"The surge in orbital activity has created a significant collision risk. ... The big fear is that future collisions will cause a domino effect where Earth’s orbit becomes cluttered with tiny, high-speed bits of metal. That could create a near-impenetrable layer of debris that would make space launches so dangerous it would essentially trap humans on Earth."

theguardian.com/science/ng-int…

#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris

‘This feels fragile’: how a satellite-smashing chain reaction could spiral out of control

Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially

^{Frederick O'Brien (The Guardian)}

🪐🥔 #Astronaut Don Pettit cultivated purple #potatoes using a hydroponic system on the #ISS.

The sprouts grew in multiple directions due to the absence of gravity and created a shape that resembled a purple lifeform with tentacles.

👉 sciencealert.com/purple-lifefo…

#space #nasa #botany #science #microgravity #gardening #hydroponics #biology #agriculture #exploration

Purple Lifeform Photographed Sprouting 'Tentacles' on The ISS : ScienceAlert

A grotesque purple lifeform was photographed sprouting 'tentacles' on the International Space Station (ISS), causing a stir online.

^{Carly Cassella (ScienceAlert)}

I'll *never* forget how we watched the first #moonLanding live in 1969. It was a "wonder" how they arrived with these Star-Trek-like clickediclick buttons and primitive computers.

In 2026, the announcements leave me completely cold. A fascist state is showing off, and an a-hole who litters #space and poisons the atmosphere has a hand in it. And then, despite all the technology available today, they can’t even manage a landing. For me: a story of #knowledge loss.

#moon #Artemis #NASA

Folks, this is a perfectly accurate description of getting a PhD studying space.

#space #academicchatter #phd #astrophysics #Astronomy #Astrodon #science

🛰️ 'Miracle': Europe reconnects with lost spacecraft

｢ The lost spacecraft had been "tumbling" when an ESA team in Spain "saw that some sunlight is actually hitting the solar panels," Aschbacher explained.
They seized the chance, using this small amount of power to re-establish a connection.
The spacecraft's solar panel is now facing the sun, allowing it to charge its batteries ｣

phys.org/news/2026-03-miracle-…

#science #space #esa

'Miracle': Europe reconnects with lost spacecraft

The European Space Agency announced Thursday it has re-established communication with a spacecraft that is part of its Proba-3 mission, after losing contact with the satellite a month ago.

^{Science X (Phys.org)}

Hubble released a new image of the Crab Nebula
🤩🦀

The Crab is the remnant of a supernova record by Chinese astronomers in 1054.

science.nasa.gov/missions/hubb…

#space #astronomy #hubble

If we're to find extraterrestrial life in the universe, astronomers have pinpointed the best places to look.

They have identified just under 50 rocky worlds most likely to be habitable out of the more than 6,000 exoplanets discovered so far.

Their research, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, would be useful in a scenario portrayed in the newly released Hollywood blockbuster Project Hail Mary.

Learn more: ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/resea…

#space #science #projecthailmary

The best places to look for alien life: Scientists identify 45 Earth-like worlds to explore for a 'Project Hail Mary'

drupal-media[data-view-mode=half_page_width] { display: inline-block; width: 50%; } If we're to find extraterrestrial life in the universe, astronomers have pinpoint...

^{The Royal Astronomical Society}

Curiosity: 4844th day of the mission

Image captured 6 hours ago.

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

#Mars #Curiosity #rover #Sol4844 #CuriosityRover #space #science