Hacker News with Generative AI: Space Exploration

Signs of alien life on exoplanet K2-18B may just be statistical noise (newscientist.com)
Apparent signs of alien life on the exoplanet K2-18b may just be statistical noise, according to a new analysis of data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Space Exploration, Exoplanets, Astronomy, Statistical Analysis
11 points by cryptoz 23 hours ago | 1 comments
North American Aviation's 1965 Plan for Piloted Planetary Flybys in the 1970s (blogspot.com)
A flyby is the simplest planetary exploration mission.
Space Exploration, History, Aviation, Planetary Science
18 points by sebg 2 days ago | 0 comments
50 years of climate change has changed the face of the 'Blue Marble' from space (bbc.com)
The "Blue Marble" was the first photograph of the whole Earth and the only one ever taken by a human. Fifty years on, new images of the planet reveal visible changes to the Earth's surface.
Climate Change, Earth Science, Space Exploration, Photography
8 points by Brajeshwar 4 days ago | 0 comments
NASA's Next Major Space Telescope Is Ready to Launch. Trump Wants to Kill It (scientificamerican.com)
Amid harsh cuts, the Trump administration has proposed canceling the nearly ready-to-launch Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Space Exploration, Politics, Astronomy, Science, Government
16 points by croes 4 days ago | 5 comments
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson (nasa.gov)
In its second asteroid encounter, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million years ago.
Space Exploration, Asteroids, NASA, Spacecraft
7 points by colinprince 4 days ago | 0 comments
Ultra-precision formation flying demonstration for space-based interferometry (arxiv.org)
We propose SILVIA (Space Interferometer Laboratory Voyaging towards Innovative Applications), a mission concept designed to demonstrate ultra-precision formation flying between three spacecraft separated by 100 m.
Space Exploration, Technology, Aerospace Engineering, Astronomy, Scientific Research
70 points by PaulHoule 4 days ago | 23 comments
ACES on its way to orbit: Ultra-precise European atomic clocks now in space (esa.int)
ESA’s Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) is on its way to the International Space Station to redefine how we measure time – from space. Using its two cutting-edge clocks and an advanced time transfer system, ACES will deliver the most accurate time signal ever transmitted from space and connect the world’s best clocks to test fundamental physics from orbit, including Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
Space Exploration, Timekeeping, Physics, Atomic Clocks
4 points by layer8 5 days ago | 0 comments
There's a secret reason the Space Force is delaying the next Atlas V launch (arstechnica.com)
Last week, the first operational satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband network were minutes from launch at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Space Exploration, Military, Amazon, Satellites, Delays
6 points by 01-_- 5 days ago | 0 comments
Judith Resnick (wikipedia.org)
Judith Arlene Resnik (April 5, 1949 – January 28, 1986) was an American electrical engineer, software engineer, biomedical engineer, pilot and NASA astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
Biography, Space Exploration, Engineering, NASA, Accidents
7 points by 737min 5 days ago | 0 comments
Oldest Satellite Has Been in Space for 67 Years. Engineers Want to Bring It Home (gizmodo.com)
An awkward-looking, spherical satellite the size of a grapefruit launched in March 1958, and was boosted into a high elliptical orbit. The satellite, named Vanguard-1, was a test of launch capabilities during the early days of the historic space age. Other satellites of its time have reentered through Earth’s atmosphere, burning up in a fiery death, but Vanguard-1 is still in orbit, silently zooming through the void of space.
Space Exploration, Satellites, History
15 points by bradac56 6 days ago | 5 comments
Lichens can survive almost anything, and some might survive Mars (arstechnica.com)
Whether anything ever lived on Mars is unknown. And the present environment, with harsh temperatures, intense radiation, and a sparse atmosphere, isn’t exactly propitious for life. Despite the red planet’s brutality, lichens that inhabit some of the harshest environments on Earth could possibly survive there.
Space Exploration, Biology, Mars, Lichens
26 points by abacussh 7 days ago | 11 comments
Trump official: "You cannot identify as an astronaut" (arstechnica.com)
It turns out the FAA now takes no role in identifying who is an astronaut.
Space Exploration, Politics, Government Regulations, Space Law
15 points by abacussh 7 days ago | 5 comments
Moon, Mars: China leads to both (spacenews.com)
In the Senate hearing considering the confirmation of Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator, he and Senator Ted Cruz engaged in extensive dialogue about China. They strongly expressed the view that the United States must get our astronauts back to the moon before the Chinese get theirs there. Isaacman expanded that goal to assert that we should work on sending humans to Mars at the same time.
Space Exploration, China, NASA, Mars
7 points by defrost 7 days ago | 2 comments
We Diagnosed and Fixed the 2023 Voyager 1 Anomaly from 15B Miles Away [video] (youtube.com)
Space Exploration, Technology, Engineering, Voyager 1, Remote Diagnostics
192 points by noselasd 7 days ago | 18 comments
NASA's next space-telescope is almost ready to launch but may be killed by cuts (scientificamerican.com)
Amid harsh cuts, the Trump administration has proposed canceling the nearly ready-to-launch Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Space Exploration, Government Funding, Astronomy
13 points by ck2 7 days ago | 3 comments
Curiosity rover finds large carbonate deposits on Mars (phys.org)
Research from NASA's Curiosity rover has found evidence of a carbon cycle on ancient Mars, bringing scientists closer to an answer on whether the red planet was ever capable of supporting life.
Mars, Space Exploration, Science, Geology
64 points by pseudolus 8 days ago | 9 comments
Doge cuts spark questions as employees supporting Musk space launches spared (theguardian.com)
Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” and the Trump administration have spared the jobs of US Department of Transportation employees who provide support services for spacecraft launches by Musk’s companies, SpaceX and Starlink – a revelation that raises a new round of conflict of interest questions around Doge.
Space Exploration, Government, Elon Musk
14 points by n1b0m 8 days ago | 3 comments
20 years on, DART still a masterclass in how not to rendezvous in orbit (theregister.com)
It is twenty years since NASA's DART mission collided with a satellite after depleting its fuel during a rendezvous attempt.
Space Exploration, Engineering, History, NASA
4 points by LorenDB 9 days ago | 0 comments
Why are two TX senators trying to wrest a Space Shuttle from the Smithsonian? (arstechnica.com)
Should the city of Houston, which proudly bills itself as "Space City," have a prized Space Shuttle orbiter on public display?
Space Exploration, Politics, Museums
17 points by pmags 9 days ago | 4 comments
Strongest evidence of life yet found on planet beyond solar system (news.sky.com)
Scientists have found what they are calling the strongest sign yet of possible life beyond our solar system after detecting the chemical footprint of gases in an alien planet's atmosphere that on Earth are only produced by living organisms.
Space Exploration, Astronomy, Astrobiology, Exoplanets
11 points by austinallegro 9 days ago | 2 comments
Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA (arstechnica.com)
This massive cut to NASA Science will not stand, US Rep. George Whitesides, D-California, told Ars. "For weeks we have been raising the alarm about a rumored 50 percent cut to NASA's world-leading science efforts. Now we know it is true. I will work alongside my colleagues on the Science Committee to make clear how this would decimate American leadership in space and inflict great damage to NASA centers across the country."
Politics, Space Exploration, Science Funding, Government Funding, NASA
19 points by decimalenough 9 days ago | 0 comments
Exoplanet K2-18B: Alien ocean world likely 'teeming with life' (thetimes.com)
Exoplanets, Astronomy, Space Exploration, Life
5 points by kapkapkap 9 days ago | 1 comments
16th-Century Manuscript Reveals the First Designs for Modern Rockets (openculture.com)
History, Science, Space Exploration, Engineering
9 points by coloneltcb 9 days ago | 1 comments
FCC head Brendan Carr tells Europe to get on board with Starlink (arstechnica.com)
One of President Donald Trump’s top officials has warned European allies hesitant about working with Elon Musk’s satellite Internet company that they needed to choose between US and Chinese technology.
Space Exploration, Politics, Satellite Internet, Technology
9 points by voxadam 10 days ago | 3 comments
US senator warns 'China is cheering' for proposed NASA budget cuts (theregister.com)
The proposed cuts to NASA's budget are drawing sharp criticism from US lawmakers, with one saying: "If you cut this budget, you cut into the heart of America's leadership when it comes to space exploration."
Space Exploration, Politics, China, NASA, US Government
12 points by rntn 11 days ago | 0 comments
Time for Space Force to 'clearly say' it needs 'weapons in space': SPACECOM head (breakingdefense.com)
SPACE SYMPOSIUM 2025 — Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of US Space Command, today put a capstone on the public campaign by top military space officials to reorient the US way of war to emphasize space is very much a new front for fighting — deliberately calling out the need for the deployment of “weapons” in space.
Military, Space Exploration, Weapons, Defense
4 points by TMWNN 11 days ago | 1 comments
School student uses AI to reveal 1.5M previously unknown objects in space (phys.org)
Through his research at Caltech, a local high school student revealed 1.5 million previously unknown objects in space, broadened the potential of a NASA mission, and published a single-author paper.
Space Exploration, Artificial Intelligence, Education, Astronomy
12 points by Brajeshwar 13 days ago | 0 comments
White House proposal would slash NASA science budget and cancel major missions (spacenews.com)
DENVER — The White House is proposing steep cuts in NASA’s science program that, if implemented, would cancel several major missions, contradicting claims by the administration’s nominee to lead the agency.
Space Exploration, Government, Science, Budget Cuts
25 points by sega_sai 13 days ago | 2 comments
Getting a Signal on the Moon: 4G network for lunar missions (ieee.org)
Nokia’s 4G cellular network will be a game-changer for lunar missions
Space Exploration, Telecommunications, Technology, 4G, Moon
15 points by sundarurfriend 13 days ago | 4 comments
Sneak Preview of 2026 NASA Budget Is a Science-Killing Horror Show (gizmodo.com)
After weeks of uncertainty, it appears that the Trump administration is preparing to gut NASA, based on a preliminary budget that would see the space agency’s funding nearly halved.
NASA, Space Exploration, Politics, Budget, Science
11 points by rbanffy 14 days ago | 0 comments