NASA’s Kepler telescope finds four planets in ‘habitable zone’

NASA’s Kepler telescope finds four planets in ‘habitable zone’

In a continuing hunt for Earth-like planets, NASA’s Kepler space telescope recently announced the discovery of four potential new planets in their Sun’s “habitable zone” among 461 planet candidates discovered by the telescope. These four potential new planets are

LEON – microchips designed by ESA for future space missions

LEON – microchips designed by ESA for future space missions

In an attempt to become self-reliant, ESA designed LEON series microprocessor chips for their future space missions. Engineered to operate within spacecraft computers, withstand extreme conditions during launch and in space, manufacturing was done Atmel in France

NASA considering an ‘asteroid return mission’

NASA considering an ‘asteroid return mission’

We have seen wonders of NASA in past; Curiosity rover’s rendezvous for instance, was really a thrilling experience not only for NASA; but for science enthusiasts all over the world. Sources say NASA is now considering a plan for an “Asteroid return mission” to drag a

NASA plans to search for signs of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa

NASA plans to search for signs of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa

Early in December NASA officials announced that they plan to launch a $1.5 billion rover to Mars in 2020. NASA investigates the possible habitability of Europa, Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon. One concept that may be gaining traction is a so-called “clipper” probe

Planet Earth now visible in STEREO Behind’s Inner Heliospheric Imager

Planet Earth now visible in STEREO Behind’s Inner Heliospheric Imager

STEREO spacecrafts are moving closer to the points in their orbits at which they will be directly opposite Earth on the other side of the Sun. Earth has been visible in the HI2 telescopes since launch, but this is the first time it’s been visible in either of the HI1

First data acquired by new ESA’s deep space tracking station

First data acquired by new ESA’s deep space tracking station

ESA’s new deep-space tracking station (DSA 3) in Malargüe, Argentina received its first image on December 18, 2012. This image was selected as the symbolic ‘first data’ to be downloaded by DSA 3 and it marked its inauguration to service.The image was captured on

NASA’s GRAIL mission brings most accurate moon gravity map

NASA’s GRAIL mission brings most accurate moon gravity map

Gravity field map of the moon generated by GRAIL probes boosts Giant impact hypothesis, which states that the Moon was formed out of the debris left over from a collision between the Earth and a body the size of Mars, about 4.5 billion years ago. This new map is also

New satellite views of Earth by night

New satellite views of Earth by night

The Earth never sleeps. The night is nowhere near as dark as most of us think. In fact, Earth is never really dark; it twinkles with lights from humans and nature. Away from human settlements, light still shines – wildfires and volcanoes rage, oil and gas wells burn

NASA’s Voyager 1 enters new region of deep space – magnetic highway

NASA’s Voyager 1 enters new region of deep space – magnetic highway

NASA scientists have announced entry of Voyager 1 in a new region in deep space, which they’re calling a magnetic highway for charged particles; presumably the last leg of Voyager mission’s journey. In this region, magnetic field lines of sun are found connected to

International Space Station maneuvers to record the complete rotation of Sun

International Space Station maneuvers to record the complete rotation of Sun

This weekend the International Space Station will turn itself to position ESA’s SOLAR instrument for a better view of the Sun. This would be the first time ISS has changed attitude for scientific reasons alone.SOLAR instrument was installed on ESA’s Columbus