NASA Spaceflight
• Haygen Warren
Measurements from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter show hydrogen chloride emissions and newly formed fissures near Alba Mons, which may be allowing gases from subsurface volcanic hotspots to reach the Martian surface. Researchers say the observations provide new evidence consistent with a potentially active magma chamber.
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New spacecraft observations point to recent volcanic activity on Mars, challenging the long-held view that the planet is geologically dead. The findings suggest its volcanoes may be dormant rather than extinct, sharpening questions about the Red Planet’s geological history and how its interior has evolved.
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Measurements from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter show hydrogen chloride emissions and newly formed fissures near Alba Mons, which may be allowing gases from subsurface volcanic hotspots to reach the Martian surface. Researchers say the observations provide new evidence consistent with a potentially active magma chamber.
NASA’s Artemis II launch created a large disturbance in Earth’s ionosphere, according to the reports, with the resulting hole potentially causing a temporary reduction in GPS accuracy. The event highlights how powerful rocket launches can affect the atmospheric conditions that satellite-navigation signals traverse.
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The European Space Agency’s Hera planetary-defense probe has imaged Didymos and its smaller moon Dimorphos as separate objects for the first time, as it approaches the binary asteroid system. Hera will investigate the aftermath of NASA’s DART collision, collecting data on kinetic-impact deflection and probing outstanding scientific questions about the asteroids.
On Nov. 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Laika aboard Sputnik 2, making the dog the first animal to orbit Earth. The spacecraft lifted off from Baikonur atop an R-7 rocket, marking a milestone in early spaceflight.
NASA’s Artemis IV mission could rely on SpaceX’s Starship as its lunar lander, but the vehicle’s scale and propellant needs make the mission architecture complex. The number of refueling launches required—and how they would be distributed between two separate orbits—remains unknown.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has addressed the debate over the Hubble Space Telescope’s long-term future as the agency seeks commercial input on possible paths forward. Its request for information asks companies to assess options ranging from reboosting or servicing the observatory to carrying out a controlled deorbit.
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