After space programs focused on human flight in low orbit and Mars, Venus was often overlooked. In 2005 however, European Mission Venus Express entered orbit. Venus was confirmed as being an Earth-like world with dry conditions and past oceans; furthermore, there was evidence of past oceanic circulation patterns as well as a double atmospheric vortex…
Cassini was a highly complex interplanetary spacecraft. Featuring 12 scientific instruments like imaging cameras, radar, spectrometers, magnetometers and spectrographs – its primary mission was to conduct in-depth studies of Saturn, its rings, and moons. Its orbiter was powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). These produced electricity using plutonium-238 decay. It was a joint NASA/ESA…
Even though Mars has lost much of its overall magnetic field, some areas still create unique atmospheric electrodynamic structures – magnetic loops and cusps which alter how ions leave its atmosphere. Sabine Stanley and her colleagues have developed an effective technique for artificially creating these structures. Their paper published in Science details how this can…
