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The infographic compares two prominent commercial space companies, Vast and Axiom Space, as they prepare for private missions to the ISS. Vast, as a newcomer, is planning its debut mission from Florida with a focus on 14-day research stays to pave the way for its future "Haven" station, launching in summer 2027. In contrast, Axiom Space, an established leader, has successfully completed four missions since 2022 and is set to launch its fifth mission in January 2027 with a focus on international astronaut training. Both companies utilize SpaceX Crew Dragon for transport, emphasizing their commitment to enhancing space infrastructure and research.

NASA has awarded the 6th private astronaut mission

NASA has awarded the 6th private astronaut mission to Vast, breaking Axiom Space's streak and signaling a booming economy in Low Earth Orbit. For years, Axiom Space has been the sole operator of private missions to the ISS. But the landscape changed on Feb 12, when NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that California-based startup Vast will launch the sixth private mission in summer 2027.

Feb 161 min read

Dark Matter as a Cosmic Generator: This diagram explores how ultralight dark matter, particularly axions, generates intergalactic magnetic fields through coherent oscillations and pseudo-tachyonic resonance. Occurring approximately 380,000 years post-Big Bang, this process impacts early universe models and contributes to supermassive black hole formation.

The universe is threaded with mysterious, uniform magnetic fields.

The universe is threaded with mysterious, uniform magnetic fields. A new theory suggests they were spun into existence by "ultralight" Dark Matter. Tiny, highly uniform magnetic fields pervade the entire universe, even in the empty voids between galaxies. Their origin has been a mystery for decades. Did they form during the violent Big Bang, or later?

Feb 161 min read

JWST and Ariel combine efforts to explore the universe, with JWST acting as a high-precision sniper for detailed analyses, and Ariel performing large-scale surveys to track planetary trends and manage brightness in bright stars. Together, they create a comprehensive infrared spectral picture at the L2 Lagrange Point.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's most powerful observatory. But in 2029, it gets a partner

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's most powerful observatory. But in 2029, it gets a partner: ESA's Ariel mission. Together, they will revolutionize exoplanet science. Astronomers want data. Lots of it. While JWST is a general-purpose powerhouse capable of observing everything from black holes to comets, its time is precious and limited.

Feb 161 min read

Solving the Hubble Tension: The Power of Primordial Magnetism explores how ancient magnetic fields may reconcile conflicting measurements of the universe's expansion rate by influencing the formation of hydrogen and altering cosmic microwave background patterns.

Ancient magnetic fields from the dawn of time might finally solve the "Hubble Tension."

The universe is expanding, but our measurements don't agree on how fast. Ancient magnetic fields from the dawn of time might finally solve the "Hubble Tension." Cosmology is in crisis. When we measure the expansion of the universe using the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) (the afterglow of the Big Bang), we get one number: 67 km/s/Mpc.

Feb 161 min read

This infographic explores how Utah's Crystal and Champagne Geysers serve as terrestrial analogs for studying subsurface reservoirs and eruptive energy on icy moons, aiding future space missions like Europa Clipper and Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer.

How bubbly geysers in the Utah desert are helping NASA prepare for the icy plumes of Europa and Enceladus.

How bubbly geysers in the Utah desert are helping NASA prepare for the icy plumes of Europa and Enceladus. In the arid landscape of Green River, Utah, cold water bubbles and sprays from the ground. These aren't powered by volcanic heat like Yellowstone's geysers. They are Cold-Water Geysers, driven by carbon dioxide saturation—essentially giant, natural soda bottles.

Feb 161 min read

The EXCITE Balloon Mission: Mapping Exoplanet Atmospheres Affordably from Earth's Stratosphere, Offering Stable, Continuous Observation and Complementing Space Telescopes.

Why spend billions on a space telescope when a balloon can do the job?

Why spend billions on a space telescope when a balloon can do the job? Meet EXCITE: The mission designed to stare at Hot Jupiters for days without blinking. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a marvel, but it's busy. Getting enough time to watch an exoplanet complete a full orbit—which can take days—is difficult.

Feb 161 min read

18 Years of Insights into Pulsar PSR J1906+0746 - Global observations reveal a complex relativistic binary system and potential triple system, featuring a pulsar, a companion star, and evidence of a mysterious planet-like object.

The binary pulsar J1906+0746 is revealing the secrets of gravity.

Two compact objects locked in a 4-hour dance. A hidden planet. A glitch in the spin. The binary pulsar J1906+0746 is revealing the secrets of gravity. PSR J1906+0746 is extreme. Discovered in 2004, it spins every 144 milliseconds and whips around its companion in just under 4 hours.

Feb 161 min read

An infographic delving into why we haven't detected alien life yet, highlighting factors such as detection barriers, technosignatures, and the need for deep space surveys of the Milky Way.

A new study asks: What if signals reached Earth, but we just missed the call?

Since 1960, we've listened for aliens and heard nothing. A new study asks: What if signals reached Earth, but we just missed the call? For over 60 years, astronomers have scanned the cosmos for "technosignatures"—radio waves, laser flashes, or heat from alien megastructures. The silence is often explained by the vastness of space. But EPFL physicist Claudio Grimaldi proposes another angle.

Feb 161 min read

Discovering a cosmic clock near the Milky Way's core, researchers have identified an 8.19-millisecond pulsar candidate by Sagittarius A*, offering a unique chance to test Einstein's General Relativity. This "cosmic lighthouse" provides insights into extreme gravity's effect on space-time, with groundbreaking detections from the Breakthrough Listen Galactic Center Survey.

Researchers have found a candidate millisecond pulsar near the supermassive black hole at our galaxy's center

Researchers have found a candidate millisecond pulsar near the supermassive black hole at our galaxy's center—a potential "cosmic clock" to test Einstein's theories.Deep in the chaotic center of the Milky Way lies Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), a black hole 4 million times the mass of our sun. Finding a pulsar near this monster has been a holy grail for astronomers.

Feb 111 min read

Astronomers capture a groundbreaking event as a black hole devours a white dwarf, reaching a peak luminosity of $3 \times 10^{49}$ erg/s. Detected by the Einstein Probe, this phenomenon provides key insights into intermediate-mass black holes, with a dramatic 20-day transition from high to low-energy states. Occurring on the galaxy's remote outskirts, this tidal disruption showcases unique cosmic interactions.

A China-led space telescope has captured an intermediate-mass black hole tearing apart a white dwarf star.

A China-led space telescope has captured a rare cosmic meal: an intermediate-mass black hole tearing apart a white dwarf star.On July 2, 2025, the Einstein Probe (EP) detected a flash so bright it defied explanation. It wasn't a standard gamma-ray burst. The X-ray signal appeared before the explosion, flared to immense brightness, and then vanished in just 20 days.

Feb 111 min read

"Exploring the Early Universe: Rapid Formation of Galaxies Unveils Cosmic Mysteries. Just 1.4 billion years post-Big Bang, massive elliptical galaxies emerged, challenging traditional models. The infographic highlights a rapid assembly process and compares the high star formation rate and swift assembly of protocluster SPT2349-56 with our modern Milky Way."

How did massive galaxies exist just after the Big Bang?

How did massive galaxies exist just after the Big Bang? New research reveals they didn't grow slowly—they exploded into existence. For two decades, astronomers have been puzzled by a timeline problem. Massive, "old" elliptical galaxies were found existing just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang. According to standard models, they shouldn't have had time to grow that big.

Feb 111 min read

Exploring the Cosmic Age Paradox: The infographic highlights the intriguing question of whether galaxies could be older than the universe itself. It features the case study of galaxy JADES-1050323, suggesting a statistical anomaly in age estimation that challenges the standard Lambda-CDM model. The findings, derived from observations at redshift 7.3, indicate galaxies may have formed too fast, potentially invalidating current cosmological models.

The James Webb Space Telescope has found galaxies that appear to be older than the universe itself.

The James Webb Space Telescope has found galaxies that appear to be older than the universe itself. Is the standard Big Bang model broken? The standard model of cosmology (Lambda-CDM) says the universe is 13.8 billion years old. When we look deep into space, we look back in time. At high redshifts ($z$), the universe should be very young.

Feb 111 min read