A wave of satellite launches and reentries is changing the chemistry and physics of the middle and upper atmosphere.
Look up on a clear night and you'll see the streaks of our modern satellite networks. What you don't see is the growing fallout for the atmosphere that keeps us alive.
A wave of satellite launches and reentries is changing the chemistry and physics of the middle and upper atmosphere. Studies warn of ozone depletion, stratospheric heating, and new metal aerosols from burning spacecraft.
Mar 111 min read
The Vera Rubin Observatory will do more than probe dark energy—it is poised to revolutionize our detection of Near-Earth Objects
The Vera Rubin Observatory will do more than probe dark energy—it is poised to revolutionize our detection of Near-Earth Objects, giving us unprecedented warning before they strike.
The Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO) has barely begun observations and is already wowing us. Images like its Cosmic Treasure Chest have us anticipating even more cosmic glory. And when the observatory sent out 800,000 alerts in one night in February, we got a taste of the scientific boost it will giv
Mar 111 min read
A new analysis from the German Aerospace Center proposes a European alternative that trades brute force for pure efficiency
SpaceX's Starship is rewriting the rules of spaceflight. But a rigorous new analysis from the German Aerospace Center proposes a European alternative that trades brute force for pure efficiency.
In the summer of 2023, SpaceX's Starship—a stainless steel tower taller than a 30-story building—lit its 33 engines simultaneously and lifted off. By flight test five, the Super Heavy booster was caught midair by the enormous mechanical arms of its own launch tower.
Mar 31 min read
