Universe Today
• Matthew Williams
An international team working through the ALMA COMPASS Large program has reported the first detection in space of a rare form of methanol, also known as wood alcohol. The finding adds a previously undetected variant of the molecule to observations of space chemistry.
Space Exploration & Science Missions
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An international team working through the ALMA COMPASS Large program has reported the first detection in space of a rare form of methanol, also known as wood alcohol. The finding adds a previously undetected variant of the molecule to observations of space chemistry.
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NASA’s Cassini spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a Titan 4B rocket on Oct. 15, 1997. The mission was designed to explore Saturn and its moons, beginning a journey that would take seven years to reach the planet.
Research finds that planetary systems in the Milky Way largely fall into two groups, with the host star’s mass linked to which group a system belongs to. The findings offer a more detailed framework for comparing and understanding exoplanet systems.
NASA’s SkyFall helicopters are expected to extend exploration beyond areas accessible to ground vehicles, covering distance quickly and reaching terrain that may otherwise be difficult or impossible to examine. Scientists say the aircraft could give researchers views of parts of Mars not previously seen.
NASA’s SPHEREx observatory has taken the “fingerprints” of brown dwarfs across the nearby cosmic neighborhood. Too massive to be traditional gas planets but too small to sustain the nuclear fusion that defines stars, these objects cool and shrink over time while spinning faster as they age.
Astronomers have detected a set of molecules described as a “chemical starter kit” in several young star systems. The finding adds evidence about the interstellar chemistry that can shape planet formation and, ultimately, the conditions associated with life.
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Voyager Technologies says its Griffin-1 lunar lander has completed acceptance testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The spacecraft is planned to launch in late 2026 on a mission to the Moon’s south pole, marking a readiness milestone ahead of its scheduled flight.
JAXA has selected ArkEdge to conduct two demonstrations aimed at lunar navigation, where future explorers will lack GPS-like technology. The effort focuses on a basic operational challenge for missions to the Moon: determining position and navigating without the infrastructure available on Earth.
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