The Moon and Mars

Astronauts could use lightning-like plasma jets to kill germs on the moon and Mars, demo hints

Astronauts could use lightning-like plasma jets to kill germs on the moon and Mars, demo hints A new lab experiment is testing plasma jets as a water-free solution for "space laundry" on future missions to the moon and Mars. As astronauts prepare for long-duration missions to the moon and Mars, sustaining human life far from Earth will depend on solving a gauntlet of technological challenges. Yes, researchers need to perfect the towering rockets and futuristic habitats that will keep...

How mobile deep‑space medical systems could support future landings on the moon and Mars

How mobile deep‑space medical systems could support future landings on the moon and Mars Owen Ferguson Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor Around the world, people watched NASA's Artemis II mission in awe as humans returned to lunar orbit for the first time since 1972. As a physician and space medicine researcher, I watched life aboard the mission spacecraft Orion—where four astronauts worked, ate, exercised and managed personal hygiene in a tiny capsule—with curiosity. Questions...

Should we store Mars samples on the moon to keep alien germs away from Earth?

Should we store Mars samples on the moon to keep alien germs away from Earth? "The moon may become humanity's first line of biological defense." A team of researchers is advocating to use the moon as a secure site for biocontainment of extraterrestrial samples, particularly those from Mars, but also from other potential worlds like Enceladus, a moon of Saturn.

First stop, the Moon. Next stop, Mars? Why Nasa's mission matters

Upcoming telescopes could shed light on dark matter

Upcoming telescopes could shed light on dark matter Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon through the Artemis program and ultimately send humans to Mars highlight just how far space exploration has come. Yet while the moon and Mars remain compelling destinations filled with scientific mysteries, looking beyond our solar system raises even deeper questions about the universe itself. Among the biggest of those mysteries is...

Rare meteorite provides evidence of giant early planet

Rare meteorite provides evidence of giant early planet Stephanie Baum Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Four-and-a-half billion years ago, a massive world—possibly as big as the moon or even Mars—orbited our sun before crashing into another celestial body and shattering into rubble. Now, in a paper published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists report the first definitive evidence that this lost planetary embryo (protoplanet) existed. Its unique...

Artemis III crew revealed: NASA announces astronauts for 'one of history's most complex missions'

Artemis III crew revealed: NASA announces astronauts for 'one of history's most complex missions' NASA's Artemis III crew has been revealed. The astronauts will launch into low Earth orbit next year to test docking with commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin. NASA has named the crew for its upcoming Artemis III mission, which the space agency says will be one of the most complex missions in history.

The SpaceX IPO Will Be the Theft of the Century

The SpaceX IPO Will Be the Theft of the Century An S-1 full of fantasies, insiders who will pocket millions, index companies that have changed the rules: it's all a recipe for regular people to have their pockets picked. As the SpaceX IPO approaches, a few observations and predictions: I. As a Business, SpaceX Will Be a Spectacular Failure In a real sense, the entire SpaceX value proposition rests upon the Starship project. And when I say “Starship,” I mean a Starship version that is far...

The ‘giant leap’ for mankind: Inside NASA’s bold plan to build a Lunar City

For millennia, humans have looked up at the Moon and wondered what it would be like to live there. It has tugged at the human imagination — fueling myths, inspiring poems and some of our boldest scientific dreams. Yet despite landing astronauts on its surface more than half a century ago, the Moon has remained a place we visit, not a place where we can live.

No, Artificial Intelligence Is Not Conscious

Anthropic is regarded as a giant among AI companies, but perhaps what it really excels in is anthropomorphism. Earlier this year the company released an 84-page document titled Claude’s “constitution,” Claude being the name of the large language model that is the company’s flagship product. The first sentence reads, “Claude’s constitution is a detailed description of Anthropic’s intentions for Claude’s values and behaviors.”