Quick thinking preserved a meteorite that crashed into someone’s house. The homeowner who found it put on gloves, placed the rock (pictured) in a jar, and then called the American Meteor Society. Thanks to these measures, this is now one of the most pristine meteorites of its kind on Earth. Image credit: SETI Institute.
Astronomers have found evidence of an atmosphere around a rocky planet in its star’s habitable zone. Observations of LHS 1140 b — a rocky exoplanet 49 light-years away — using the Magellan Clay telescope in Chile, detected signs of gas escaping from the planet. This suggests the presence of an atmosphere, which would be the first direct identification of an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet if confirmed.
NASA has shared new details about the Artemis III lunar landing test. Planned for 2027, the mission will launch a four-person crew to low Earth orbit in the Orion capsule. SpaceX and Blue Origin will also each launch test versions of their lunar landers. The Artemis III crew will perform two separate, back-to-back rendezvous and docking maneuvers between Orion and the lander test vehicles, and then return to Earth.
NASA has announced a new round of innovative mission concepts. NASA has selected a new round of visionary concepts for its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, supporting early-stage studies of ambitious space technologies. The 2026 selections include a balloon drone to explore the caves of Titan, a mission of 10,000 tiny satellites to orbit through Saturn’s rings, and more.