Matt Williams

British Columbia, Canada, Victoria

Writer and Curator at Universe Today

Content Writer at Interesting Engineering

Author and Freelance Writer at Freelance

Articles

NASA's FY 2026 Budget Request has been Released

1 day ago | universetoday.com | Matt Williams

It's official. NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request (FY 2026) has been released, and the news is decidedly mixed. In a previous article, we examined the FY 2026 Budget Request (released on May 2nd) and its recommendations for the coming year. With the release of the FY 2026 Budget, what was previewed and the anxiety it caused for many have been confirmed.
Missions to Mars with the Starship could only take three months

3 days ago | phys.org | Matt Williams |Lisa Lock |Robert Egan

Mars has received considerable attention in the past few decades, thanks to the many robotic missions exploring it to learn more about its past. NASA and China plan to send astronauts/taikonauts there in the coming decades, and commercial space companies like SpaceX hope to send passengers there sooner. This presents several significant challenges, one of the greatest being the lengthy transit times involved.
Water Discovered Around a Young, Sun-Like Star For First Time

3 days ago | sciencealert.com | Matt Williams

For decades it was thought that water was prevalent in the outer reaches of the Solar System early in its history, with comets and asteroids delivering moisture to Earth and the inner planets during the Late Heavy Bombardment period around 4 billion years ago. An abundance of ice in places like the Kuiper Belt – the ring of 'iceteroids' in the outer Solar System – supports the idea.
Missions to Mars with the Starship Could Only Take Three Months

4 days ago | universetoday.com | Matt Williams

Mars has received considerable attention in the past few decades, thanks to the many robotic missions exploring it to learn more about its past. NASA and China plan to send astronauts/taikonauts there in the coming decades, and commercial space companies like SpaceX hope to send passengers there sooner. This presents several significant challenges, one of the greatest being the lengthy transit times involved.
Passing stars could have a significant impact on the future of our solar system

4 days ago | phys.org | Matt Williams |Lisa Lock |Robert Egan

For centuries, astronomers have sought to understand the formation and evolution of the solar system and the dynamics that govern it. In particular, there is the long-standing question of whether or not the planets' orbits will remain stable over time. However, these studies have generally treated the solar system as an isolated system, focusing solely on the gravitational interactions between the planets.
Satellite megaconstellations threaten radio astronomy observations, expert warns

1 week ago | phys.org | Matt Williams |Gaby Clark |Robert Egan

For years, the commercial space sector has been abuzz about the prospect of satellite "super constellations" in Earth orbit. These satellites would provide everything from communications and navigation to broadband internet services. Meanwhile, developments in small satellites (aka.
Could Satellites Endanger Radio Astronomy?

1 week ago | universetoday.com | Matt Williams

For years, the commercial space sector has been abuzz about the prospect of satellite "super constellations" in Earth's orbit. These satellites would provide everything from communications and navigation to broadband internet services. Meanwhile, developments in small satellites (aka. CubeSats) and rideshare programs have made space more accessible to research institutes, universities, and organizations.
Clouds Could Enhance the Search for Life on Exoplanets

1 week ago | universetoday.com | Matt Williams

When searching for life in the Universe (aka. astrobiology), scientists use strategies that go by various names. For example, there's the "follow the water" approach, looking for signs of oxygen gas, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and other compounds associated with life here on Earth. Collectively, these are known as "biosignatures" (or "biomarkers"), referring to evidence of biological activity and processes.
Passing Stars Could Have a Significant Impact on the Future of our Solar System

1 week ago | universetoday.com | Matt Williams

For centuries, astronomers have sought to understand the formation and evolution of the Solar System and the dynamics that govern it. In particular, there is the long-standing question of whether or not the planets' orbits will remain stable over time. However, these studies have generally treated the Solar System as an isolated system, focusing solely on the gravitational interactions between the planets.
As Starship prepares to fly, orbital refueling may be its biggest threat

1 week ago | interestingengineering.com | Matt Williams

In our last installment, we explored the evolution of the Starship concept and NASA’s decision to partner with SpaceX for the Artemis Program’s Human Landing System (HLS). We also touched on technical issues in orbital flight tests, including engine malfunctions and limited payload capacity. Today, we’ll examine other issues, including unanswered questions about orbital refueling that have led NASA to voice its concerns over the spacecraft’s viability.