Spacecraft that fly to planets with atmospheres require heat shields to reduce atmospheric drag and absorb any sudden increases in temperature during reentry. These shields also serve to abate any high heat peaks encountered upon reentry. Most spacecraft use refractory insulation as a protective measure. Perhaps most recognizable are the black tiles lining the bottom…
An interplanetary mission to the Moon requires being able to escape Earth’s gravity well, which requires a very large rocket and is therefore very costly. NASA’s planned round-the-moon mission Artemis, scheduled for 2024, will use their Space Launch System megarocket and be led by four astronauts: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen…
Soviet Venera 15 and 16 spacecraft collaborated for 8 months on an eight month mission, during which they used their autofluorescing nephelometers to blast clouds with ultraviolet light and cause their droplets to fluoresce, creating a radar map of Venus. Each spacecraft released a lander equipped with color cameras and instruments such as autofluorescing nephelometers…
Mercury remains a puzzle to scientists. NASA’s MESSENGER orbiter revealed many mysteries surrounding Mercury, such as its abnormally large core and abundance of volatile substances not expected. European Space Agency’s bepiColombo probe will soon take an intimate look at Mercury, yet its primary mission isn’t taking stunning images. Mercury’s surface Mercury’s surface is covered in…
Nearly 40 years ago, Uranus received one brief visit by Voyager 2 probe – but most questions remained unanswered at that time. Planetary scientists are prioritizing a mission to Uranus as one of their top priorities, according to a decadal survey conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. Such an expedition would bring diverse scientific…
NASA’s car-sized Curiosity rover is searching the Jezero Crater on Mars for signs that once supported life. Engineers write commands giving Curiosity an up-close 3D view of hazards such as large rocks and steep slopes. But when a spaceship crash lands on another world, debris from its landing often scatters everywhere – one piece even…
Spacecraft campers represent the height of luxury camping, reserved only for those with the funds available to buy one. A typical 57-foot trailer may cost close to $300,000. These massive homes on wheels are constructed by a small company which takes great pride in customer service, working closely with clients to design an appropriate floorplan…
Kepler monitors 145,000 Sun-like stars for signs of planets passing in front of them, searching for periodic dips in star brightness that might indicate planet orbital activity around its host star. Astronomers look out for patterns suggesting planet presence by tracking periodic brightness dips that might signal their passage. Kepler had been operating successfully until…
Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, originally intended to explore the outer planets of our solar system, have now entered interstellar space. There, they will remain for thousands of years before returning home. NASA prepared two Golden Records that contain music and greetings in 55 languages to reassure any alien civilization they might come across. The…
