New images of the Vega star system suggest it has no large planets. Imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope and JWST (pictured) suggest that the disk of small particles surrounding the nearby star Vega is smooth, without gaps produced by planets clearing their orbits. This makes Vega different from other stars observed this way, shedding light on the diversity of star systems. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA et al.
NEOWISE has burned up in the atmosphere, but its impact is far from over. NASA’s NEOWISE asteroid-hunting spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere last Friday as expected. The spacecraft began as the WISE astrophysics mission in 2009 and shifted to searching for asteroids in 2013. During that time it mapped the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, providing data that could continue yielding discoveries for years to come.
VIPER has passed all pre-launch tests, but it’s unclear whether it will get to launch. The NASA mission to map water on the Moon’s south pole was canceled in July because the agency was concerned about potential future cost overruns. The rover is completely built, however, and recently passed all three of the required pre-launch tests. NASA has invited other organizations to submit proposals to take over the program.
Mars may have remained habitable for longer than we thought. A new study from researchers at Harvard University has suggested that the planet’s magnetic field, which protected the thick atmosphere and thereby made stable bodies of liquid water possible on its surface, may have survived until about 3.9 billion years ago. This is hundreds of millions of years longer than previous estimates of 4.1 billion years ago.
ISRO is delaying its first astronaut launch to 2026. The India Space Research Organization announced last week that it will delay the first crewed launch of its Gaganyaan human spaceflight program to ensure crew safety. ISRO still plans to conduct test flights this year, including sending a humanoid robot to low Earth orbit in December. If the Gaganyaan program succeeds, it will make India the fourth country to independently launch humans into space, after the United States, Russia, and China.