Universe Today
• Andy Tomaswick
New observations from Parker Solar Probe reveal twisted magnetic braids within the solar wind, part of the Sun’s complex magnetic environment. Together with data from Solar Orbiter, the findings are helping researchers map the structure of magnetic fields and charged-particle flows around the Sun.
Space Exploration & Science Missions
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New observations from Parker Solar Probe reveal twisted magnetic braids within the solar wind, part of the Sun’s complex magnetic environment. Together with data from Solar Orbiter, the findings are helping researchers map the structure of magnetic fields and charged-particle flows around the Sun.
Earth’s small, temporary natural satellites may offer accessible targets for future missions. The Rubin telescope is expected to help find more of these objects, potentially expanding the set of nearby asteroids available for exploration.
NASA is changing how it selects and develops science missions, aiming to reduce costs, simplify competition and speed missions’ path to space. The overhaul is intended to increase mission cadence, though the available report does not specify the revised process, schedule or programs affected.
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Japan’s space agency has selected ispace to design a solar power tower intended to support sustained exploration near the Moon’s south pole. The project focuses on energy infrastructure for lunar activity, though the available announcement provides no schedule, funding or technical specifications.
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NASA’s revised Artemis plan moves the Orion docking test with SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon landers to Artemis III in summer 2027, with a crewed lunar landing now planned for Artemis IV in 2028. The agency also outlined challenges and added testing milestones for both lander providers.
The article frames a shift in Donald Trump’s attitude toward space science, describing him as having come to appreciate its value. The provided summary offers no further detail on what changed or what policy, funding or program decisions may follow.
Most meteorites originate from asteroids, but lunar meteorites offer researchers material beyond the Apollo sample collection. Decades after Apollo, scientists continue analyzing these scarce fragments to investigate the Moon’s history and its unusually large size, addressing gaps in what returned samples alone can reveal.
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NASA has ended science operations for the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which has descended to less than 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth. Atmospheric drag at that altitude prevents its telescopes from steadily observing targets, following a failed commercial-spacecraft attempt to raise the observatory’s orbit.
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