Recruiting the world’s first disabled astronaut doesn’t mean space travel is inclusive – here’s how to change that

Disabled astronauts have lots to offer, but spaceflight has traditionally been limited to the able-bodied.

Vanja Garaj, Professor of Design and Director of Research, Brunel University of London • conversation
Oct. 31, 2024 • ~9 min

It all started with a Big Bang – the quest to unravel the mystery behind the birth of the universe

Can we really understand what happened at the beginning of the universe?

Konstantinos Dimopoulos, Reader in Particle Cosmology, Lancaster University • conversation
Oct. 31, 2024 • ~16 min

The US is now at risk of losing to China in the race to send people back to the Moon’s surface

Nasa’s Moon programme has been hit by delays, while China aims to land by 2030.

Jacco van Loon, Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University • conversation
Oct. 25, 2024 • ~8 min

Both Harris and Trump have records on space policy − an international affairs expert examines where they differ when it comes to the final frontier

From creating the Space Force to blocking weapons testing in space, both Trump and Harris have extensive records on space policy to examine .

Thomas G. Roberts, Postdoctoral Fellow in International Affiars, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Oct. 23, 2024 • ~8 min

A new generation of telescopes will probe the ‘unknown unknowns’ that could transform our knowledge of the universe

Cosmology could be transformed by a new wave of telescopes – both on the ground and in space.

Richard Massey, Professor of extragalactic astrophysics (dark matter and cosmology), Durham University • conversation
Oct. 17, 2024 • ~12 min

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is a Halloween visitor from the spooky Oort Cloud − the invisible bubble that’s home to countless space objects

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is one of 2 comets from the Oort Cloud passing by Earth in October 2024.

James Wray, Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Oct. 11, 2024 • ~9 min

NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the 2030s − a crewed mission could unlock some of the red planet’s geologic mysteries

Before sending humans to Mars, NASA will first return humans to the Moon’s surface to test its technology and train astronauts.

Joel S. Levine, Research Professor, Department of Applied Science, William & Mary • conversation
Oct. 7, 2024 • ~7 min

Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time − but designing the reactors that would power them isn’t easy

Sending a nuclear fission reactor into space means lots of technical questions. One research group is coming up with models that could improve how a nuclear rocket starts up and powers down.

Dan Kotlyar, Associate Professor of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Oct. 4, 2024 • ~9 min

Nasa’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will investigate whether an icy moon of Jupiter can support alien life

The mission will investigate the potential for life at the icy moon of Jupiter.

James O'Donoghue, Research Associate Professor in Planetary Astronomy, Meteorology, University of Reading • conversation
Oct. 4, 2024 • ~7 min

A ‘ring of fire’ eclipse is taking place in South America and the Pacific. Here’s how eclipses happen

Argentina and Chile will see the ‘ring’, but other regions will see a partial eclipse.

Oisin Creaner, Assistant Professor of Physical Sciences, Dublin City University • conversation
Oct. 2, 2024 • ~5 min

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