Apr 30 NASA goes private for 1st astronaut lunar landers in decades By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Thursday the three companies that will develop and build lunar landers, with the goal of returning astronauts to the moon by 2024, and ultimately on to Mars. Continue reading
Apr 30 Alabama student names NASA’s first Mars helicopter By Associated Press Ingenuity, the name submitted by Vaneeza Rupani, was selected for the 4 pound (1.8 kilograms) solar-powered helicopter, NASA said in a statement on Wednesday. Continue reading
Apr 22 These charts show how the environment has changed since the first Earth Day By Andrea Thompson, Scientific American These charts show that while progress has been made in some areas, humanity still has a major impact on the planet. Continue reading
Apr 22 Why Jane Goodall says human disregard for nature led to the coronavirus pandemic By Joshua Barajas “We are all interconnected,” the famed primatologist, and a leading voice in conservation efforts, told the PBS NewsHour. “And if we don’t get that lesson from this pandemic, then maybe we never will.”… Continue reading
Apr 22 Earth Day turns 50, and the green movement faces fresh challenges By Michael Casey, Tammy Webber, Associated Press Black, brown and poor communities suffer disproportionately from ongoing contamination. Deforestation, habitat loss and overfishing have wreaked havoc on global biodiversity. And the existential threat of climate change looms larger than anything that came before. Continue reading
Apr 17 U.S.-Russian space crew lands safely in Kazakhstan By Daria Litvinova, Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press A U.S.-Russian crew landed safely Friday in the steppes of Kazakhstan following a stint on the International Space Station and was greeted with extra precautions due to the coronavirus. Continue reading
Apr 15 Owls’ silent flight inspires quieter technology By Dana Mackenzie, Knowable Magazine No one knows exactly how the nocturnal hunters manage their whisper-soft flight, yet it is inspiring the design of quieter airplanes, fans and wind turbines. Continue reading
Apr 14 Decades since the last great comet show, a promising candidate breaks down By Isabella Isaacs-Thomas The comet, known as C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS), has shown signs of falling apart, and is no longer expected to treat stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere to a spectacular show. Continue reading
Apr 13 How universities are developing COVID-19 solutions in real time By Cat Wise Dorms are empty and classroom lights are off at the vast majority of America’s colleges and universities, but that hasn’t stopped many in academia from jumping in to help. Continue reading
Apr 10 After months in space, astronauts returning to a changed world By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press Two NASA astronauts said they expect it will be tough returning to such a drastically changed world next week, after more than half a year at the International Space Station. Continue reading