The mystery of Mercury’s missing meteorites – and how we may have finally found some

Meteorites may be the only practical way to study Mercury’s surface directly.

Ben Rider-Stokes, Post Doctoral Researcher in Achondrite Meteorites, The Open University • conversation
June 25, 2025 • ~7 min

Living on Mars: are there lessons from prisons?

From confinement to food, lessons learned behind bars could be key to surviving on the red planet.

Lucy Berthoud, Professor of Space Systems Engineering, University of Bristol • conversation
June 13, 2025 • ~8 min

Living on Mars: are there lessons from the terrible conditions of prisons?

From confinement to food, lessons learned behind bars could be key to surviving on the red planet.

Lucy Berthoud, Professor of Space Systems Engineering, University of Bristol • conversation
June 13, 2025 • ~8 min

Esa at 50: how the space agency helped keep Europe at the frontiers of science

Space exploration would have been poorer without the successes of Esa.

Martin Barstow, Professor of Astrophysics and Space Science, University of Leicester • conversation
June 6, 2025 • ~7 min

After 50 successful years, the European Space Agency has some big challenges ahead

The space agency faces major competition from rising space powers such as China and India.

Daniel Brown, Lecturer in Astronomy, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
May 22, 2025 • ~8 min

Spacecraft can ‘brake’ in space using drag − advancing craft agility, space safety and planetary missions

An aerospace engineer explains why NASA, Space Force and other agencies are using or testing aerobraking for more fuel-efficient spacecraft.

Piyush Mehta, Associate Professor of Space Systems, West Virginia University • conversation
May 7, 2025 • ~8 min

Nasa and Esa want to bring Martian rocks to Earth. Here’s what will happen to the samples once they get here

Scientists will have to check whether the samples contain living microbes before they can be safely studied.

John Bridges, Professor of Planetary Science, University of Leicester • conversation
April 7, 2025 • ~8 min

How to engineer microbes to enable us to live on Mars

Microbes could pump out oxygen on Mars.

Samuel McKee, Associate Tutor and PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Science, Manchester Metropolitan University • conversation
April 1, 2025 • ~7 min

3D printing will help space pioneers make homes, tools and other stuff they need to colonize the Moon and Mars

3D printing in outer space and on alien planets comes with otherworldly challenges.

Sven Bilén, Professor of Engineering Design, Electrical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering, Penn State • conversation
March 13, 2025 • ~9 min

Asteroid has a very small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but a collision could devastate a city

The chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth are small but fluctuating.

Maggie Lieu, Research Fellow, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham • conversation
Feb. 24, 2025 • ~8 min

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