Space & Earth Science

1. NASA's Chandra releases timelapse movies of Crab Nebula and Cassiopeia A

   New movies of two of the most famous objects in the sky—the Crab Nebula and Cassiopeia A—are being released from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Each includes X-ray data collected by Chandra over about two decades. They show dramatic changes in the debris and radiation remaining after the explosion of two massive stars in our galaxy.

2. Pushing the limits of sub-kilowatt electric propulsion technology for space mission concepts

   NASA has developed an advanced propulsion technology to facilitate future planetary exploration missions using small spacecraft. Not only will this technology enable new types of planetary science missions, one of NASA's commercial partners is already preparing to use it for another purpose—to extend the lifetimes of spacecraft that are already in orbit.

3. A NASA rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilized life on Mars

   While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, NASA's Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to "search for potential evidence of past life", according to the official mission objectives.

4. Signs of 'spider' phenomenon on Mars

   ESA's Mars Express has snapped the telltale traces of "spiders" scattered across the southern polar region of Mars.