environment
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Something Is Messing With a Ring System Between Saturn and Uranus
A previously unknown satellite may be shaping the rings of Chariklo, a petite body that orbits the Sun between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus, according to a team of astronomers that recently simulated the rings’ dynamics. Chariklo is about 160 miles (257.5 kilometers) across and is one of the Centaurs, a group of icy…
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NASA’s Mars Helicopter Will Do a ‘Wiggle’ Test After Fatal Malfunction
It’s been a week since NASA announced the end of its Mars helicopter mission, and we’re still not over losing our beloved Ginny. But apparently, neither is NASA, as the space agency is still trying to figure out what happened during Ingenuity’s last flight on Mars. During a livestream held on Wednesday to pay tribute…
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The U.S. and China Want the Same Landing Spot for Upcoming Moon Missions
China is planning to send its next lander to the lunar surface, this time targeting an impact crater with a sun-lit rim that could hold precious resources for long-duration stays on the Moon. The upcoming Chang’e 7 mission, scheduled for launch in 2026, is targeting a landing site on the Shackleton crater in the Moon’s…
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The Most Precious Human Relics Left in Space
Being the space nerd that I am, I often imagine a museum filled with the most important objects ever sent to space. We couldn’t possibly build a place like this, but we can speculate as to which human artifacts deserve a place in our imaginary spaceflight museum. Most things sent to space are utilitarian and…