ScientistPankaj: Space & Physics: Rescuing Voyager 1, SpaceX rocket test, lunar landers

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Space & Physics: Rescuing Voyager 1, SpaceX rocket test, lunar landers

March 14—This week we're covering a breakthrough in rescue efforts for the ailing Voyager 1 interstellar probe, a milestone flight test of SpaceX's Starship rocket, the mixed results from NASA's commercial cargo flights to the moon, and more. Enjoy!

-Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Space and Physics

Voyager spacecraft leaving Solar System. The spacecraft is in silhouette with the light from the distant sun shining through

Voyager 1's Immortal Interstellar Requiem

NASA is reaching across more than 15 billion miles to rescue its malfunctioning Voyager 1 probe—but this hallowed interstellar mission can't live forever

SpaceX Starship spacecraft lifts off.

SpaceX's Starship Rocket Reached Record Heights before It Was Lost

SpaceX lost both the booster and vehicle in a test launch of its massive Starship rocket. But the third try was the charm for Starship, which smoothly separated in its most successful flight to date

Josh Dinner; SPACE.com

Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar lander captures a round, wide field of view image, with heavy distortion from a fisheye lens, of Schomberger crater near the spacecraft's landing site on the moon.

In NASA's Push for the Moon, Commercial Partners Soar—And Stumble

NASA's partnership with private industry to accelerate the U.S.'s return to the moon is delivering lunar payloads—and mixed results

Image of JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) in its final landing position on the moon.

Japan's Lunar Landing Was Lopsided—And Transformative

Japan's SLIM lander has sparked a new era of precision landings, with big implications for lunar science and exploration

In an illustration of total solar eclipse geometry, the lines on a diagram show the moon's shadow, or umbra, in dark gray and its partial shadow, or penumbra, in light gray

Total Solar Eclipses Are Cosmic Coincidences That Won't Last Forever

Earthlings are very lucky to see the spectacle of a total solar eclipse

Young black woman wearing eclipse glasses and bright yellow jacket smiles while looking upward

How Do Solar Eclipse Glasses Work?

Solar eclipse glasses prevent catastrophic eye damage when observing the sun. Here's how they work

Stephanie Pappas

A person holding their hand up in front of the sky at dusk to create the illusion that they are grabbing the sun with their fingers

The Scale of Space Will Break Your Brain

The scale of the cosmos exceeds the bounds of human comprehension. But that doesn't mean the universe is beyond our understanding

The International Space Station (ISS) backdropped by the blackness of space and the thin line of Earth's atmosphere, the sun shining through the solar array to the left of center

NASA's Hopes for Space Solar Power Are Looking Dim

Exorbitant launch costs and daunting engineering challenges make the dream of space-
based solar power look dicey for the space agency