SpaceX Plans Mars Missions As Soon As 2018

The bold announcement from private spaceflight company occurred on April 27th, 2016 via their social feeds. They plan on launching the 'Red Dragon' spacecrafts atop Falcon 9 Heavy rockets, that are still under development.

Size of monster black hole formed by trio of colliding galaxies stuns scientists

Three colliding spiral galaxies 1.8 billion light years from Earth have produced a monster black hole weighing in at 3 billion times the mass of the Sun

Microscopic 'timers' reveal likely source of galactic space radiation

Most of the cosmic rays that we detect at Earth originated relatively recently in nearby clusters of massive stars, according to new results from NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft.

The Universe, where space-time becomes discrete: Relativity and quantum mechanics: A non-local union?

A theoretical study has analyzed a model that saves special relativity and reconciles it with granularity by introducing small-scale deviations from the principle of locality demonstrating that it can be experimentally tested with great precision.

Why sailing to the stars has suddenly become a realistic goal

It takes a bold person to declare that interstellar travel is now within our grasp. Physicist Stephen Hawking has shown that he is just that, taking part in the Breakthrough Starshot initiative.

Dwarf Dark Galaxy Hidden in ALMA Gravitational Lens Image

Subtle distortions hidden in ALMA’s stunning image of the gravitational lens SDP.81 are telltale signs that a dwarf dark galaxy is lurking in the halo of a much larger galaxy nearly 4 billion light-years away. This discovery paves the way for ALMA to find many more such objects and could help astronomers address important questions on the nature of dark matter.In 2014, as part of ALMA’s Long Baseline Campaign, astronomers studied a variety of astronomical objects to test the telescope's new, high-resolution capabilities.

The Universe is expanding faster than the laws of physics can explain, new measurements reveal

The most precise measurement ever made of the current rate of expansion of the Universe has been achieved by physicists in the US, and there's a problem: the Universe is expanding 8 percent faster than our current laws of physics can explain.

Animation of Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System (HERTS)

NASA engineers are conducting tests to develop models for the Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System (HERTS) concept. An electric sail could potentially send scientific payloads to the edge of our solar system, the heliopause, in less than 10 years.

The Next 6 Milestones in the Commercial Space Race

It's an exciting time to be alive if you're keen to watch humans get off this planet. A private space race is taking off, opening new pathways to orbit while sparking a burst of technological innovation. Even better, thanks to the magic of internet live streaming, we're watching history unfold in real time.

Astrophysicists find triple star system with 'hot Jupiter'

Crisp, clear images of a "hot Jupiter" system captured by a physicist were vital in determining that a newly found planet inhabits a three-star system, a phenomenon documented only a few times before.

Monster black hole discovered in unlikely galaxy

Astronomers find a monster black hole 17 billion times more massive than the sun, raising suspicions supermassive black holes may be more common than first thought.

Astronomers just found a stable planet in a triple-star system

While we sit here on Earth looking up in wonder at how awesome our star, the Sun, is, astronomers have just found a stable planet inside a triple-star system that makes our Solar System seem rather boring.

Ten Trillion-Degree Quasar Astonishes Astronomers

A newly deployed space telescope has struck pay dirt almost immediately, discovering a quasar - a superheated region of dust and gas around a black hole - that is releasing jets at least seventy times hotter than was thought possible.

Simple Synthetic Cell Could Aid Hunt for Alien Life

The identification of core genes needed for life may not only spill secrets of how biology got its start on Earth, but also shed light on the hunt for life beyond the planet.