere-on-sept-22"><u>autumn equinox</u></a>, even a small bump in activity could have a bigger impact and boost the chances of more widespread <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html"><u>auroras</u></a> this weekend.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>This isn't the first time we've seen this particular coronal hole, though it looks a little different. It's the same feature that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/aurora-alert-butterfly-shaped-hole-in-suns-atmosphere-could-spark-geomagnetic-storm-sept-13-14"><u>we saw last month</u></a>, which took the shape of a butterfly or a bird. Coronal holes can persist for months, reappearing every 27 days or so as the sun completes one solar rotation.</p><p>Coronal holes are areas where the sun's magnetic field opens up, allowing solar wind to stream more freely into space. When this solar wind reaches Earth, it interacts with our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/earths-magnetic-field-explained"><u>planet's magnetic field</u></a>, or magnetosphere, and some of those energetic particles are guided down magnetic field lines toward the poles. As they collide with atoms and molecules high in Earth's atmosphere, mostly oxygen and nitrogen, they release energy as light, creating the glowing curtains we know as the aurora.</p><h2 id="seasonal-bump-in-auroras-2">Seasonal 'bump' in auroras </h2><p>This weekend's timing is good for aurora chasers as around the autumn equinox, Earth's tilt lines up in a way that helps the solar wind connect more efficiently with our planet's magnetic field. This seasonal boost is known as the Russell-McPherron effect.</p><p>NOAA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/3-day-forecast" target="_blank"><u>latest forecast</u></a> predicts a peak Kp index of 5, which corresponds to minor (G1) geomagnetic storm conditions. The Kp index is a global scale that measures geomagnetic activity from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme). The higher the number, the greater the chance of seeing auroras farther from their usual polar regions.</p><h2 id="space-weather-forecast-2">Space weather forecast </h2><p>For a full breakdown of what's happening on the sun, and what to expect from this weekend's and next week's space weather, check out the latest forecast from space weather physicist Tamitha Skov:</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eqkwsOHYHlw" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/colossal-hole-in-the-sun-could-spark-impressive-auroras-this-weekend-oct-11-12-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The sun's returning coronal hole could stir up geomagnetic storms and dazzling auroras under clear, dark skies this weekend. ]]>
</description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:24:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Auroras]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ daisy.dobrijevic@space.com (Daisy Dobrijevic) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Daisy Dobrijevic ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ggjRajPjbfTd93mhSPdPzf-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Left: NOAA GOES. Graphic created in Canva Pro by Daisy Dobrijevic.]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a two panel image, on the left is a close up view of the sun with a large black gap and on the right is a colourful sky filled with auroras showing as ribbons of purple and green light above a snowy scene.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a two panel image, on the left is a close up view of the sun with a large black gap and on the right is a colourful sky filled with auroras showing as ribbons of purple and green light above a snowy scene.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ ISS astronaut captures amazing video of SpaceX Starlink satellite train cruising above auroras ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_gFn00xXu_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="gFn00xXu"> <div id="botr_gFn00xXu_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>An amazing new video shows flashes of sunlight sparkling off a batch of SpaceX satellites, with a green aurora glowing just below.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html"><u>NASA</u></a> astronaut Don Pettit, an accomplished amateur photographer, captured the stunning "train" of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a> Starlink broadband satellites during his recent mission to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html"><u>International Space Station</u></a> (ISS). The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html"><u>aurora</u></a> was produced by solar particles slamming into <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth’s atmosphere</u></a>.</p><p>Despite the natural light show, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html"><u>Starlink</u></a> group was "very visible. Many were as bright as Jupiter — they would flash from one to 10 seconds," added Pettit in a comment on X, where he <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/astro_Pettit/status/1975689151467938057" target="_blank"><u>posted the undated video</u></a> on Tuesday (Oct. 7).</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2693px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="JXuqYQHAkcvSGn9BACpHbW" name="1760048196.jpg" alt="image of a dozen of so satellites in a row above the greenish northern lights, as seen from the space station" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JXuqYQHAkcvSGn9BACpHbW.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2693" height="1515" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">NASA astronaut captured this view of a SpaceX Starlink satellite train from the International Space Station. This image is a still from a video posted on X on Oct. 7, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Don Pettit/NASA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>That is indeed quite bright. The peak brightness of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html"><u>Jupiter</u></a> is roughly -2 magnitude in the night sky. For comparison, the brightest stars range between about magnitude 2 and -2, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/44-venus-second-planet-from-the-sun-brightest-planet-in-solar-system.html"><u>Venus</u></a> can get as bright as -4, and the sun is at magnitude -26. (Lower numbers indicate brighter objects on astronomers' magnitude scale.)</p><p>Pettit’s latest space mission, a 220-day jaunt, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/don-pettit-nasas-oldest-active-astronaut-at-70-arrives-in-houston-after-7-month-space-mission-photo"><u>concluded on his 70th birthday</u></a> on April 20, when the Russian <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40951-soyuz-spacecraft.html"><u>Soyuz spacecraft</u></a> that carried him and his two crewmates touched down in the steppe of Kazakhstan. Since life gets busy on the ISS, however, Pettit has been steadily uploading a backlog of images and videos ever since coming home.</p><p>Starlink current consists of nearly 8,600 operational satellites, according to a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://planet4589.org/space/con/star/stats.html" target="_blank"><u>tracker</u></a> maintained by space debris expert Jonathan McDowell. While that’s a boon for remote areas looking for the reliable internet service SpaceX strives to provide, astronomers have concerns.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/astronaut-takes-mind-bending-trip-over-earth-beneath-star-trails-space-photo-of-the-day">Astronaut takes a mind-bending trip over Earth beneath star trails</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/nasa-astronaut-captures-city-lights-streaking-below-iss-in-stunning-new-photos"> NASA astronaut captures city lights streaking below ISS in stunning new photos</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/nasa-astronaut-uses-homemade-star-tracker-to-take-incredible-deep-space-photo-from-iss">NASA astronaut uses homemade star tracker to take incredible deep space photo from ISS</a></p></div></div><p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-direct-to-cell-satellites-light-pollution"><u>brightness</u></a> Pettit observed is one of the worries, as these Starlink trains — usually most apparent shortly after launch aboard SpaceX’s <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18962-spacex-falcon-9.html"><u>Falcon 9</u></a> rocket — can interfere with astronomical observations. Starlinks also have brought up space debris concerns, both in that more satellites raise the risk of collisions and because their reentry could leave traces of metals in Earth’s atmosphere, potentially causing pollution and affecting climate.</p><p>In response to these concerns, SpaceX has changed the reflectivity of some of its satellites, and the company continues to emphasize that the Starlinks can be maneuvered in case of trouble. And many more Starlinks will reach orbit over time: SpaceX eventually hopes to have as many as 42,000 of the satellites aloft.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronaut-captures-amazing-video-of-spacex-starlink-satellite-train-cruising-above-auroras</link>
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<![CDATA[ A train of glittering SpaceX Starlink satellites shine brightly above a green aurora in a new video released by NASA astronaut Don Pettit. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[International Space Station]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Missions]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elizabeth Howell ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JXuqYQHAkcvSGn9BACpHbW-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Don Pettit/NASA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[NASA astronaut captured this view of a SpaceX Starlink satellite train from the International Space Station. This image is a still from a video posted on X on Oct. 7, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[NASA astronaut captured this view of a SpaceX Starlink satellite train from the International Space Station. This image is a still from a video posted on X on Oct. 7, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ JWST compares gravitational lensing | Space photo of the day for Oct. 10, 2025 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Peering into <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/39578-deep-space-network.html"><u>deep space,</u></a> NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has helped astronomers find places to study <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/gravitational-lensing-explained"><u>gravitational lensing</u></a>, an effect in which massive objects such as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15680-galaxies.html"><u>galaxies</u></a> warp space-time itself, bending and distorting the light of even more distant galaxies behind them. Each distorted arc, ring or multiplied galaxy image acts as a natural cosmic magnifying glass, offering astronomers a powerful tool to look further back into <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/52-the-expanding-universe-from-the-big-bang-to-today.html"><u>the universe</u></a>'s history.</p><h2 id="what-is-it-7">What is it?</h2><p>These eight images were drawn from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.stsci.edu/jwst-program-info/program/?program=1727" target="_blank"><u>COSMOS-Web program</u></a>, designed to study galaxy formation across cosmic time. One of the program's goals is to uncover gravitational lenses, and researchers launched the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.stsci.edu/jwst-program-info/download/jwst/pdf/1727/" target="_blank"><u>COSMOS-WEB Lens Survey</u></a> (COWLS) to do just that.</p><p>By inspecting over 42,000 lensing candidates by eye, the researchers identified more than 400 promising ones. This collage shows the eight most spectacular examples.</p><h2 id="where-is-it-7">Where is it?</h2><p>These images were taken across deep space.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:50.63%;"><img id="bqNAS9HnA5fuUr9EjsATKB" name="Webb_brings_cosmic_lenses_into_focus" alt="A collage of eight Webb images of gravitational lensing are shown. Each of the images show various distorted galaxies in the centre of each frame, including arcs and circular shapes" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bqNAS9HnA5fuUr9EjsATKB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="972" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A collage of eight galaxies showing gravitational lensing. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="why-is-it-amazing-7">Why is it amazing?</h2><p>Gravitational lensing was first predicted by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15524-albert-einstein.html"><u>Albert Einstein</u></a> in his theory of general relativity. According to Einstein, massive objects shape the space around them, as their gravity bends <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html"><u>space-time</u></a>, curving paths of light rays near by.</p><p>When a massive galaxy or galaxy cluster happens to align with a more distant galaxy behind it, the background galaxy's light is deflected on its way to Earth. Depending on the geometry, this can stretch the background galaxy in arcs, duplicate it into multiple images or form near-perfect circles called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-einstein-ring-gravitationally-lensed"><u>Einstein rings.</u></a></p><p>Some of the galaxies shown in this collage were already captured by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15892-hubble-space-telescope.html"><u>Hubble Space Telescope,</u></a> but the James Webb Space Telescope shows them in greater detail, uncovering new clues about gravitational lensing.</p><h2 id="want-to-learn-more-7">Want to learn more?</h2><p>You can read more about the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html"><u>James Webb Space Telescope</u></a> and the theory of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html"><u>general relativity.</u></a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/jwst-compares-gravitational-lensing-space-photo-of-the-day-for-oct-10-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ A compilation of various images from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the effects of gravitational lensing caused by dark matter. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[James Webb Space Telescope]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bqNAS9HnA5fuUr9EjsATKB-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A collage of eight Webb images of gravitational lensing are shown. Each of the images show various distorted galaxies in the centre of each frame, including arcs and circular shapes]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A collage of eight Webb images of gravitational lensing are shown. Each of the images show various distorted galaxies in the centre of each frame, including arcs and circular shapes]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Saturn's moon Mimas may have an ocean — and a future spacecraft could find it ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The case for a newborn ocean on Saturn's moon Mimas continues to build.</p><p>Research mapping the thickness of the world's icy crust not only provides a window for how old an existing ocean might be but also probes where the crust might be at its thinnest — the perfect spot for future missions to detect the ocean. At the same time, examination of Mimas' largest crater is providing further constraints on the age range of the potential ocean.</p><p>"When we look at Mimas, we don't see any of the things that we're accustomed to seeing in an ocean world," Alyssa Rhoden, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, said last month at the joint <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/EPSC-DPS2025-1117.html" target="_blank"><u>Europlanet Science Congress-Division for Planetary Sciences meeting</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_cKduR41f_6SDdZpbt_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="6SDdZpbt" data-playlist-id="cKduR41f"> <div id="botr_cKduR41f_6SDdZpbt_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Fellow Saturnian moon <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20543-enceladus-saturn-s-tiny-shiny-moon.html"><u>Enceladus</u></a> and Jupiter's moon <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15498-europa-sdcmp.html"><u>Europa</u></a> — both thought to host oceans — are covered with a network of cracks and crevasses in their surface, signs that their volumes changed as ice melted into water. But the outer layer of Mimas, Saturn's smallest major moon, has few obvious breaks. Its craters also seem immutable, as though carved into rock instead of ice.</p><p>Last year, however, researchers announced that measurements from NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17754-cassini-huygens.html">Cassini</a> spacecraft supported a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/saturn-death-star-moon-mimas-liquid-subsurface-ocean"><u>relatively newborn ocean on</u> </a>Mimas, an idea that scientists had started considering over the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/saturn-moon-mimas-stealth-ocean-world"><u>past decade</u></a> as Cassini data continued streaming towards Earth. Early Cassini data had <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/27461-saturn-moon-mimas-interior.html"><u>hinted towards a young ocean</u></a> on the world as well, though scientists were initially skeptical. However, detailed observations are now making a strong case for an ocean on Mimas buried under 12 to 19 miles (20 to 30 kilometers) of solid ice.</p><p>Rhoden and her colleagues applied models based on Europa's heat shell thickness to Mimas in an effort to determine the thickness of the latter's ice shell and how heat flows across its surface. They found that, once melting began on the world, it proceeded quickly.</p><p>The melting of Mimas is intrinsically tied to its orbit. Although scientists are still trying to sort through how moons in the Saturn system formed, it is likely that any ocean the satellite was birthed with had long since frozen out. Scientists believe that today's possible ocean on Mimas isn't a remnant of its formation, however, but rather a recent arrival — one most likely birthed by changes in the moon's travels.</p><p>As a moon orbits a planet, the two objects gravitationally pull at one another. On Earth, the result is the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/29621-what-causes-the-tides.html"><u>changing ocean tides</u></a> as our moon tugs at the water. Less obvious is how the Earth itself tugs at the solid rocky surface of the moon.</p><p>In the Saturnian system, it appears that something kicked Mimas into a less circular, more eccentric orbit at some point, changing how Saturn's gravity pulls on the solid ice. What scientists have found is that the push-and-pull of Saturn from the moon's new position creates heat that melts ice into water. This could very well form a newborn ocean. At the same time, gravity is slowly circularizing the orbit of the moon.</p><p>When the moon's path once again traces a circle, the tidal pull will no longer be capable of melting ice, and the nascent ocean scientists believe exists will slowly refreeze.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1041px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="aTJUzhUmr4R6wZyaKJMsa9" name="saturn-moons-dione-mimas-cassini.jpg" alt="A black and white view of a huge planet with a line in the bottom right across the screen representing the planet's rings. There are two small white dots, a larger one above the ring to the left and a smaller one below the ring to the right." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aTJUzhUmr4R6wZyaKJMsa9.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1041" height="1041" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Saturn moons Dione (left) and Mimas (right) are dwarfed by their giant parent planet in this photo captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on May 27,2015. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute )</span></figcaption></figure><p>Rhoden and her colleagues studied how the eccentricity could have changed to recreate what is seen at Mimas today. They found that a strong shift in orbit would have completely melted the moon's surface, wiping out craters and other surface features completely. They found that Mimas' orbital change likely happened within the last 10 to 15 million years — an eyeblink on astronomical timescales, and one that fits previous estimates of the age of the young ocean.</p><p>The team also simulated how heat might move through the moon in an effort to determine how future missions could potentially detect a subsurface ocean. Their simulations suggest that heat flow in the ice — and the resulting melting and thinning of the shell — might not be straightforward. However, a future orbiter could potentially use measurements of the heat to detect the ocean beneath.</p><p>"It would be hard, but may be doable," Rhoden said.</p><h2 id="the-heart-of-the-death-star-2">The heart of the Death Star</h2><p>Mimas is often called the "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/35283-saturn-moon-mimas-crater-mountain-photo.html"><u>Death Star moon,"</u></a> in reference to its similarity to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-toys-lego/this-fully-operational-9-000-piece-lego-star-wars-death-star-is-the-most-expensive-lego-set-so-far"><u>iconic Star Wars space base</u></a>. A giant crater stretches over a third the diameter of the moon, creating the apparent focal point of the evil machine. Herschel crater stretches 80 miles (130 kilometers) across, and is playing a key role in the discussion about the existence of Mimas' ocean.</p><p>The shape of a crater can provide a lot of information about the ground it is carved from. Not only did the impact excavate material onto the surface for later study, but its very rigidity can also allow researchers to determine how stiff ice in the region was at formation.</p><p>Simulations of crater formation on Mimas reveal the ice could not have been completely stiff when <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17432-william-herschel.html"><u>Herschel</u></a> was carved. By modeling Mimas at various points in history, ranging from completely ocean-free to a watery world covered in ice, researchers found that Herschel likely formed when Mimas was on the cusp of melting.</p><p>Mimas "needs to be right on the tipping point," planetary scientist Adeene Denton, also at SwRI, told <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://space.com"><u>Space.com</u></a>. "It can stay on that tipping point for millions of years, but it needs to be close."</p><p>Denton also presented <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/EPSC-DPS2025-1134.html"><u>her results</u></a> at EPSC. The study, on which Rhoden was also an author, was recently published in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X25004121"><u>Earth and Planetary Science Letters</u></a>.</p><p>At the center of Mimas lies a central peak, created when something large slammed into the smallest of Saturn's major moons. Central peaks are a common feature of large craters, their formation a condition of the relative sizes of the impactor and its target. In previous work, Denton had established that a collision into solid ice would have created a peak-free crater.</p><p>However, impactors are also excavators, carving into the crust of the parent body. If Mimas had boasted an ocean beneath its surface, the collision would have sent water flying everywhere. The liquid would have been too relaxed to create the peak.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.70%;"><img id="5swzPLA7thShcCLbJhhP2C" name="saturn-moon-mimas.jpg" alt="A cratered object in space is seen in this black and white image. The right side of the orb looks to have a giant crater." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5swzPLA7thShcCLbJhhP2C.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1000" height="667" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Saturn's moon Mimas bears an uncanny resemblance to the Death Star in Star Wars. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"Water can't make a structure like that," Denton said.</p><p>Herschel likely formed just as the ocean started melting, during a period when the ice was warmer but not quite liquid.</p><p>Denton's study increases the possible window of Herschel's formation from one million years to ten million. "That's still geologically short, but way better than one," Denton said at EPSC. "It's an order of magnitude game."</p><p>The study, combined with Rhoden's work on the moon's thermal interior and other work being done on the surface and interior, is helping researchers to better understand the misunderstood moon.</p><p>"All of these things are now building a coherent narrative about Mimas as a young ocean world," Denton said.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/saturn/saturns-moon-mimas-may-have-an-ocean-and-a-future-spacecraft-could-find-it</link>
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<![CDATA[ "It would be hard, but may be doable." ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Saturn]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nola Taylor Tillman ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fkQWfypoej55xBDfJ2DWFV-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A black and white view of a moon shrouded in darkness.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A black and white view of a moon shrouded in darkness.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Space travel takes its toll on astronauts and their loved ones. Here's how ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>If you're a space buff but haven't already seen the 1995 film "Apollo 13," it's worth the watch. It recreates the near-disaster mission marked by an oxygen tank explosion and emergency ocean-landing back to Earth starring Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell, Kevin Bacon as Jack Swigert and Bill Paxton as Fred Haise: the heroic crew at the center of the story. But in addition to telling the tale that involved the infamous (and often misquoted) line "Houston, we've had a problem here," it also weaves in the intimate family lives and relationships of the three people on that fateful mission.</p><p>I remember first watching the movie as a kid; it was those family details that stuck with me (and Kevin Bacon's screentime, to be fair — I was a huge fan of "Tremors"). Specifically, I vividly recall scenes in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20320-astronaut-jim-lovell-apollo-13-biography.html"><u>Lovell</u></a> family living room where Jim's wife, Marilyn Lovell, and all the other astronaut family members gathered around a TV, watching the destiny of their husbands and fathers dangling perilously in outer space.</p><p>The public's interest in astronaut family lives, and specifically the Lovell family's experience, isn't a novel one — there's even a book and TV series called "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26248-astronaut-wives-club-book-excerpt.html"><u>The Astronaut Wives Club</u></a>" documenting, you guessed it, the lives of astronauts' wives. But Hollywood spins and fictionalized glamour aside, how are the families of astronauts really impacted by their space travel day-to-day? Are there metrics to show the consequences, such as divorce rates or child well-being statistics? How do the space travelers themselves feel about leaving everyone they've ever loved or known down below?</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_gteTFjUK_6SDdZpbt_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="6SDdZpbt" data-playlist-id="gteTFjUK"> <div id="botr_gteTFjUK_6SDdZpbt_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h2 id="similarities-with-the-military-2">Similarities with the military</h2><p>While astronauts do not leave home to go to war or face combat, families of space travelers may share a few commonalities with military families in which one member is an active service member. In both cases, a parent or partner leaves for extended periods of time due to work and there is heavy risk associated with that work.</p><p>"Just like the military spouse feels every time they're deployed, you don't really know if something's going to happen. You just kind of live in vigilance the whole time, Air Force Col. Catie Hague <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/28/assignment-space-how-military-spouses-support-nasas-newest-missions.html" target="_blank"><u>told Military.com</u></a>. Hague's husband, Nick Hague, was on the rocket that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42155-soyuz-abort-astronaut-nick-hague-first-interviews.html"><u>experienced a booster failure</u></a> a couple of minutes into launch.</p><p>According to a 2018 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13034-018-0252-1" target="_blank"><u>systemic review</u></a> published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, which compared kids from military and non-military families, having a deployed parent led to a greater risk of some adjustment issues in kids, such as substance use. The authors concluded that on the whole, the well-being of military and civilian children wasn't that different.</p><p>The same journal also pointed out that children of military families see benefits that positively affect the family structure, such as a parent having steady income and a stable job. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10616829/" target="_blank"><u>Lower socioeconomic status</u></a> has been linked to a likelihood of poor health outcomes for children.</p><p>While there are similarities between military life and space life for people who love someone who participates in either, there are also big differences, according to Stacey Morgan, wife of astronaut U.S. Army Col. Andrew Morgan. In an article originally written for Houston Moms Blog and then <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.army.mil/article/234427/the_astronaut_wife_choosing_hope_over_fear" target="_blank"><u>republished</u></a> by the U.S. army, Morgan writes that the "public nature of the astronaut persona" makes for a different experience.</p><p>For example, an astronaut's family member at home watching footage of them traveling to space is watching it at the same time as everyone else.</p><p>"The idea that we as a family are sharing these phenomenal yet perilous moments with the world, literally at the same time as we experience them for ourselves, can be unsettling," Morgan wrote.</p><div class="see-more see-more--clipped"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet hawk-ignore" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Just like the military lifestyle, the astronaut lifestyle is hard on the family." - Catie HagueOne of the most important team players who contributes to the success of my mission on @Space_Station and at home is my wife. Thanks for being our rock. https://t.co/ZzCk4TMwy8 pic.twitter.com/x9Hfino8cs<a href="https://twitter.com/cantworkitout/status/1167430223778013184">August 30, 2019</a></p></blockquote><div class="see-more__filter"></div></div><p>In a 2023 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0265964623000437?via%3Dihub" target="_blank"><u>Viewpoint article</u></a> published in Space Policy, the authors make the case that families of space travelers may be better prepared to handle their family member's flight by utilizing the Families Overcoming Under Stress (FOCUS) model — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://focusproject.org" target="_blank"><u>a behavioral health model and program</u></a> made for the families of active military members to help them better-manage the stress and potential mental health problems that may arise. The same article points out that all space travel may not be created equal: Loved ones of people who pay to go to space (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19584-blue-origin-quiet-plans-for-spaceships.html"><u>Blue Origin</u></a> space tourists, for example) may feel that they "did not sign up for the stress and dangers" associated with space travel, the authors write, while the family of a trained astronaut or space scientist may be better accustomed to whatever occupational hazards the job entails.</p><h2 id="all-types-of-space-strains-2">All types of space strains</h2><p>At least at the time of this writing, there appears to be a lack of official research on how space travel and astronaut life affects the family unit, how it impacts an astronaut's ability to parent, and how it affects personal relationships — friendships, romantic relationships and beyond. Much of the information about astronaut family strain is anecdotal and can be based on reports and observations from loved ones of astronauts. The 2016 documentary "A Year in Space," for example, follows astronaut Scott Kelly — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32096-scott-kelly-year-in-space-documentary.html"><u>who spent a year on the International Space Station</u></a> — and includes insight into his relationships with his daughter, twin brother Mark Kelly and people he knows and loves here on Earth.</p><p>In an article for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.today.com/parents/nasa-astronauts-parenting-space-brings-challenges-t128322" target="_blank"><u>Today</u></a>, astronauts Anne McClain and Nick Hague provided parenting guidance, which include things like being honest with kids about the work, creating meaningful traditions with family and being present.</p><p>"A lot of the parenting — there is no way around it — it is going to fall on the shoulders of the spouse at home," Hague told Today. "Constant dialogue helps involve me."</p><p>In addition to more granular information on how having an astronaut parent affects a child's well-being, how or if tourist space travel impacts relationships and maybe even some nitty-gritty on how astronauts' romantic relationships fare compared to non-astronaut romantic partnerships, it'll also be important to take into perspective the whole spectrum of family. And that includes its creation.</p><div class="instagram-embed"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="6" style="width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DB6mviYOvio/" target="_blank">A post shared by Kellie Gerardi (@kelliegerardi)</a></p><p>A photo posted by on </p></blockquote></div><p>Kellie Gerardi, a commercial astronaut and influencer who gained more mainstream attention for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/kelliegerardi/" target="_blank"><u>sharing her experience with secondary infertility</u></a>, has been sharing her journey with in vitro fertilization and the road to having a second child. Her stories highlight the specific family demands required of astronauts who are pregnant, or plan to be during their work years in space — scheduling IVF and trying to plan a pregnancy, for example.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/04/nx-s1-5414531/infertility-rainbow-baby-astronaut-ivf" target="_blank"><u>Gerardi told NPR</u></a> earlier this year that her daughter, Delta, is named after a space science term Delta V, or change in velocity. According to NPR, Gerardi has a second space mission scheduled for 2026. As she's documented on Instagram in recent posts, she's currently pregnant.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/living-in-space-isnt-just-a-challenge-for-astronauts-their-families-feel-it-too</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ World Space Week 2025 casts a lens on life in space — here, we take a look at how astronauts traveling beyond Earth can affect their families. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Human Spaceflight]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jessica Rendall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BMiDJqoi4pCbkgBpJ5nDgB-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/PhotoQuest/Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A black and white photo of a family looking up at the sky.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A black and white photo of a family looking up at the sky.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Cosmic baboon rampages through deep space in gorgeous new nebula photo ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="ndoFNbdacfcNwYnoa7BEph" name="IC 4812 (1)" alt="A deep space scene in which swirling brown clouds of molecular dusk appear to form the hairy outline of a baboon's face, while blue emission nebulas appear like eyes in the middle of the image, and a knot of dense material forms a dark mouth to the lower left. A globular star cluster is visible shining to the upper right of the shot." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ndoFNbdacfcNwYnoa7BEph.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Raging Baboon Nebula, as captured by astrophotographer Greg Meyer in 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Greg Meyer)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Astrophotographer Greg Meyer has captured a star-studded <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nebula-definition-types"><u>nebula</u></a> scene that conjures the image of a colossal baboon raging in the depths of space.</p><p>The outline of the cosmic simian's mouth and face are sculpted from a colossal cloud of molecular dust located <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240924.html"><u>some 500 light-years from Earth</u></a> in the constellation <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/604-exploring-cosmic-crowns.html"><u>Corona Australis</u></a>, while the blue glowing eyes are formed from blue reflection nebulas.</p><p>The region is colloquially referred to as the Rampaging Baboon Nebula due to its resemblance to the colorful face of a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/our-animals/mammals/mandrill/"><u>Mandrill</u></a>. It can be seen in Earth's sky close to the globular cluster NGC 6723, which is visible to the upper right of Meyer's deep-space vista. The cluster sits some 30,000 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/light-year.html"><u>light-years</u></a> away from the solar system and contains hundreds of thousands, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2333a/"><u>if not millions of stars</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">ZWO ASI533MC Pro</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="5TsBuLyy5vctwpdWnuj9Pa" name="ZWO ASI1533MC-169.jpg" caption="" alt="A product photo of the ZWO ASI1533MC Pro Camera" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5TsBuLyy5vctwpdWnuj9Pa.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Amazon)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083ZC9WYP" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera</a> is the best dedicated astro camera out there, in our opinion. It features zero amp glow, 80% quantum efficiency and a 20FPS frame rate. Check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/zwo-asi533mc-pro-camera-review">ZWO ASI533MC Pro review</a> for a more in-depth look.</p></div></div><p>Meyer captured the scene over the course of 13 nights spread throughout June, July and August earlier this year using an Esprit 120mm telescope in conjunction with a QHY 268M astronomy camera and accessories from the Starfront Observatory in Texas.</p><p>A grand total of 16.5 hours observation time was needed to collect the ancient light, after which the astrophotographer set about editing the image in Photoshop, Lightroom and Pixinsight.</p><p>"I saw images with some oxygen, but OMG it [was] faint," Meyer told <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://space.com"><u>Space.com</u></a> in an email. "I kept shooting, and finally said enough. My scope is f7, so even with 200 x 10 min [exposures] the oxygen was faint, so I did my best to bring it out a little for some contrast."</p><p>Interested in capturing the nebulas and galaxies of the universe for yourself? Then be sure to check out our roundups of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><u>best telescopes</u></a> and astrophotography cameras and lenses available in 2025.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/cosmic-baboon-rampages-through-deep-space-in-gorgeous-new-nebula-photo-october-2025</link>
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<![CDATA[ We're not the only ones who see a baboon in this nebula photo, right? ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astrophotography]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ndoFNbdacfcNwYnoa7BEph-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Greg Meyer]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A deep space scene in which swirling brown clouds of molecular dusk appear to form the hairy outline of a baboon's face, while blue emission nebulas appear like eyes in the middle of the image, and a knot of dense material forms a dark mouth to the lower left. A globular star cluster is visible shining to the upper right of the shot.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A deep space scene in which swirling brown clouds of molecular dusk appear to form the hairy outline of a baboon's face, while blue emission nebulas appear like eyes in the middle of the image, and a knot of dense material forms a dark mouth to the lower left. A globular star cluster is visible shining to the upper right of the shot.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX moves giant Super Heavy booster to pad ahead of Starship Flight 11 launch (photos) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The first stage of SpaceX's Starship megarocket has made it to the launch pad ahead of next week's test flight.</p><p>On Wednesday (Oct. 8), <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a> posted <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1976058665280078003" target="_blank"><u>photos on X</u></a> showing the giant booster, known as Super Heavy, making the move to the orbital launch mount at the company's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/will-spacexs-starbase-become-a-city-voters-will-decide-on-may-3"><u>Starbase</u></a> site in South Texas.</p><p>It's part of the leadup to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html"><u>Starship</u></a>'s 11th test flight, which is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-targeting-oct-13-for-next-starship-megarocket-launch"><u>scheduled for Monday</u></a> (Oct. 13) at 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT). You'll be able to watch the action live here at Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4096px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.18%;"><img id="KG7U5atdnb5eqepdW8RRCE" name="1760028709.jpg" alt="a giant metal launch tower lifts a silver rocket using two metallic arms" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KG7U5atdnb5eqepdW8RRCE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="4096" height="2301" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Flight 11 Super Heavy is placed atop Starbase's orbital launch mount by the tower's "chopstick" arms. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. The current iteration stands about 400 feet (121 meters) tall, and future versions will be bigger still, according to company founder and CEO <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html"><u>Elon Musk.</u></a></p><p>The vehicle consists of two elements — Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or Ship for short. Both are powered by SpaceX's Raptor engines — 33 for Super Heavy and six for Ship — and are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable.</p><p>Super Heavy's Raptors take center stage in one of the newly released photos, which focuses on the booster's base as it's placed atop the launch mount.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1970px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="ys4sJMRhJsvoGHm47FQKeG" name="1760028733.jpg" alt="a closeup photo of a rocket's base, showing dozens of engines" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ys4sJMRhJsvoGHm47FQKeG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1970" height="1108" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Super Heavy has a whopping 33 Raptor engines. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The plan for Starship Flight 11 is similar to that of Flight 10, which launched <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-launches-starship-flight-10-critical-test-flight-video"><u>on Aug. 26</u></a> and was a complete success.</p><p>As on that day, Super Heavy will come back to Earth for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. It will be the second reentry for this particular booster, which also launched on Starship <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-loses-starship-upper-stage-again-but-catches-giant-super-heavy-booster-during-flight-8-launch-video"><u>Flight 8</u></a> this past March. That mission featured a catch of the booster by the Starbase launch tower's "chopstick" arms, which will not happen on Flight 11.</p><p>Ship, meanwhile, will deploy eight payloads into space on Flight 11 — dummy versions of SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html"><u>Starlink</u></a> internet satellites — and wrap things up by splashing down in the Indian Ocean.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-moves-giant-super-heavy-booster-to-pad-ahead-of-starship-flight-11-launch-photos</link>
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<![CDATA[ SpaceX moved its Super Heavy booster to the pad recently to gear up for Flight 11 of its Starship megarocket, which is scheduled for Oct. 13. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HQNfUdj4fvNcv9rRCmumYB-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[SpaceX rolls the Starship Flight 11 Super Heavy booster to the launch site. SpaceX posted this photo on X on Oct. 8, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[SpaceX rolls the Starship Flight 11 Super Heavy booster to the launch site. SpaceX posted this photo on X on Oct. 8, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ The total solar eclipse 2024 tricked birds into singing a 'false dawn chorus' ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>As the April 2024 solar eclipse crossed North America, humans weren't the only ones affected by the dimming of the midday sun. A new study revealed that at least 29 bird species showed changes in their vocalizations before, during and after the eclipse. Some even burst into a "false dawn chorus" as full sunlight returned.</p><p>In the lead-up to the eclipse, educators at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington, Indiana — which was located in the eclipse's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/most-solar-eclipse-maps-have-a-major-flaw-heres-how-to-ensure-youre-really-in-the-path-of-totality"><u>path of totality</u></a> — brainstormed ways to get the public involved with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/solar-eclipses/total-solar-eclipse-2028-everything-you-need-to-know-about-totality-in-australia-and-new-zealand"><u>eclipse</u></a>-related science. They conceived of a mission to study how changes in light affect wild birds.</p><p>The team developed a free smartphone app called SolarBird to crowdsource observations all over North America. "Scientists can't be in a thousand places at once," IU Ph.D. student Liz Aguilar, who led the study, said in a statement. "The app gets around this problem by leveraging the public as scientists. It also encourages people to look around and listen, adding to the show in the sky."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_LvwQcai3_6SDdZpbt_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="6SDdZpbt" data-playlist-id="LvwQcai3"> <div id="botr_LvwQcai3_6SDdZpbt_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Users were asked to observe a bird in their location for 30 seconds before, during and after totality, checking boxes that indicated the birds' behaviors (for instance, singing or flying). The results? More than 1,700 users contributed nearly 11,000 observations.</p><p>The team also deployed automated recorders around Bloomington to monitor bird vocalizations. Using the artificial neural network <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://birdnet.cornell.edu/" target="_blank"><u>BirdNET</u></a>, which powers the popular bird-identification app Merlin, researchers analyzed almost 100,000 vocalizations.</p><p>Ultimately, the team discovered that 29 of 52 of species of birds demonstrated vocal changes during the eclipse, though each species did not respond in the same way. For instance, of the 12 species that responded to totality, some fell silent while others sang more than usual.</p><p>The team noted that the strongest change in vocalization behavior occurred after totality, as the sun returned to its normal strength: 19 species engaged in a false dawn chorus, mimicking the usual birdsong they sing at sunrise.</p><p>"It's crazy that you can turn off the sun, even briefly, and birds' physiology is so tuned to those changes that they act like it’s morning," said IU professor Kimberly Rosvall, who advises Aguilar. "This has important implications on the impact of urbanization or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/light-pollution-is-encroaching-on-observatories-around-the-globe-making-it-harder-for-astronomers-to-study-the-cosmos"><u>artificial light at night</u></a>, which are much more widespread."</p><p>The research was published in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adx3025" target="_blank"><u>Science</u></a> on Oct. 9.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/solar-eclipses/the-total-solar-eclipse-2024-tricked-birds-into-singing-a-false-dawn-chorus</link>
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<![CDATA[ Just four minutes of darkness was enough to confuse dozens of species of birds. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Solar Eclipses]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Eclipses]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Stefanie Waldek ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rZBvyVgtJGAvNAQgKzjh4m-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Josh Dury Photo Media]]></media:credit>
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<title><![CDATA[ How to watch 'Invasion' season 3 online and from anywhere ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>With its crawling narrative and dense characterization, Apple TV+'s underrated sci-fi drama, "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/invasion-star-shamier-anderson-says-hes-out-of-here-if-aliens-do-actually-invade-exclusive"><u><strong>Invasion</strong></u></a>," has attracted legions of loyal fans over its three seasons who are lured to its compelling extraterrestrial infestation told from a variety of global points of view in real time.</p><p>It's all hands on deck entering the last three episodes, as our team survived a rough landing at the edge of the Dead Zone at the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/something-is-wrong-invasion-season-3-clip-reveals-shocking-discovery-at-the-mothership-containment-wall-exclusive"><u><strong>Mothership Containment Wall</strong></u></a> in Alaska last week. We won't spoil any more than that for newcomers to the show, but it's getting every tense.</p><p>"Invasion's" rapid rise on streaming charts has positioned the series as one of the streamer's top titles, and its creators are hopeful that a fourth and final season will be greenlit soon. We're over two-thirds through the current outing, but there's still plenty of time left to accept an official invitation to join our brave heroes embarking on an infiltration mission to explore the immense crashed mothership!</p><p>Let's peel back the details of this underrated sci-fi show and viewing guide as we cross the Dead Zone towards the chief alien awaiting our heroes in the invaders' downed mothership!</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-how-to-watch-invasion"><span>HOW TO WATCH INVASION</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="XWXcJcp4zfYYPwLdi5Wonb" name="Invasion Season 3" alt="a man grimacing in pain inside a spacesuit" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XWXcJcp4zfYYPwLdi5Wonb.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Apple TV+)</span></figcaption></figure><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://tv.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>Apple TV+</strong></u></a> is the exclusive streaming home of "Invasion." The show first debuted back in 2021 and began its third 10-episode season on August 22, 2025.</p><p>Both previous seasons are available to watch right now, in addition to Season 3's already unpacked seven chapters. "Invasion" was created by Academy Award-winning writer/producer <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/invasion-season-3-showrunner-simon-kinberg-on-creating-war-of-the-worlds-meets-babel-exclusive"><u><strong>Simon Kinberg</strong></u> </a>("Deadpool," "The X-Men Films") and David Weil ("Citadel").</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="492579ad-664c-41a6-bea7-28fa8c42249c" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Watch Invasion on Apple TV+" data-dimension48="Watch Invasion on Apple TV+" href="https://tv.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="HZtmHjw85zTvWkakq4X77N" name="Apple-TV-Plus-I" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HZtmHjw85zTvWkakq4X77N.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="800" height="800" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><a href="https://tv.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="492579ad-664c-41a6-bea7-28fa8c42249c" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Watch Invasion on Apple TV+" data-dimension48="Watch Invasion on Apple TV+" data-dimension25=""><u><strong>Watch Invasion on Apple TV+</strong></u></a><strong>:</strong><br>All three seasons of the excellent alien invasion thriller are on the streaming service, along with other hit sci-fi shows like Severance, For All Mankind, Foundation, and Silo. It's low-key the best streaming service for sci-fi these days.</p><p><u></u><a href="https://tv.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>Apple TV+ costs $12.99 per month</strong></u></a>, but there is also a <a href="https://tv.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>free 7-day trial for new members</strong></u></a> who want to check out the service without committing.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://tv.apple.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="492579ad-664c-41a6-bea7-28fa8c42249c" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Watch Invasion on Apple TV+" data-dimension48="Watch Invasion on Apple TV+" data-dimension25="">View Deal</a></p></div><p>If you're going to be out of the country when the show debuts, you can still watch it on your streaming service of choice using a VPN. You'll be able to connect to the service you've paid for, no matter where you are (on Earth, it won't work in space, sorry).</p><p>There are many great VPN services out there, but if you're wanting a recommendation, NordVPN is our top pick.</p><div class="product editors-choice"><div class="editors-choice__title">Editors Choice</div><a data-dimension112="76daa127-7a55-4153-afce-9987f77a1592" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:720px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="2LGCs5VtFknFUSkuVLSX3f" name="NordVPN" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2LGCs5VtFknFUSkuVLSX3f.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="720" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><a href="https://nordvpn.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="76daa127-7a55-4153-afce-9987f77a1592" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25=""><strong>Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days</strong></a></p><p>On a trip abroad and still want to experience the disgusting sounds of Alien: Earth? That's kinda weird, but we're not judging you. In fact, we can help you out. A VPN allows you to watch your streaming shows from anywhere in the world, avoiding pesky geoblocking restrictions.<br><br>There are lots of VPN services to choose from, but NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast, and it has top-level security features, too. With over 5,000 servers across 60 countries, and at a great price, it's easy to recommend.<a class="view-deal button" href="http://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&aff_id=3013&url_id=10992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="76daa127-7a55-4153-afce-9987f77a1592" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension48="Get over 70% off Nord VPN risk-free for 30 days" data-dimension25="">VIEW DEAL ON </a></p></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-invasion-trailers-and-clips"><span>INVASION TRAILERS AND CLIPS</span></h3><p>To amplify your budding interest, there are several "Invasion" teasers and trailers, in addition to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/its-not-over-invasion-season-3-clip-carries-an-ominous-warning-from-trevante-exclusive"><u><strong>exclusive clips</strong></u> </a>we've revealed.</p><p>The first look teaser was dropped on July 2, followed by the full trailer on August 5. Check out these main Apple TV+ sneak peeks below!</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wEMZAtjXNPo" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNrxrgDE0-8" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-invasion-season-3-episode-list"><span>INVASION SEASON 3 EPISODE LIST</span></h3><p>Apple TV+'s "Invasion" is a 10-chapter continuation of the immersive sci-fi drama with lots of close encounters of the first, second, and third kinds!</p><p>Season 3 debuted on Friday, August 22, 2025, and subsequent episodes have been released on a weekly schedule, dropping at 12 am PT (US and Canada), 8 am BST (UK/ROW).</p><p>Currently, the streamer has aired the initial seven episodes of Season 3, with the most recent, "Outpost 17," being run on Friday, October 3, 2025. There are three intense installments left for fans to absorb (at time of writing). Below you can find the full episode list and release schedules:</p><ul><li>"Invasion" Episode 1 "The Ones We Leave Behind" — Friday, August 22</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 2 "The Message" — Friday, August 29</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 3 "Infinitas" — Friday, September 5</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 4 "The Mission" — Friday, September 12</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 5 "Point of No Return" — Friday, September 19</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 6 "Marilyn" — Friday, September 26</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 7 "Outpost 17" — Friday, October 3</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 8 "Life in the Dead Zone" — Friday, October 10</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 9 "Homecoming" — Friday, October 17</li><li>"Invasion" Episode 10 — "The End of the Line" — Friday, October 24</li></ul><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-invasion-season-3-cast"><span>INVASION SEASON 3 CAST</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1888px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Ef4Vz6pan223hL4TEuNGTW" name="inv7" alt="A man reacting to something shocking off screen" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ef4Vz6pan223hL4TEuNGTW.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1888" height="1062" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Frightening alien interlopers abound in "Invasion" Season 3 </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Apple TV+)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"Invasion" rolls out with a truly international cast of ensemble actors for Season 3, both returning and newcomers.</p><p>Here's who's on the current call sheet as we inch towards the apex alien's spaceship!</p><ul><li>Shamier Anderson (Trevante Cole)</li><li>Golshifteh Farahani (Aneesha Malik)</li><li>Billy Barratt (Caspar Morrow)</li><li>Shioli Kutsuna (Mitsuki Yamato)</li><li>Enver Gjokaj (Clark Evans)</li><li>Shane Zaza (Nikhil Kapur)</li><li>India Brown (Jamila Huston)</li><li>Erika Alexander (Verna Mae Potter)</li></ul> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/how-to-watch-invasion-season-3-online-and-from-anywhere</link>
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<![CDATA[ It's not too late to hop aboard the alien mothership for the sensational Apple TV+ sci-fi series. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jeff Spry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgkASefWSa8d8zBNk9Fy6D-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Apple TV+]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a banner poster of a woman and an alien creature for a sci-fi tv show]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a banner poster of a woman and an alien creature for a sci-fi tv show]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX launches 24 of Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellites to orbit ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband megaconstellation continues to grow.</p><p>Twenty-four more <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/amazon-launches-27-satellites-to-begin-building-huge-project-kuiper-internet-constellation"><u>Project Kuiper</u></a> satellites took flight on Monday (Oct. 13), lifting off from Florida's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33926-cape-canaveral.html"><u>Cape Canaveral Space Force Station</u></a> atop a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a> Falcon 9 rocket at 9:58 p.m. EDT (0158 GMT on Oct. 14). Launch was originally scheduled for Thursday evening (Oct. 9), but SpaceX pushed that back by four days.</p><p>It was SpaceX's third Project Kuiper launch and the sixth overall dedicated to building out the nascent network, which will eventually consist of about 3,200 satellites <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit"><u>in low Earth orbit</u></a> (LEO). With today's launch, 153 of them have now reached the final frontier.</p><p>The rest will be lofted on more than 70 additional launches conducted by a variety of rockets — the Falcon 9, Arianespace's Ariane 6, Blue Origin's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40455-new-glenn-rocket.html"><u>New Glenn</u></a> and United Launch Alliance's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40250-atlas-v-rocket.html"><u>Atlas V</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/us-space-force-certifies-new-vulcan-centaur-rocket-to-launch-national-security-missions"><u>Vulcan Centaur</u></a>.</p><p>If all goes to plan today, the 24 Kuiper craft will be deployed by the Falcon 9's upper stage at an altitude of 289 miles (465 kilometers), over a 7.5-minute stretch that begins 56.5 minutes after liftoff.</p><p>"From there, we perform initial satellite health checks and prepare to raise the satellites to their assigned altitude of 392 miles (630 km), where they will be fully commissioned as part of our operational satellite constellation," Amazon representatives wrote in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/project-kuiper-satellite-rocket-launch-progress-updates" target="_blank"><u>mission description</u></a>.</p><p>As on virtually every SpaceX launch, there was action in the downward direction today as well: The Falcon 9's first stage touched down in the Atlantic Ocean on the SpaceX droneship "Just Read the Instructions" a little over eight minutes after liftoff.</p><p>It was the second launch and landing for this particular booster, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/kf-03" target="_blank"><u>according to SpaceX</u></a>. The vehicle first flew Aug. 11 on another Project Kuiper launch, which happened to be SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/falcon-9-rocket-launches-amazon-project-kuiper-internet-satellites-spacex-100th-mission-2025"><u>100th mission of the year</u></a>.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/amazon-launches-27-satellites-to-begin-building-huge-project-kuiper-internet-constellation">Amazon launches 27 satellites to begin building huge 'Project Kuiper' internet constellation (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-spacex-launch-the-3rd-batch-of-satellites-for-amazons-project-kuiper-megaconstellation-early-on-july-16">SpaceX launches 3rd batch of satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper megaconstellation (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/satellite-megaconstellations-spacex-starlink-interference-astronomy">Blinded by the light: How bad are satellite megaconstellations for astronomy?</a></p></div></div><p>Project Kuiper isn't the only broadband megaconstellation under construction in LEO. SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html"><u>Starlink</u></a> network already features more than 8,500 operational spacecraft, and it's growing all the time; SpaceX has launched more than 90 Starlink missions so far this year alone.</p><p>And China is building two megaconstellations of its own, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/china-launches-8th-batch-satellites-guowang-satnet-internet-megaconstellation-video"><u>Guowang</u></a> ("National Network") and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-first-launch-internet-satellite-megaconstellation"><u>Qianfan</u> </a>("Thousand Sails"), each of which will host about 13,000 satellites, if all goes to plan.</p><p>The Project Kuiper liftoff was the second of the day for SpaceX. On Monday evening, the company <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-starship-rocket-flight-11-launch-success"><u>launched the 11th test flight</u></a> of its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html"><u>Starship</u></a> megarocket, sending the giant vehicle up from its Starbase site in South Texas. The mission was a complete success, according to SpaceX.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's note:</strong></em><em> This story was updated at 3:10 p.m. ET on Oct. 9 with the new launch date of Oct. 11, then again at 3:15 p.m. ET on Oct. 11 with the new target date of Oct. 12, and again at 12:50 p.m. ET on Oct. 12 with the new target date of Oct. 13. It was updated again at 10:08 p.m. ET on Oct. 13 with news of successful liftoff and rocket landing.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-amazon-project-kuiper-satellite-launch-kf-03</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ SpaceX launched 24 of Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites Monday (Oct. 13), bringing the total number of spacecraft lofted for the nascent broadband megaconstellation to 153. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 16:25:20 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3rcaCRkaCtDU8K7xD9kXJM-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper megaconstellation from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Oct. 13, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper megaconstellation from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Oct. 13, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ FCC announces 'Space Month' push to streamline space regulations ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>We're about a quarter of the way through "Space Month."</p><p>That's the nickname that Brendan Carr, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has given to October 2025. The branding is part of the agency's push to streamline <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33440-space-law.html"><u>space regulations</u></a>, which Carr said is a big priority going forward.</p><p>"We are declaring October 2025 'Space Month' at the FCC," Carr said in an emailed statement on Monday (Oct. 6). "Big picture — our goal is to make sure that the U.S. is the friendliest regulatory environment in the world for innovators to start, to grow and to accelerate their space operations."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1938px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="A8AXkXCy9UzabDSJ6fuCQa" name="1759949019.jpg" alt="an older bald man with glasses wearing a blue blazer speaks at a podium with the words "build america" on it" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/A8AXkXCy9UzabDSJ6fuCQa.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1938" height="1090" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">FCC Chairman Brendan Carr speaks at an event in El Segundo, California, on Oct. 6, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: FCC)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The FCC has authority over space communications, issuing licenses and allocating specific segments of the radio band to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html"><u>satellite</u></a> operators. The agency forms a sort of regulatory tag-team with the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses rocket launches and spacecraft reentries. (Both agencies also deal with the issue of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/kessler-syndrome-space-debris"><u>space debris</u></a>)</p><p>The "Space Month" agenda calls for "modernizing" the FCC's licensing process, according to the emailed statement.</p><p>The agency "will do so by doing away with bespoke licensing processes in favor of a 'licensing assembly line,'" the statement reads. "This will include expediting licensing requests presumed to be in the public interest, as well as simplifying applications, establishing clear timelines and increasing flexibility for licensed operations."</p><p>The FCC also aims to encourage "more intensive use" of a portion of the radio spectrum known as the upper microwave flexible use bands, according to the statement.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="Astronomers urge FCC to halt satellite megaconstellation launches">Astronomers urge FCC to halt satellite megaconstellation launches</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/white-house-private-space-stations-regulations">White House lays out possible rules for private space stations and more</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33440-space-law.html">Who owns the moon? Space law and outer space treaties</a></p></div></div><p>The FCC will vote on these proposed actions later this month, according to the statement.</p><p>"At the FCC, we have been doing our part through a Build America Agenda that aims to boost our country's space economy," Carr said. "Now, the FCC is going to add rocket fuel to those efforts."</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/fcc-announces-space-month-push-to-streamline-space-regulations</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will work to streamline space regulations, a push just announced in the newly christened "Space Month" of October 2025. ]]>
</description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/i2Guk2miBkGStoMuqerNon-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[View from the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 7, 2025, showing a stack of Starlink satellites before deployment.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[View from the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 7, 2025, showing a stack of Starlink satellites before deployment.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Infrared and informed: The ultimate James Webb Space Telescope quiz ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) isn't just another eye in the sky, it's one of the most powerful space observatories ever built.</p><p>With its massive golden mirror and orbit far beyond <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html">the moon</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">JWST</a> is a technological marvel that's already rewriting what we thought we knew about space.</p><p>From the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html">Big Bang</a> to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/jwst-pheonix-cluster-star-birth">birth of stars</a>, JWST is revealing the universe in stunning new detail, and now it’s your turn to dive into the data.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_MkcjDSoP_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="MkcjDSoP"> <div id="botr_MkcjDSoP_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Whether you're a space enthusiast or just curious about the cosmos, this quiz will challenge your knowledge and spark your imagination.</p><p>Try it out below and see how well you score!</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-XrvoKX"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/XrvoKX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/infrared-and-informed-the-ultimate-james-webb-space-telescope-quiz</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ This quiz is your chance to explore the wonders of the James Webb Space Telescope, from its mind-blowing discoveries to the science behind its design. ]]>
</description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[James Webb Space Telescope]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ryN3xsShU5Jo779xP5NAWT-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA-GSFC, Adriana M. Gutierrez (CI Lab)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An artist's depiction of the James Webb Space Telescope.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An artist's depiction of the James Webb Space Telescope.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ A new rocket, sea launches and more: Chinese company CAS Space is thinking big ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Chinese commercial space firm CAS Space is all set for a crucial first launch of its new Kinetica 2 rocket as soon as next month, amid intense competition inside the country.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/cas-space-2025-debut-rocket-kinetica-2"><u>Kinetica 2</u></a> is CAS Space's first orbital liquid propellant rocket, marking a huge leap in ambition from the smaller and less complex <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-rocket-launch-cas-space-kinetica-1-january-2024"><u>Kinetica 1</u></a> (or Lijian 1) solid rocket. After hot-fire testing of the rocket's first stage in recent months, the Kinetica 2 (Lijian 2) is now ready for launch from Jiuquan in northwest China, following clearance from the spaceport's authorities, which is likely to come only after the launch of the Shenzhou 21 crewed mission to China's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tiangong-space-station"><u>Tiangong space station</u></a> around late October.</p><p>The Kinetica 2 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html"><u>rocket</u></a> is essentially ready, with all major tests completed and just a few final reviews pending, Liu Weipeng, CAS Space international marketing manager, told <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://space.com"><u>Space.com</u></a> at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which was held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 in Sydney, Australia.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2213px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="upE7cwMjQLgtVnoMT7Bq5" name="1759943125.jpg" alt="a booth in an exhibition hall at a space conference, showing three white model rockets on a white platform with a few people in the background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/upE7cwMjQLgtVnoMT7Bq5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2213" height="1245" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The CAS Space booth at IAC 2025 in Sydney, showing (left to right) the Lihong 2 suborbital launcher, the Kinetica 2 rocket, and Kinetica 1 solid rocket. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andrew Jones/Space.com)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The kerosene and liquid oxygen-propellant Kinetica 2 rocket has three core first stages and will be capable of carrying 17,200 pounds (7,800 kilograms) of payload into a sun-synchronous orbit, or 26,450 pounds (12,000 kg) into <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit"><u>low Earth orbit</u></a>. It will eventually also feature first-stage reusability.</p><p>Aboard will be a prototype cargo spacecraft, a first move for a low-cost cargo transportation system to serve Tiangong, called for by China's human spaceflight agency. The Qingzhou cargo spacecraft is from the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAMCAS). CAS Space itself is a commercial spinoff from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.</p><p>With Kinetica 2, CAS Space intends to compete for contracts to launch satellites for China's planned <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/china-launches-8th-batch-satellites-guowang-satnet-internet-megaconstellation-video"><u>megaconstellations</u></a> and send cargo to Tiangong. It will come up against strong competition from other Chinese commercial actors, including <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/chinese-company-landspace-aims-to-debut-its-reusable-methane-rocket-this-year-video"><u>Landspace</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-ispace-hyperbola-1-rocket-launch-success-video"><u>iSpace</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-pioneer-tianlong-3-rocket-accidental-launch"><u>Space Pioneer</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-galactic-energy-pallas-1-reusable-rocket"><u>Galactic Energy</u></a> and more, all of which are aiming to launch their own new rockets before the end of the year.</p><div class="see-more see-more--clipped"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet hawk-ignore" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The prototype Qingzhou Cargo Spacecraft (1:1 model shown) will be the primary payload for Kinetica-2's inaugural flight this year. The mission marks another step forward in the commercial space industry's role in the Chinese space program. (photo cr: Xinhua) pic.twitter.com/dW9qDAISvE<a href="https://twitter.com/cantworkitout/status/1915628773585936657">April 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><div class="see-more__filter"></div></div><h2 id="sea-launches-and-suborbital-tourism-2">Sea launches and suborbital tourism</h2><p>CAS Space, meanwhile, has further ambitions and wants to increase its launch rate. "We'll have six Kinetica 1 missions launching from the East China Sea," Liu said. Those would mark the company's first sea launches, supported by China's Eastern Maritime Spaceport on the coast of Shandong province, in eastern China.</p><p>According to Liu, a number of the Kinetica 1 team members previously worked on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-long-march-rockets-family"><u>Long March</u></a> 11 solid rocket, which was developed by the state-owned space contractor CASC. The Long March 11 was the first Chinese rocket to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-first-sea-rocket-launch-success.html"><u>launch from the sea</u></a> back in 2019.</p><p>Beyond this, the company's plans to provide <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-tourism-pros-cons"><u>space tourism</u></a> services are advancing. "We'll have more news by the end of the year," said Liu. There will soon be a first test flight of the crew capsule, launched via a solid booster. The test will include microgravity experiments.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_TYkRhIGu_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="TYkRhIGu"> <div id="botr_TYkRhIGu_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/chinese-spacecraft-tjs-3-inspecting-us-satellites">A Chinese spacecraft has been checking out US satellites high above Earth</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-quantum-communications-satellite-higher-orbit-plans">China plans to take 'hack-proof' quantum satellite technology to new heights</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-yaogan-remote-sensing-satellites-launch-october-2023">China continues remote-sensing buildup with new launch of Yaogan satellites (video)</a></p></div></div><p>"We have a detailed plan. So the vehicle will initially be ready by 2027," with commercial services to start in 2028, Liu said. The company <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/cas_space/status/1935716899813212617" target="_blank"><u>tested</u></a> its Kinecore engine for the Lihong 2 suborbital rocket in June.</p><p>CAS Space <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-cas-space-launches-first-latin-american-payloads-on-kinetica-1-rocket/" target="_blank"><u>launched</u></a> international payloads in August on a Kinetica 1 rocket. New international partners are lined up, with announcements to follow in due course, according to Liu.</p><p>Kinetica 2 will be a major challenge, marking a big step up in complexity and capability for the company. Success could open many doors. "We're very confident," Liu said.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/a-new-rocket-sea-launches-and-more-chinese-company-cas-space-is-thinking-big</link>
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<![CDATA[ CAS Space is preparing to launch its first liquid propellant rocket, the Kinetica 2, carrying a prototype cargo spacecraft — the latest sign of China's accelerating commercial launch sector. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ andrew.w.jones@protonmail.com (Andrew Jones) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Andrew Jones ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/r3pUzKrH9jjq69MjESW6xh-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[CAS Space via X]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[artist's illustration of a white rocket launching, in a top-down view from just above the payload fairing. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[artist's illustration of a white rocket launching, in a top-down view from just above the payload fairing. ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ NASA's Lunar Electric Rover rolls across Arizona | Space photo of the day for Oct. 9, 2025 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>As humanity eyes returning to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>the moon,</u></a> countries like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/us-in-real-danger-of-losing-the-moon-race-to-china-experts-tell-senate"><u>U.S.</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/the-race-back-to-the-moon-what-if-china-lands-its-astronauts-first"><u>China</u></a> are working to develop key infrastructure to make lunar exploration, and possibly even <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/moon-mining-gains-momentum"><u>moon mining</u></a>, feasible. This includes lunar rovers, which can make faraway areas of the moon more reachable.</p><h2 id="what-is-it-12">What is it?</h2><p>The Lunar Electric Rover (LER) was developed as a versatile exploration vehicle designed to support long-duration surface missions on the moon. Unlike the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/apollo-program-overview.html"><u>Apollo</u></a>-era lunar rovers, which were unpressurized and limited in range, the LER offers a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/artemis/LER_FactSheet_web.pdf" target="_blank"><u>pressurized cabin</u></a> that allows astronauts to live and work inside for days without needing to return to a base habitat, potentially making harder-to-reach areas more accessible.</p><h2 id="where-is-it-12">Where is it?</h2><p>This photo was taken at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://images.nasa.gov/details/jsc2008e138809" target="_blank"><u>Black Point Lava Flow</u></a> in northern Arizona.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Hp9AL7WCPsh6oc5ZFERcaa" name="jsc2008e138809~large" alt="A white vehicle with six wheels and a rounded front window rolls across a dusty surface." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hp9AL7WCPsh6oc5ZFERcaa.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The LER rolls around the Arizona desert. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/Regan Geeseman)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="why-is-it-amazing-12">Why is it amazing?</h2><p>The LER tests are part of NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-desert-rats-research-and-technology-studies/" target="_blank"><u>"Desert RATS"</u></a>) campaign. The program uses terrestrial environments like the harsh deserts of Arizona to simulate the conditions on other planets. The volcanic rock formations at Black Point Lava Flow provided challenges similar to those expected on the moon, making it a valuable testing ground for equipment, operations and human factors.</p><h2 id="want-to-learn-more-12">Want to learn more?</h2><p>You can read more about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-lunar-terrain-vehicle-artemis-moon-rover-contracts"><u>lunar rovers</u></a> and NASA's future trips to the moon via its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html"><u>Artemis program. </u></a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/technology/nasas-lunar-electric-rover-rolls-across-arizona-space-photo-of-the-day-for-oct-9-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ NASA's Lunar Electric Rover was tested in Arizona's rugged desert terrain to simulate lunar exploration and refine designs for future missions. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hp9AL7WCPsh6oc5ZFERcaa-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Regan Geeseman]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A white vehicle with six wheels and a rounded front window rolls across a dusty surface.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A white vehicle with six wheels and a rounded front window rolls across a dusty surface.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Prime Day in October is over, but this epic Lego Star Wars deal is still live ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Prime Day in October is over, but if you're quick, you can still save $100 on the Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon, one of the<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lego-star-wars-sets"> best Lego Star Wars sets</a> ever.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/LEGO-Star-Wars-Ultimate-Millennium-Falcon-75192-Expert-Building-Set-and-Starship-Model-Kit-Movie-Collectible-Featuring-Han-Solo-s-Iconic-Ship/138857969?classType=REGULAR&athbdg=L1800&from=/search"><em><strong>Save $100 on the Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon when you grab it from Walmart.</strong></em></a></p><p>The Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon is one of our favorite sets; <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/lego-star-wars-ucs-millennium-falcon-75192">we gave it five stars in our review,</a> and it's a monster. It comes with over 7,500 pieces, measures approximately 8 inches x 33 inches x 23 inches (height x length x width), and features playable elements, which we'll delve into below. You also get a display stand and several minifigures of fan-favorite characters. While Prime Day in October is now over, if you want the best deals still remaining, scroll through our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/amazon-prime-day-space-deals">Prime Day hub</a>.</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Save $100 on this behemoth of a Lego set. It comes with 7541 pieces, measures at over 8 inches x 33 inches x 23 inches (height x length x width), comes with Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and more minifigures, a display stand and has playable features like a 4-minifigure cockpit, a lowering boarding ramp, a detachable hull panel with rotating canon and much, much more." data-dimension48="Save $100 on this behemoth of a Lego set. It comes with 7541 pieces, measures at over 8 inches x 33 inches x 23 inches (height x length x width), comes with Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and more minifigures, a display stand and has playable features like a 4-minifigure cockpit, a lowering boarding ramp, a detachable hull panel with rotating canon and much, much more." data-dimension25="$749.99" href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/LEGO-Star-Wars-Ultimate-Millennium-Falcon-75192-Expert-Building-Set-and-Starship-Model-Kit-Movie-Collectible-Featuring-Han-Solo-s-Iconic-Ship/138857969?classType=REGULAR&athbdg=L1800&from=/search" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="YbbDRCGhY7p8TZqnh9KzVS" name="Lego UCS Millennium Falcon Square.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YbbDRCGhY7p8TZqnh9KzVS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="500" height="500" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Save $100 </strong>on this behemoth of a Lego set. It comes with 7541 pieces, measures at over 8 inches x 33 inches x 23 inches (height x length x width), comes with Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and more minifigures, a display stand and has playable features like a 4-minifigure cockpit, a lowering boarding ramp, a detachable hull panel with rotating canon and much, much more.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/LEGO-Star-Wars-Ultimate-Millennium-Falcon-75192-Expert-Building-Set-and-Starship-Model-Kit-Movie-Collectible-Featuring-Han-Solo-s-Iconic-Ship/138857969?classType=REGULAR&athbdg=L1800&from=/search" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Save $100 on this behemoth of a Lego set. It comes with 7541 pieces, measures at over 8 inches x 33 inches x 23 inches (height x length x width), comes with Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and more minifigures, a display stand and has playable features like a 4-minifigure cockpit, a lowering boarding ramp, a detachable hull panel with rotating canon and much, much more." data-dimension48="Save $100 on this behemoth of a Lego set. It comes with 7541 pieces, measures at over 8 inches x 33 inches x 23 inches (height x length x width), comes with Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and more minifigures, a display stand and has playable features like a 4-minifigure cockpit, a lowering boarding ramp, a detachable hull panel with rotating canon and much, much more." data-dimension25="$749.99">View Deal</a></p></div><ul><li><em><strong>We've got you covered with reviews and rankings of the </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em><strong>best telescopes</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em><strong>binoculars</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em><strong>star projectors</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em><strong>cameras</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em><strong>drones</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/38810-best-lego-deals.html"><em><strong>Lego</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/streaming-deals-guide"><em><strong>streaming</strong></em></a><em><strong> and more.</strong></em></li></ul><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="XMNo8mCvYm96ZPbvtQ6goD" name="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Front view.jpg" alt="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Front view" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XMNo8mCvYm96ZPbvtQ6goD.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Lego UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 at Walmart, but not for long. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="gL3QctpQJbUfSy7jdK7mkD" name="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of cockpit.jpg" alt="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of cockpit" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gL3QctpQJbUfSy7jdK7mkD.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Lego UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 at Walmart, but not for long. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="c6LfVQiwkQ4zgHdodnipXD" name="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of outside of ship.jpg" alt="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of outside of ship" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/c6LfVQiwkQ4zgHdodnipXD.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Lego UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 at Walmart, but not for long. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="v7Svdy5bZ6VD2HgCCb7JhD" name="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of interior (chess board).jpg" alt="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of interior (chess board)" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v7Svdy5bZ6VD2HgCCb7JhD.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Lego UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 at Walmart, but not for long. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 5 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="bztfp7kj9j9TmNuqomP9bD" name="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of two Porg minifigures.jpg" alt="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_Close up of two Porg minifigures" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bztfp7kj9j9TmNuqomP9bD.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Lego UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 at Walmart, but not for long. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 6 of 6</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="MdcwWytqFxiZn2R43gcNUD" name="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_overhead shot 3.jpg" alt="Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon 75192_overhead shot" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MdcwWytqFxiZn2R43gcNUD.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Lego UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 at Walmart, but not for long. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>One of the greatest Lego Star Wars sets ever made, the UCS Millennium Falcon features 7,541 pieces and it is packed with stunning detail. It's undoubtedly a display model, and a centerpiece model at that, but it does come with awesome features. Removable hull panels, a lowering boarding ramp, escape pod hatches, laser canons, a four-minifigure cockpit with canopy, hidden floor compartments, a rotating canon and more all feature. The minifigures include Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO, Rey and Finn, and there's a display plaque to round off the aesthetic.</p><p>Prime Day in October is now over, but Walmart is holding its own sales event, which continues until October 12. If you're looking for your next collectible Lego set or a top Lego deal, this could be what you're looking for. Equally, now is a great time to beat the Black Friday rush and prepare for the holidays. If you want to check out all the deals still available from Prime Day, check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/amazon-prime-day-space-deals">Prime Day hub</a>.</p><p><strong>Key features:</strong> 7541 pieces, over 8 inches x 33 inches x 23 inches (height x length x width), Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, C3PO minifigures, removable hull panels, a lowering boarding ramp, a four-minifigure cockpit with canopy, standing legs, escape pod hatches, sensor dishes, engine room, engineering station, laser canons, hidden floor compartments and more.</p><p><strong>Product launched:</strong> 2017</p><p><strong>Price history:</strong> This set still often retails for $849.99, which is its usual retail price, making today's offer good value with a $100 discount.</p><p><strong>Price comparison:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=72128&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FLEGO-Ultimate-Millennium-Falcon-Building%2Fdp%2FB075SDMMMV%2Fref%3Dsr_1_5_mod_primary_new%3Fdib%3DeyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dLRgj6_I-UCyFC_s_FsJQcBYzzbnlnFzNZihpwJobGzgvIEQa7A4K78R-0U1dxAPKTf4gk3VeynfmXP_N96wceodjD55q2sfHhmMTUpNWofN91EVKw4a-34sKj5IUgv2zhXg3bxUq97tl3x0sHd-wwHKJVvudZrAdj_gXGRJIp9wxPFrMLNJljUrwRMD8VV8cYaPe3TdBEN8wBOPHpy0a4mo3PK4njtZJnlxsPXN5XywSdXPyjuniKUSqV1kYa4Bk0Acn-gbmh5M3gjzBW17QAKb5x8oME3c618S-cXM4TE.hHTnoasd9IiaAADUoNkcHEF0mHfMciGab7OnhzUXGUI%26dib_tag%3Dse%26hvadid%3D631610842943%26hvdev%3Dc%26hvexpln%3D0%26hvlocphy%3D9003540%26hvnetw%3Dg%26hvocijid%3D1019366091483027578--%26hvqmt%3De%26hvrand%3D1019366091483027578%26hvtargid%3Dkwd-849311464460%26hydadcr%3D7660_13589720%26keywords%3Damazon%2Bucs%2Bmillennium%2Bfalcon%26mcid%3D4b2fd507301c3460b8a841f950724e10%26qid%3D1759852850%26sbo%3DRZvfv%252F%252FHxDF%252BO5021pAnSA%253D%253D%26sr%3D8-5%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dspace-gb-8836322245966251482-20" target="_blank"><strong>Amazon:</strong> $834.94</a> | <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1943169/568844/9383?subId1=space-gb-3288516184039866546&sharedId=space-gb&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FLEGO-Star-Wars-Ultimate-Millennium-Falcon-75192-Expert-Building-Set-and-Starship-Model-Kit-Movie-Collectible-Featuring-Han-Solo-s-Iconic-Ship%2F138857969%3FclassType%3DREGULAR%26athbdg%3DL1800%26from%3D%2Fsearch" target="_blank"><strong>Walmart:</strong> $749.99</a> | <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=kXQk6%2AivFEQ&mid=24340&u1=space-gb-6065845113602377665&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lego.com%2Fen-us%2Fproduct%2Fmillennium-falcon-75192" target="_blank"><strong>Lego</strong>: $849.99</a></p><p><strong>Reviews consensus:</strong> Still, and probably always will be, one of the best Lego Star Wars sets around, the UCS Millennium Falcon is a top choice for collectors, fans and anyone who wants the ultimate display piece in their collection.</p><p><strong>Space: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/lego-star-wars-ucs-millennium-falcon-75192"><strong>★★★★★</strong></a></p><p><strong>Featured in guides: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lego-star-wars-sets">Best Lego Star Wars sets</a></p><p><strong>✅ Buy it if:</strong> You want a centerpiece model for your collection that would be the ultimate display model, which comes with some neat playable features.</p><p><strong>❌ Don't buy it if: </strong>You're on a budget, there's no hiding from the price tag, but there is a far more <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/lego-millennium-falcon-2024-review">wallet-friendly Millennium Falcon</a> available.</p><p><em>Check out our other guides to the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em>best telescopes</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em>binoculars</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em>cameras</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em>star projectors</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em>drones</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lego-space-sets"><em>lego</em></a><em> and much more.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/technology/prime-day-in-october-is-over-but-this-epic-lego-star-wars-deal-is-still-live</link>
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<![CDATA[ The Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 off, despite Prime Day in October finishing, as Walmart still has several top deals available. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:59:21 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ acox@space.com (Alexander Cox) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Alexander Cox ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UZeh8t74CXkDzF6ZL2BMvD-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Future]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A Lego space ship in the shape of a disk at the rear and two pointed parts at the front is sitting on a white desk with the space.com logo in the top left corner.]]></media:text>
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<title><![CDATA[ Blast off with the 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli for World Space Week on Arm and Hammer's Baking Soda Rocket Day ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The volatile, back-and-forth relationship between baking soda and vinegar is one we all know well.</p><p>Every time the two get together, you can count on a serious — and seriously fun — reaction. But if you’re still mixing your chemical-reaction cocktails to make miniature <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-volcanoes"><u>volcanoes</u></a>, today is the day to point those erupting bubbles in the other direction. Today, we’re using baking soda and vinegar to make rockets.</p><p>Thursday (Oct. 9) is Arm and Hammer's second annual Baking Soda Rocket Day. Thousands of students across the U.S. are planning to break last year's record of launching the most baking soda bottle <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/29295-rocket-history.html"><u>rockets</u></a> in a single day. To help them reach that goal, Arm and Hammer partnered with science communications expert <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/the-100th-woman-in-space-emily-calandrelli-talks-about-her-blue-origin-flight-and-inspiring-the-next-generation"><u>Emily "The Space Gal" Calandrelli</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_4adldNo7_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="4adldNo7"> <div id="botr_4adldNo7_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Thursday's nationwide event — part of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.worldspaceweek.org/" target="_blank"><u>World Space Week</u></a>, which runs from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10 — is expected to take place across 14,000 schools. "The goal is to help inspire this STEAM confidence in kids, so that they start thinking like a scientist," Calandrelli told <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://space.com"><u>Space.com</u></a>. (STEAM stands for "science, technology, engineering, art and math.")</p><p>From aerospace engineer to television host to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19584-blue-origin-quiet-plans-for-spaceships.html"><u>Blue Origin</u></a> astronaut (and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/100th-woman-in-space-emily-calandrelli-stands-up-to-small-men-on-the-internet-i-should-have-expected-this"><u>100th woman to reach space</u></a>), Calandrelli has built her career around simplifying STEAM concepts through engaging, kid-friendly activities. The bottle rocket is one of her favorites.</p><p>"I think the fact that it is just so explosive and easy to make — those two in combination make for the perfect science experiment," Calandrelli said.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TdEPQ1GYiWw" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>The hands-on experiment/rocket building activity mixes baking soda and vinegar — a classroom-classic acid-base reaction that releases <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/world-chokes-on-co2-in-eerie-nasa-videos"><u>carbon dioxide</u></a> gas — to propel a two-liter bottle (outfitted with your design of nose cone and fins) high into the air.</p><p>"Last year for Baking Soda Rocket Day, the coolest thing I saw were friends working together to launch their rocket," Calandrelli said. "It was like they had pride in the rocket that they built, and they were just friends creating something together."</p><p>In addition to being The Space Gal, Calandrelli is also The Space Mom. Her daughter is at the perfect age for experiments like this.</p><p>"I'm trying to instill a sense of community and science for her as she grows up," Calandrelli said. "It's events like this that create that community, because all of a sudden you have a friend who has a shared interest, which is science or space or creating things with your hands, or inventing things. And I think when you have this nationwide event like Baking Soda Rocket Day, that can be the launching point of your community in this field."</p><div class="inlinegallery mosaic-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:616px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:128.73%;"><img id="hmCe2NEUfHEyJsNXjfbRGG" name="baking-soda-rocket-day.jpg" alt="instructions for making a bottle rocket." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hmCe2NEUfHEyJsNXjfbRGG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="616" height="793" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Arm and Hammer)</span></figcaption></figure><h4 class="slide-title">Materials</h4></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:616px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:129.06%;"><img id="myFhKCbYRSD9dNHKtwFyHG" name="baking-soda-rocket-day.jpg" alt="instructions for making a bottle rocket." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/myFhKCbYRSD9dNHKtwFyHG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="616" height="795" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Arm and Hammer)</span></figcaption></figure><h4 class="slide-title">Instructions</h4></div></div></div><p>This year's Rocket Day is expanding beyond the classroom. Among the thousands of participating schools, three flagship events are being held in New York, Texas and Florida. Calandrelli will lead from a school in Queens, where she will release a video to guide students through the construction and launch instructions.</p><p>In Texas, former NASA astronaut Mike Foreman will join local students with representatives from Space Center Houston to help walk them through the experiment while sharing what it's like to fly atop an actual rocket. Students at the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17705-nasa-kennedy-space-center.html"><u>Kennedy Space Center</u></a> Visitor Complex will not only get to build a bottle rocket with the rest of the nation, they will also have the opportunity to participate in other STEAM-focused activities.</p><p>Rocket Day’s debut last year reached more than 180,000 students nationwide, according to a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251008143245/en/Launch-Across-America-Returns-ARM-HAMMER-Baking-Soda-Rocket-Day-Prepares-for-Take-Off-on-October-9" target="_blank"><u>press release</u></a>. To follow along today and build your own baking soda bottle rocket, download this handy, step-by-step <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/com.offerpop.services.media/images/media/5b845b44dcc527000cb8247c/68c1e15227fad9df0828283a.pdf" target="_blank"><u>instruction guide</u></a>, and check out the Baking Soda Rocket Day <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.armandhammer.com/en/baking-soda-science#steam-learning-section" target="_blank"><u>website</u></a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/blast-off-with-the-space-gal-emily-calandrelli-for-arm-and-hammers-baking-soda-rocket-day</link>
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<![CDATA[ Join 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli to help Arm and Hammer celebrate Baking Soda Rocket Day with 14,000 nationwide. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Earth]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ jdinner@space.com (Josh Dinner) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Josh Dinner ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ujDQVfDo2vjadVkKXKHFXf-1280-80.jpg">
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<title><![CDATA[ How one scientist's wide-eyed dream of giant space cities was crushed by reality ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>There once was a dream of cities in space — vast cylindrical habitats, self-sufficient and populated by millions who would look down on the Earth from their lofty perch.</p><p>Back in the 1970s, one serious scientist believed that by now this dream would have been a reality. That scientist was Princeton University professor of physics, Gerard K. O'Neill, and, for a few years, his dream of living in space made him a household name. He appeared on television, wrote a best-selling book and was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress about his vision for the future.</p><p>It's all a far cry from the reality of 2025, where not many people get the chance to live in space, save for the 290 astronauts who have spent time on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html"><u>International Space Station</u></a> so far as well as the handful of astronauts stationed on various simple space stations such as the Russian Mir or China's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tiangong-space-station"><u>Tiangong</u></a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_1L4gtdYW_6SDdZpbt_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="6SDdZpbt" data-playlist-id="1L4gtdYW"> <div id="botr_1L4gtdYW_6SDdZpbt_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>O'Neill's vision was best described in his book, "The High Frontier," first published in 1976. In it, O'Neill explained how, as early as 1990 and as late as 2005, we would be able to build vast cities in space at the gravitationally stable L5 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/30302-lagrange-points.html"><u>Lagrange point</u></a> between <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a> and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html"><u>moon</u></a>, each habitat home to several million people. The concept became so popular that a fan club even sprung up called the L5 Society, which declared as its motto: "L5 by '95!"</p><p>One of the keys to the idea's success was rotation to produce a centrifugal force mimicking gravity on the inside surface of a cylinder. O'Neill envisaged different sized spherical and cylindrical habitats (and a ring-shaped variation known as the Stanford Torus, not dissimilar to the wheel-shaped space stations in "2001: A Space Odyssey"), but his largest model, "Island Three," would have been four miles (6.4 kilometers) wide and 20 miles (32 kilometers) long. Inside, on the interior surface, would have been 500 square miles (1,294 square kilometers) of living space, including homes, recreational centers, rivers and parkland. Science fiction fans might recognize this description as describing the interior of the Babylon 5 space station, which was designed with a nod to O'Neill and which also used rotation to simulate gravity.</p><p>Living in one of these space habitats would be clean. Industry and agriculture would be based in separate, smaller cylinders close to the main habitats. Commuting between cylinders would take mere minutes, traveling in "commuterspheres" accelerated by electric motors along a cable costing, O'Neill claimed, 50 cents per passenger (in 1970s money).</p><p>It all sounds grand and, after decades of disappointment and lost ambition in space, perhaps a little too far-fetched. O'Neill was no crank, but he lived in a different era: one fueled by the potential for space travel following the testing ground that was the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/apollo-program-overview.html"><u>Apollo program</u></a>.</p><p>O'Neill was a fan of science fiction, so space stations were probably always a concept he had been familiar with, but the real seed for O'Neill’s "high frontier" came when he was assigned to teach introductory physics at Princeton in 1969. Despite the glories of Apollo, increasing disillusionment with the Vietnam War led many would-be graduates to doubt whether a career in science and technology was worth it, worried that they would be swallowed up by the military-industrial complex, while balancing that with the increasing awakening of environmental concerns, spurred on by texts such as Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring."</p><p>Realizing he had a challenge on his hands in making his course inspiring enough to change the mindset of his students, O'Neill set about developing engineering problems that also incorporated economic and social aspects for his students to discuss and develop answers to. The first question he set them was: Is the surface of a planet the best location for a technological society to live?</p><p>O'Neill clearly thought not, but it wasn't just science-fiction dreams. His ideas in "The High Frontier" were in part a response to the Club of Rome's controversial 1972 report "Limits to Growth," which portrayed a depressing future of overpopulation, environmental damage and resource depletion. The carrying capacity of the planet was being exceeded, the report concluded. Goodness knows what its authors would think of the situation on Earth right now.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:650px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.00%;"><img id="9aWHjeaAPUKGqeeTzkxPei" name="CFjbzhVTR7w7rjec4K8JL8-650-80.jpg" alt="An illustration of a cylindrical vessel in space." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9aWHjeaAPUKGqeeTzkxPei.webp" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="650" height="364" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The fictional Babylon 5 space station was based on an O'Neill cylinder. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Warner Bros)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The report was not without its critics, however, who believed that it did not account for technology alleviating at least some of the problems foretold in it. In particular, argued O'Neill, if the Earth's carrying capacity is being exceeded, then why not just move beyond Earth? Space provides plenty of access to raw materials, solar power, living space and somewhere to put dirty industry without polluting Earth's environment.</p><p>The 1970s already had, or was close to having, all the technology that we would need to build these space habitats, said O'Neill. Writing in "The High Frontier," he explained how "Island Three is efficient enough in the use of materials that it could be built in the early years of the next [21st] century."</p><h2 id="the-idea-2">The idea</h2><p>Most of the raw materials would come from mining the moon and near-Earth <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html"><u>asteroids</u></a>, and those materials would then be transported for assembly at the L5 via a technology called a "mass driver."</p><p>A mass driver is a kind of electromagnetic slingshot. Powered by sunlight, it would use superconductors along a track to generate an electromagnetic field to accelerate payloads to escape velocity from the surface of the moon or an asteroid. Because there's no fuel to worry about, there could be a conveyor belt of launches one after the other. Mass drivers are another technology presented in "Babylon 5," but there they were used as a weapon to bombard a planet with asteroids.</p><p>Living in space isn't just about floating about in a windowless tin can. As already mentioned, rotation to simulate the effect of gravity would be an important step. Studies in centrifuges on Earth show that most humans can cope with a rate of between one and three rotations per minute, but anything above four rotations is liable to disrupt our inner ear and make us nauseous and ill. This rate of rotation has a bearing on the dimensions of the habitats if the aim is to simulate Earth <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/classical-gravity.html"><u>gravity</u></a>.</p><p>So that the habitat is stable, there would need to be two counter-rotating cylinders attached end to end. Some form of day/night cycle is also essential — the biology of terrestrial life has evolved over four billion years around such a cycle, and taking Earthly life out of it is not going to be healthy in the long run, so the habitats would be required to simulate it. O'Neill envisaged that each cylinder could be split into six sections, three window sections with inhabited valleys between them, topped off with hemispherical end caps. Thanks to a system of movable mirrors placed outside the windows, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html"><u>the sun</u></a> could be seen to remain stationary as it shines through the windows, even though the cylinder is really rotating.</p><p>The length of day and seasonal cycles could all be regulated by varying the angle of the mirrors with respect to the sun, which the long axis of the cylinders would point towards.</p><p>The amount of sunlight would be an important part of creating a biosphere in the habitats. O’Neill wanted his space nations to be self-sufficient, but creating a viable biosphere is potentially the most difficult aspect of the entire endeavor. To provide for millions of people requires more than simple hydroponics, which is growing plants without soil. A biosphere depends on its soil layer to provide a life-support system, but Earth’s current soil layer has had millions of years of development alongside the evolution of life from microbes to large, complex animals which have all contributed to the soil. Recreating that in just a few years, and getting the biochemistry correct, would be no easy feat. Instead it might require lots of experimental trial and error, to avoid ending up with dead, failed habitats. This would certainly delay how quickly the habitats could be built and populated.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:900px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:78.78%;"><img id="WpqjRkLi6TrzUH9U5twAu4" name="Cylinder_Interior_AC75-1086_900" alt="An illustration of the interior of the sphere where you can see grass, lakes and houses." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WpqjRkLi6TrzUH9U5twAu4.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="900" height="709" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/Rick Guidice)</span></figcaption></figure><p>However, get it right and the interior wall of the cylinders between the windows could be filled with parkland, much like what is seen in science fiction, for example inside the drum of the Babylon 5 space station, or the interior of the Nauvoo/Behemoth in "The Expanse."</p><p>"It appears, therefore, that space can provide the ideal conditions for a highly efficient, totally recycling agriculture no longer at the mercy of weather or climate," wrote O'Neill in "The High Frontier."</p><h2 id="the-problems-2">The problems</h2><p>So where did O'Neill's plans all go wrong? After all, there's nothing physically impossible about building such habitats. What made the concept so appealing to O'Neill is that it didn't require any magic technology, just a lot of challenging engineering problems to be solved.</p><p>Nevertheless, a criticism that could be applied is O'Neill was too confident in the technology and engineering that would be required. The best that we've built in space so far has been the International Space Station. The kind of technologies required for something like Island Three, or even the smaller, simpler, spherical models of Island One and Island Two, are completely untested even now. With dedication and sufficient funding and resources, we could hone our skills, but it would take time. It wouldn't be something we could rush.</p><p>A second problem was the failure of the space shuttle. When the space shuttle was first conceived, the plan was to have hundreds of launches per year, which would have created the capacity to build the infrastructure in space that would have allowed mining on the moon, or ferried millions of people into orbit. Instead, between the shuttle’s inaugural flight in 1981 and its final flight in 2011, the six shuttles managed only 135 space flights between them.</p><p>The cost of building a 20-mile-long (32-km-long) space habitat was also somewhat vague, with O'Neill estimating up to $200 billion in 1970s money, which, accounting for inflation, would be $1.1 trillion in 2025.</p><p>In addition, there's also some troubling social concerns. If the aim is to alleviate overpopulation on Earth, then space habitats are not the answer. Having even tens of millions of people living in space really isn't going to help when there's over 8 billion people on the planet.</p><p>There's also the troubling question of who gets to live in paradise in space, away from Earth's faltering climate, wars, natural disasters and dirty environment. Regardless of all the good intentions of visionaries such as O'Neill, the history of human cities and civilization as a whole tells us that it is more likely to be the rich who can afford to travel into and live in space. Of course, a city of millions of people is going to require tradespeople, teachers, police, administrators, sanitation engineers and so on — all the people that a regular on Earth needs to function — and these people might not be rich per se, but are such workers more likely to come from richer nations?</p><p>If so, then again space habitats would simply widen the gap between richer and poorer nations. Would people from developing countries get a fair chance of going to live in a space habitat? Engineering fair and equal access to space might be an even bigger challenge than engineering the design and building of the habitats in the first place.</p><p>On the plus side, space habitats would create a place where humans might avoid any disaster that takes place on Earth, thereby reducing the risk of human extinction. It could be argued that long-term survival is the best reason for humanity to venture into space.</p><p>There's also a more abstract reason why we should lament the failure of O’Neill's vision.</p><p>The 1970s concept of space habitats is a demonstration of the vision that we once had in our technology and in ourselves, a vision that in the intervening years seems to have left us. From the vantage point of the 1970s, the 21st century was to be a far-flung time of hope and riches and technological wonders. Yet today, in the real 21st century of war amid growing authoritarianism and sectarianism, and environmental catastrophe, we are left to ask: Did we fail the future, or did the future fail us?</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/how-one-scientists-wide-eyed-dream-of-giant-space-cities-was-crushed-by-reality</link>
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<![CDATA[ As part of World Space Week, which is highlighting the theme of living in space, we look at one scientist's dream of gigantic space habitats. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Earth]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Keith Cooper ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eNYxBc4tkfEaPoGdYmrdWR-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Rick Guidice]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An illustration of the concept of space cities. there are two cylinder shaped vessels surrounded by smaller rotating circles.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An illustration of the concept of space cities. there are two cylinder shaped vessels surrounded by smaller rotating circles.]]></media:title>
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