Against a blue backdrop, an orange triable connects the foot of an astronaut to a black and white image of a house.

Alex Schmidt and Katie Goldin explore why gypsum is secretly incredibly fascinating. Visit http://sifpod.fun/ for research sources, handy links, and this week's bonus episode.

LINKS FOR KATIE GOLDIN:

• Katie Goldin on Bluesky
• @ProBirdRights on Bluesky
• 'Creature Feature' podcast (iHeartRadio)
• When Is a Bird a ‘Birb’? An Extremely Important Guide (Audubon)

**RESOURCES USED TO…

Following a six-month battle to regain communication with its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN)…

The post NASA concludes MAVEN mission at Mars, uses data to discover new atmospheric phenomenon appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

These are heady days for NASA and the space industry. The Artemis 2 crew flew around the moon, traveling farther into space than any humans previously had; NASA announced an […]

The post Let’s build the moon base, but not lose sight of Mars appeared first on SpaceNews.

Engineers at MIT have successfully tested a hybrid propulsion system for small satellites that combines the raw punch of chemical rockets with the long-haul efficiency of electric thrusters – and crucially, both run on the same fuel. This tech could propel cheap, briefcase-sized spacecraft to Mars and beyond.

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Category: Space Systems, Engineering

Tags: MIT, Satellite,…

The first mission devoted to observing the Martian atmosphere and its evolution, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution), has ended after more than 11 years in orbit at Mars and a decade beyond its primary, one-year mission. The spacecraft was heard last on Dec. 6, when it experienced an unexpected loss of signal after […]

The Daily Star's music guru picks the 50 greatest bands of all time and bringing the chaos with just socks to protect their modesty - it's the Red Hot Chili Peppers No48

Could this Soviet-era spacecraft be pretending to be a "dark comet?"

The post Paper Claims the “Asteroid” Japan’s Probe Is Approaching Is Actually a Derelict Spacecraft appeared first on Futurism.

This certainly beats using human waste to grow potatoes on Mars.

The post Scientists Say They’ve Found Fungi That Turn Dead Martian Soil Into Fertile Cropland appeared first on Futurism.

Researchers have uncovered an unexpected phenomenon, dubbed the Zwan-Wolf effect, squeezing plasma "like toothpaste" in Mars' upper atmosphere. This effect, which also happens on Earth, was thought to be impossible on the Red Planet.

The whale tail craze – also known as the visible thong trend – is back and racier than it ever was. Beautiful models paid homage to the noughties style at Miami Swim Week

Scientists analyzed 20 Martian samples collected by NASA’s Curiosity Rover and found that differences in hematite crystallite size at varying elevations could serve as a new mineralogical marker for understanding Mars’ ancient climate.

The Perseverance rover photographed the Margin Unit (Mars 2020 mission, sols 1005–1006) in the Jezero Crater. The inset images show spectroscopic mineral data from the rover’s SuperCam instrument suite. Credit: Navcam image: NASA/JPL-Caltech; SuperCam mosaics: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS/IRAP

Curiosity took the images on May 17, 2026, Sols 4897-4893 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at drive 462, site number 122. The local mean solar time for the image exposures was from 1 PM to 4 PM. Each Navcam image has a 45 degree field of view.

The post Sol 4897: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection appeared first on NASA Science.

Curiosity took the images on May 15, 2026, Sols 4895-4893 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at drive 462, site number 122. The local mean solar time for the image exposures was from 4 PM to 12 PM. Each Navcam image has a 45 degree field of view.

The post Sol 4895: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection appeared first on NASA Science.

Curiosity took the images on May 13, 2026, Sol 4893 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at drive 462, site number 122. The local mean solar time for the image exposures was from 3 PM to 4 PM. Each Navcam image has a 45 degree field of view.

The post Sol 4893: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection appeared first on NASA Science.

Curiosity took the images on May 11, 2026, Sol 4891 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at drive 360, site number 122. The local mean solar time for the image exposures was from 1 PM to 2 PM. Each Navcam image has a 45 degree field of view.

The post Sol 4891: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection appeared first on NASA Science.

Curiosity took the images on May 08, 2026, Sol 4889 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at drive 138, site number 122. The local mean solar time for the image exposures was from 11 AM to 12 PM. Each Navcam image has a 45 degree field of view.

The post Sol 4889: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection appeared first on NASA Science.

NASA’s new electric propulsion engine set a U.S. power record and could transform future Mars missions. The thrusters use much less fuel than chemical rockets while gradually reaching extremely high speeds. Imagine you’re part of the fourth crewed mission to Mars. Before launch, engineers promise that the Odyssey spacecraft will deliver the smoothest journey ever [...]

Data from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft revealed a never-before-seen atmospheric effect on Mars, revealing how solar storms may shape planets without strong magnetic fields.

Nature may have already figured out the best way to get around the Red Planet.

The post New Mars rover could swim through sand like a desert lizard appeared first on Popular Science.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft just used Mars as a giant slingshot on its journey to a mysterious metal world that could reveal what’s hidden inside planets like Earth. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft successfully completed a close flyby of Mars on May 15, passing just 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) above the planet’s surface. The maneuver used Mars’ gravity [...]

Engineers are increasingly turning to the concept of "biomimicry" for the next generation of Mars robots.

NASA took advantage of the recent close approach of the Psyche probe to Mars to calibrate its observation instruments.

On its way to a metal asteroid, NASA's Psyche probe tested its cameras as it got a gravity assist from the Red Planet.

Starship V3 reached space, survived reentry, and proved it can fly with engines out.

The post Elon Musk called it Epic: The full story of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 12 appeared first on TESLARATI.

Maybe we should send more billionaires to space.

The post SpaceX Announces Plans to Put Billionaire on First Rocket to Mars appeared first on Futurism.

If anyone can solve the debate over alien life it’s former International Space Station commander Chris Hadfield. He speaks exclusively to the Daily Star

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has stumbled across an unusual sight: a stack of rocks on the Martian surface.

Credit: Iewek Gnos/Unsplash