JWST has found methane and carbon dioxide in an exoplanet atmosphere. K2-18 b is an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth that lies about 120 light-years away, orbiting in its star’s habitable zone where surface liquid water could be possible. JWST’s new insights add to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a promising environment to search for evidence for life. Pictured: An artist’s impression of K2-18 b. Image credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmsted (STScI).
Japan has launched a lunar lander. The SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) spacecraft took off last week and will attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface in a few months, potentially making Japan the fifth country to land on the Moon. The launch also carried the XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) space telescope, a collaboration between JAXA, NASA, and the European Space Agency.
Psyche is set for an October launch. The mission to the asteroid of the same name faced setbacks last year when it missed its launch window due to institutional issues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where it was being built. Psyche is back on track now, and is scheduled to launch sometime between Oct. 5 and Oct. 25.