The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that burned up over Europe last year left a massive lithium plume in its wake, say a group of scientists. They warn the disaster is likely a sign of things to come as Earth’s atmosphere continues to become a heavily trafficked superhighway to space. In a paper published Thursday, an
A second fueling test on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket ended Thursday night, giving senior managers enough confidence to move forward with plans to launch four astronauts around the Moon as soon as March 6. Unlike the first attempt to load propellants into the SLS rocket on February 2, there were no major leaks during
A vast field of prehistoric dinosaur footprints has been uncovered in northern Italy, reshaping scientists’ understanding of the region’s ancient past. Wildlife photographer Elio Della Ferrera stumbled upon one of the oldest and largest known collections of dinosaur footprints in Stelvio National Park in northern Italy. The remarkably well-preserved tracks date back to the Triassic
Researchers have identified a period of sluggish magnetic field flipping for planet Earth, some 40 million years ago – raising big questions about how long these reversals actually take, and how we might be affected by the next one. Magnetic field flips are thought to happen fairly regularly, as far as geological timescales go. There
Deep inside the Greenland ice sheet, radar images have revealed strange, plume-like structures distorting the layering deposited over eons. Now, more than a decade after their discovery, scientists think they have figured out what causes these structures, and it’s a real hum-dinger. According to modeling, the plumes are a striking match for convection: the roiling
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky stretches for more than 420 miles (675 kilometers) below the surface of the ground and is often described as the world’s largest cave system. Recent explorations there uncovered two new fossil sharks that once roamed shallow coastal waters more than 325 million years ago. Ancient shark specialist John-Paul (JP)
NASA on Thursday released a sweeping report on Boeing’s botched Starliner mission that kept two astronauts stuck on the International Space Station for nine months, detailing communication breakdowns and “unprofessional behavior” as the agency and its longtime contractor struggled to agree on how to safely return the crew to Earth. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman ripped
NASA says it’s planning a March 6 launch date to send four astronauts on a trip around the moon on the Artemis II mission. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images NASA could launch four astronauts on a mission to fly around the moon
For the first time ever, scientists have observed in near real time a cloud of air pollution created as space debris burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. The breakthrough measurement will help atmospheric chemistry researchers untangle the complex chemical reactions triggered by the toxic air pollution created during reentries, which may have devastating effects on Earth’s
A hidden lake beneath Turkey’s southern coastline has revealed its underwater formations in unprecedented detail. Inside Gilindire Cave in Mersin, a specialized diving team documented stalactites, stalagmites and mineral structures preserved since the end of the Ice Age. The images were recorded during a 90-minute dive led by underwater cinematographer Tahsin Ceylan, who descended into