Ray Jayawardhana begins his tenure today as the 10th president of the California Institute of Technology. His selection as Caltech’s president, and as the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of astronomy, was announced Jan. 6. Jayawardhana succeeds Thomas Rosenbaum, who had served as Caltech’s president since 2014. Founded in 1891, Caltech manages…
On 17 June 2026 at 09:21 local time (13:21 BST, 14:21 CEST), Ariane 6 flight VA269 soared to orbit from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. 36 satellites for Amazon’s Leo constellation left Earth powered by four P160C-based boosters, the first time these upgraded boosters were used – making this launch the most powerful so far…
NASA may be preparing to give one of its most recognizable rover designs an entirely new destination. During a recent Artemis update, the agency revealed that it is studying the possibility of sending PROMISE, a spare engineering model based on the Perseverance and Curiosity Mars rovers, to the Moon’s south pole. The concept could transform…
Written by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute Earth planning date: Friday, June 26, 2026 There were two planning cycles over this span of sols. The Monday planning took place with Curiosity situated within a unit that from orbital imagery appeared light-toned, and from earlier rover positions appeared smooth. Reaching this unit, the…
‘Big dumb objects’ (BDOs) appear to great effect in science fiction. They come in all manner of sizes and shapes and they fulfill a wide range of functions. An early favorite of mine was Cordwainer Smith’s “Golden the Ships Were Oh! Oh! Oh!,” which I snagged on a long ago trip to a Chicago newsstand,…
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is giving us new insight into the far-future of solar systems like our own, as the agency continues to reveal the secrets of the universe and our place in it. Billions of years ago, a Sun-like star nearing the end of its life swelled tremendously in size to become a…
NASA Moon Base Update (June 30, 2026) – YouTube Watch On Update for 5:30 p.m. ET on June 30: During its Moon Base update today (June 30), NASA revealed a handful of new lunar-lander contracts and announced that it’s considering launching a spare Mars rover to the moon. Read all about it here. NASA will…
A spectacular Atlas V launch propels 27 Kuiper satellites towards orbit. Credit: Jeff Seibert/AmericaSpace. Amazon is a company which is used to making big investments. Over the past 30 years, it has revolutionized the e-commerce industry by developing products such as its online store, its Amazon Prime streaming service, and its Kindle tablet. However, even…
As July begins, three planets adorn the early evening sky. Look toward the northwest and you’ll see Venus. The planet shines brilliantly at magnitude –4.1 and shows up easily 30 minutes after sunset. It creeps slowly away from the Sun and into a darker sky as July progresses. Venus also becomes more attractive through a…
NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, secured to the mobile launcher, are seen as they make the 4.2 mile journey toward Launch Pad 39B, on January 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani Almost as tall as a football field, NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and…