Spotlight: Space Exploration
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From our own sun to the furthest reaches of the solar system and beyond, NASA and its partners are exploring worlds both near and far. Scientists working on the Genesis mission are studying matter collected from the sun. The MESSENGER mission is demystifying the sun’s nearest neighbor, the tiny planet Mercury. Meanwhile, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is looking for water on the moon, the New Horizons spacecraft soars to the outer reaches of the solar system and Kepler looks for planets orbiting other stars. Follow the action here at Science Update’s Space Exploration Spotlight. It’s a big universe; someone’s got to explore it. (Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) |
Planetary Hygiene
September 28, 2018
Scientists strive to keep our spacecraft germ-free.
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Star Wars Robots
March 5, 2018
How realistic are Star Wars’ lovable droids?
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Lost & Found Spacecraft
February 8, 2018
An amateur radio operator tracks down a lost spacecraft.
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Space Music
December 6, 2017
Turning the Voyager spacecraft particle detector into a musical instrument.
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Universal Gravity Reduction
November 17, 2017
Is the expanding Universe weakening our gravity?
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Space Plastic
August 23, 2017
Astronauts’ replacement tools could come from an unconventional source.
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Saturn’s Hexagonal Storm
February 16, 2017
Planetary scientists puzzle over a strange, hexagon on Saturn.
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Planetary Hygiene
January 19, 2017
Scientists strive to keep our spacecraft germ-free.
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Planetary Hygiene
January 1, 2017
Scientists strive to keep our spacecraft germ-free.
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Supermoon
November 14, 2016
A rare supermoon lights up the sky tonight.
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Jupiter’s Hot Spot
August 1, 2016
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is heating the gas giant’s upper atmosphere from below.
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Mars Tsunamis
June 8, 2016
Ancient seismic sea waves on Mars left a lasting record, and insights into how life could have evolved on other planets.
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Methane Drones
April 22, 2016
Could NASA technology for methane detection on Mars help find gas leaks on earth?
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Space Elevator
April 8, 2016
Could a “space elevator” carry supplies to the International Space Station?
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Pluto’s Surfaces
April 6, 2016
New research reveals that frozen nitrogen flows across the surface of Pluto.
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Pluto’s Origins
March 30, 2016
A violent collision between two worlds may have given rise to Pluto and its satellites.
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Pluto’s Big Discoveries
March 23, 2016
A trickle of data from the New Horizons spacecraft is building into a flood of new findings.
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Dark Mercury
March 8, 2016
How did Mercury get to be the darkest planet in the solar system?
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Babylonian Astronomers
February 2, 2016
Scientists uncover the lost astronomical calculations of the Babylonians.
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Science Breakthroughs of 2015: Dwarf Planets
December 28, 2015
Science Breakthroughs of 2015: The larger planets may get more publicity, but the solar system’s smaller planetary bodies harbor just as many surprises.
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The Martian Atmosphere
November 10, 2015
A space probe orbiting Mars is sending back evidence of what happened to its once-thick atmosphere.
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Pluto’s Secrets Revealed
October 19, 2015
Pluto’s first close-ups reveal unexpected geological features.
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Comet Chemistry
August 3, 2015
Comet 67P offers a window into the early solar system, and harbors organic compounds that may have provided building blocks for life on earth.
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Pluto Close Up
June 24, 2015
How clear will Pluto’s next snapshots be?
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Hubble’s 25th Birthday
April 27, 2015
The Hubble Space Telescope has expanded our knowledge of the universe by leaps and bounds in just 25 years.
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MESSENGER’s last messages
April 15, 2015
Before crashing into Mercury’s surface, the MESSENGER spacecraft will capture high-resolution images and other data.
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Black Holes
April 9, 2015
What happens to all the stuff that gets sucked into black holes?
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The Jupiter Effect
March 24, 2015
The planet Jupiter may be responsible for Earth’s mild climate.
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Waving to Aliens
February 13, 2015
Is it time to actively signal civilizations that might exist beyond earth?
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Naming Mercury’s Craters
January 12, 2015
Planetary geologists provide the public with a chance to name five craters on Mercury.
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Space Elevator
November 7, 2014
Could a “space elevator” carry supplies to the International Space Station?
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Earth’s Ancient Water
September 29, 2014
The earth’s water is older than the sun’s and may point to the possibility of life in other parts of space.
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Comet Harpoon
January 9, 2014
NASA scientists are testing a harpoon that could bring back samples from comets.
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Far-Out Mega Planet
December 25, 2013
An enormous planet, orbiting a star at a tremendous distance, challenges theories of planet formation.
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Space Elevator
October 24, 2013
Could a “space elevator” carry supplies to the International Space Station?
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Lonely Planet
October 21, 2013
Astronomers have discovered a solitary planet without a sun.
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Earth’s Tilt
October 11, 2013
A listener asks how the earth’s tilt is measured.
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Comet Encounters
January 8, 2013
A newly discovered comet will be visible from earth this fall.
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2012 Apocalypse Myth Exposed – Encore presentation
December 21, 2012
The world is not ending today. Find out why in this Science Update encore presentation.
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Podcast for 7 December 2012
December 7, 2012
ARE YOU WREN ENOUGH? Why fairy wrens require their babies to show ID, how coral reefs ask for help, and how one microscopic animal patches itself up with borrowed genes. Also: Host Bob Hirshon went down to NASA Headquarters to report on the discovery of water on the planet Mercury.
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Podcast for 6 July 2012
July 6, 2012
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM – Scientists discover organic carbon in meteorites from Mars and take a new look at the asteroid Vesta. Also: zebrafish meet their robotic overlords, and someone finally invents a blind-spot-free side-view mirror.
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Solar Heat
June 12, 2012
A listener asks: How hot is the surface of the sun?
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Martian Carbon
June 5, 2012
Researchers have discovered organic carbon in meteorites from Mars.
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Vesta the Protoplanet
May 24, 2012
The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter contains an embryonic planet in arrested development.
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Runaway Planets
May 10, 2012
Under some circumstances, planets could be thrown out of the galaxy at tremendous speed.
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Podcast for 27 April 2012
April 27, 2012
Why some planets are on the run. How to harpoon a comet. And counting penguins from space.
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Comet Harpoon
April 4, 2012
NASA scientists are testing a harpoon that could bring back samples from comets.
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Comet Harpoon
April 2, 2012
NASA scientists are testing a harpoon that could bring back samples from comets.
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Podcast for 10 February 2012
February 10, 2012
Are cyclones and earthquakes related? Why recent bad winters may be the result of global warming. And what life might be like on a planet with two stars. Also: we answer a listener’s question about the temperature of the sun.
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The Sun’s Temperature
February 6, 2012
A listener asks: How hot is the surface of the sun?
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Twin Star Planets
January 31, 2012
Planets with two stars could have wild climates.
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Weightless Flies
January 23, 2012
Magnetically levitated flies may help researchers study the effects of weightlessness.
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Fastest Spinning Star
December 20, 2011
A powerful telescope has detected the fastest rotating star yet.
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Mercury’s Volcanoes
October 31, 2011
The planet Mercury seems placid compared to others in the solar system. But the MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing a more tumultuous past.
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Mercury’s Make-up
October 24, 2011
The MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing new details about the tiny planet’s chemical composition.
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Not-So-Precious Metals
October 11, 2011
If you’re wearing a gold ring, it began as a meteeorite that struck the earth billions of years ago, but vast deposits of precious metals are also hidden deep in the earth’s core.
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Podcast for 7 October 2011
October 6, 2011
MERCURY SPECIAL REPORT – The MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing new discoveries about the planet closest to our Sun.
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Mercury Hollows
October 4, 2011
NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft has identified mysterious hollows on the planet’s surface.
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Mercury Origins
October 3, 2011
The MESSENGER spacecraft is revealing surprising details about the origins of the planet Mercury.
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Podcast for 23 September 2011
September 23, 2011
PLANETS & PATHOGENS – Gardening for Mars, the darkest planet, a parasite that turns rats against themselves, telling the viruses from the bacteria, and the link between caffeine and skin cancer prevention.
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Food For Mars
September 12, 2011
NASA nutritionists face a delicious challenge when planning what astronauts will eat on a mission to Mars.
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Darkest Planet
September 1, 2011
Scientists have identified the darkest known extrasolar planet.
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Podcast for 19 August 2011
August 19, 2011
WATER EVERYWHERE – Astronomers have discovered the largest cache of water ever, and researchers are developing new software for detecting contamination of municipal water supplies. Also: Round robots to help safeguard nuclear power plants.
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Black Hole Water
August 16, 2011
Water was abundant in the universe just 1.6 billion years after the Big Bang – in one of the most inhospitable places imaginable.
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Podcast for 3 June 2011 – Searching for Life in Outer Space
June 3, 2011
Astronomers are using new tools to look for life in outer space. And, the search for intelligent life in the universe is targeting the best candidate planets. Also: how tsunamis impact sealife.
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3-D Space Map
May 23, 2011
Using light from quasars, scientists are mapping the distant universe.
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Star Distance
March 10, 2011
Astronomers calculate the distance to the furthest stars by comparing them to stars they know.
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Space Roundup
February 18, 2011
Solar technology could come in handy if a dangerous meteor is ever headed for earth.
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Satellites & Human Rights
December 20, 2010
Satellite images document human rights abuses in Burma.
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Similar Solar System
September 20, 2010
Scientists have discovered the closest thing yet to our solar system.
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Mars 500 Mission
June 22, 2010
A crew of six volunteers has embarked on a simulated, 520-day Mars mission.
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Spaceflight & Immunity
June 17, 2010
Long-term space flight may compromise astronauts’ immune systems.
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NASA’s Basement Tapes
April 29, 2010
Scientists resurrect satellite data from old NASA tapes.
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Volcanoes on Mercury
January 14, 2010
Ancient volcanoes found on the planet mercury challenge assumptions about the planet’s chemical composition.
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Boron Nanotubes
January 1, 2010
The main ingredient in clown makeup is being used to create a nano-material that could protect astronauts from solar radiation.
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Satellites for Human Rights
November 24, 2009
Satellite imagery helps human rights teams assess destruction in war-torn regions of the world.
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Disaster Sensing
November 17, 2009
Satellite imagery can sense chemical changes in the soil, revealing pollution, potential landslides, and more.
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Planetary Alignment Myth
November 10, 2009
A NASA scientist de-bunks the myth that an alignment of the planets affects gravity on earth.
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Green Rocket Propellant
October 29, 2009
A new rocket fuel, made of aluminum and ice, could have environmental benefits.
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ET Weather Roundup
October 23, 2009
The weather on planet COROT-7b calls for pebble showers leading to a rocky downpour.
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Mercury Flyby
October 16, 2009
The MESSENGER spacecraft has completed its final flyby of the planet Mercury before it goes into orbit around the planet.
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2012 Apocalypse Myth Exposed
September 26, 2009
A planet called Nibiru won’t be slamming into earth in December, 2012, but the hype surrounding the myth is hardly harmless.
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Asteroid Watch
September 2, 2009
Citizens can now track nearby asteroids online or via Twitter.
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Space Storms
August 4, 2009
Space storms bombard the planet Mercury.
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Moon Elements
July 30, 2009
A listener asks: What is the moon made of?
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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
July 20, 2009
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will send back unprecedented information about our closest cosmic neighbor.
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Plankton Imaging
July 15, 2009
Satellite instruments can measure the health of the ocean’s tiny – but vital – phytoplankton.
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Extreme Spacecraft Roundup
June 19, 2009
NASA unveils new spacecraft, large and small.
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Mercury’s Surface
June 8, 2009
The MESSENGER spacecraft is giving scientists a first look at an entire half of the planet Mercury.
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Supernovas
May 26, 2009
Dying stars either explode into supernovas or become black holes.
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Comet Roundup
May 15, 2009
Comets may have provided the young Earth the molecules necessary for the formation of life.
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Life Light
May 12, 2009
The way light scatters off distant planets may reveal whether life exists on them.
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Rockets & Ozone
May 6, 2009
Possible increases in rocket launches could affect the Earth’s protective ozone layer.
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Little House on the Moon
May 4, 2009
Swedish engineering students have teamed up with an artist to build a small cottage on the Moon.
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Star Distance II
April 23, 2009
Astronomers calculate the distance to the furthest stars by comparing them to stars they know.
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Star Distance I
April 22, 2009
Astronomers use a concept called parallax to calculate the distance to the nearest stars.
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C02 in Space
January 28, 2009
Astronomers have detected carbon dioxide on a planet outside our solar system for the first time.
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Space Ship Gravity
December 3, 2008
Spinning spaceships could create artificial gravity in principle but not in practice.
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Lake on Titan
August 19, 2008
Scientists have confirmed the existence of a large, liquid lake on Saturn’s moon Titan.
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Weighing Black Holes
August 6, 2008
A new technique helps scientists measure the mass of giant black holes.
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Solar Probe Plus
July 22, 2008
NASA is planning an unprecedented trip to the Sun.
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Seeing in STEREO
July 17, 2008
Solar physicists see the sun in 3-D with NASA’s STEREO Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory.
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Space Names Roundup
July 4, 2008
Pluto may have lost its status as a planet, but it’s inspired a whole new category for planetoids.
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Lunar Dust
June 17, 2008
Moon dust not only gets into space suits, it could jeopardize the health of future astronauts.
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Radiation Protection
May 1, 2008
Scientists are taking lessons from tumor cells to fight the damaging effects of radiation and chemotherapy.
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Solar Burnout
April 30, 2008
Our listeners ask: Will the sun ever burn itself out?
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Space Radiation
April 28, 2008
Exposure to radiation in space could make astronauts prone to cancer.
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Sun Elements
March 24, 2008
A listener asks: What is the sun made of?
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Solar Storm Roundup
January 25, 2008
Early sun spots forecast rough weather ahead during new eleven-year solar storm cycle.
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