Sunita Williams Breaks Spacewalking Record While Stranded on the ISS NASA astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams has set a new record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut, surpassing Peggy Whitson's previous record of 60 hours and 21 minutes. Williams achieved this milestone during her ninth spacewalk on January 30, 2025, as she worked outside the International Space Station

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) celebrated a major milestone with the successful launch of its 100th rocket mission on Wednesday. The mission saw the GSLV-F15 launch vehicle precisely injecting the NVS-02 navigation satellite into its designated Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). This launch, which took place early in the morning from Sriharikota, was also the first for ISRO in 2025. The event was especially significant as it marked the first mission under ISRO&

The Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, was captured in stunning detail from the International Space Station (ISS). NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared breathtaking images of the event on Sunday, which showed the illuminated banks of the Ganga, reflecting the vibrant energy of the religious congregation. The images revealed the vast scale of the gathering, with radiant lights from the devotees creating a majestic spectacle visible from space. Pettit, an Ameri

Central Europe’s agricultural land is facing significant challenges due to climate change, with a decline in productive areas already evident in countries like Slovakia, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Research has shown that rising temperatures and expanding dry conditions are shifting fertile zones towards the north and west. This transformation threatens the stability of local economies and food security, especially in areas once ideal for crop cultivation. A study led by

Archaeologists in Cambridgeshire have made an extraordinary discovery of a Roman-era cemetery that includes a unique burial involving liquid gypsum, providing rare insights into ancient burial practices. The central grave, believed to belong to a high-status individual, was found encased in a stone coffin with gypsum poured around the body, a practice known from Roman times but poorly understood. The gypsum preserved impressions of fabric from the individual's clothing, offering a glimpse

ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) has successfully completed the integration of the liquid propulsion system for the Crew Module of Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight mission. On January 21, 2025, ISRO dispatched the Crew Module to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota for further processing and integration. This uncrewed mission, known as Gaganyaan (G1), is a crucial step in ISRO's efforts to acquire human spaceflight capabilities. The Crew

Janet Petro has been appointed as the acting administrator of NASA, making history as the first woman to hold the position since the agency’s founding in 1958. This appointment comes after President Donald Trump took office, with Petro replacing Bill Nelson, the 14th NASA administrator. In her new role, Petro is responsible for overseeing NASA’s budget, programs, and operations until the U.S. Senate confirms a new administrator. Notably, Trump had nominated entrepreneur

A fascinating discovery in the darkest depths of the ocean has led researchers to uncover a process that might allow oxygen to be generated without sunlight. This breakthrough, made by placing sensors on the seafloor at depths of approximately 5 km between Hawaii and Mexico, challenges the long-standing belief that oxygen production occurs solely through photosynthesis. The sensors recorded rising oxygen levels, which researchers believe is the result of metal nodules on the seafloo

The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), set to become the world's largest visible- and infrared-light telescope, is taking shape at its construction site atop Cerro Armazones in Chile's Atacama Desert. Managed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the ELT is expected to revolutionize astronomical research upon its completion, targeted for 2028. The telescope's dome, which spans an impressive 305 feet in diameter and rises 263 feet in height, has made significant progr

On Thursday, SpaceX's latest Starship prototype experienced a catastrophic failure in space, eight minutes after launching from South Texas. The spacecraft, which was carrying mock satellites as its test payload, lost communication with SpaceX mission control, signaling an anomaly in its upper stage. This led to a total loss of the spacecraft, marking a significant setback for the company's Mars ambitions. The failure had an unexpected impact on air traffic. At least 20 comm

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most advanced telescope ever built, has provided a groundbreaking view of the universe by revealing detailed 3D maps of interstellar dust and gas. Recently, it captured the infrared glow of this cosmic material, showing delicate patterns that resemble wood grain. This discovery marks the first time scientists have been able to map the interstellar medium in such detail. The findings offer a fresh perspective on star formation and galaxy evo

Introduction to Rujm el-Hiri: Rujm el-Hiri is an ancient basalt rock structure located in the Golan Heights, approximately 16 kilometers east of the Sea of Galilee. This monument, also referred to as the "Stonehenge of the East," has fascinated scientists for years due to its unusual shifting over time. The structure, built nearly 5,000 years ago, has moved t

NASA is preparing to launch the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) to the moon to gather groundbreaking data on Earth’s magnetosphere. LEXI will capture high-resolution images of the magnetosphere's movements, offering crucial insights into how it reacts to solar wind and space weather conditions. This mission is designed to enhance our understanding of space weather, which impacts satellites, electronics, and infrastructure on Earth. The LEXI instrument wi

Blue Origin's long-awaited New Glenn rocket is preparing for its inaugural launch on Sunday, signaling a major step forward for Jeff Bezos’ space company and a potential challenge to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Standing 30 stories tall, New Glenn represents a significant multibillion-dollar effort by Blue Origin to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and capture a share of the growing satellite constellation launch market. If successful, New Glenn will also enable the deployment of A

A significant new discovery in the field of astronomy has revealed that the supernova remnant G278.94+1.35, now named Diprotodon, is much closer and larger than previously thought. Initially believed to be around 8,800 light years away, new research has shown that it is actually located approximately 3,300 light years from Earth. The remnant, which is the result of a massive stellar explosion, spans around 189 by 182 light years in size, a significant reduction from earlier estimates of over

Overview of ISRO's START 2025 Program: ISRO Chairman S Somanath delivered a keynote speech at the launch of the Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START 2025) program, emphasizing the role of space science beyond the excitement of becoming astronomers. He explained that space science involves rigorous and time-consuming work that requires years of persistent effort and expertise. He shared that this year’s program will involve 20,000 students from more than 560

Renowned rocket and spacecraft propulsion expert V. Narayanan is set to take over as the next Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), succeeding S. Somanath. His appointment comes at a pivotal time for India's space sector, which is undergoing significant reforms, with numerous ambitious projects on the horizon, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight, Chandrayaan-4, and the development of India’s own space station.

Australian scientists have pioneered a potential new method for controlling tropical disease spread by genetically engineering mosquitoes with toxic semen. The "toxic male technique" works by breeding mosquitoes that express venomous proteins in their semen, which kills female mosquitoes after mating. Since only female mosquitoes bite and spread diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, this method targets them while leaving beneficial species unharmed. The method was fir

On January 6, 2025, SpaceX successfully launched its first Starlink mission of the year from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket carried 24 new Starlink satellites into orbit, adding to SpaceX’s expansive satellite network aimed at providing high-speed internet across the globe. This launch highlights SpaceX's ongoing efforts to improve connectivity, particularly in remote and underserved areas. The Falcon 9's first stage completed a flaw

A groundbreaking new theory suggests that Pluto's moon Charon may have been captured in a "kiss and capture" scenario billions of years ago, offering a fresh perspective on the formation of planetary systems. Led by NASA postdoctoral fellow Adeene Denton at the U of A Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, this study challenges long-standing models of moon formation. Instead of the traditional collision model, the researchers propose that Pluto and Charon had a brief, icy encounter, wh