Life on Mars? Europe commits to groundbreaking mission to bring back rocks to Earth
It will be one of the most daunting, complicated and, potentially, scientifically rewarding missions ever undertaken to the red planet. Ministers at a recent meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA) have fully committed to plans to collect samples from the surface of Mars and return them to...
Methane on Mars: a new discovery or just hot air?
The discovery of life on Mars would get pretty much everyone excited. The scientists hunting for it would probably be happy no matter what the outcome of their search – whether life turned out to extinct, dormant or extent. They’d even consider finding no evidence of life whatsoever...
Sabre engine put through its paces
Reaction Engine's Sabre engine - part jet, part rocket - is set to be put through its paces over the coming months. The hypersonic engine could potentially reduce the trip time from London to Syndey from twenty-two hours to just four hours. The European Space Agency has...
Want to name the next Mars Rover?
The ESA's 2020 ExoMars rover is due to land on Mars in the spring of 2021. The UK Space Agency wants you to name it. An existing rover - 'Bruno' - at Airbus HQ The ExoMars rover mission will be exploring the makeup of Mars. It will carry...
ESA’s Gaia mission produces richest star map of our galaxy to date
The ESA released data from its Gaia mission today. The new star map is the richest data catalogue ever produced. The map includes high-precision measurements of almost 1.7 billion stars and has uncovered unseen details of our home Galaxy that have never been seen before. The release of...
National Geographic reveal 3D, 360-degree video tour of the International Space Station
As a part of its a documentary series - "One Strange Rock" - the National Geographic Channel has created a 360-degree VR tour of the International Space Station National Geographic Channel has revaled th The stunning 'experience' follows astronauts aboard ISS as they share their thinking on...