Nancy Atkinson

Minnesota

Editor at Universe Today

Space/Science journalist & author of book on Apollo, "Eight Years to the Moon," https://t.co/Xt5L5iikZC

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Articles

The New Mars Landing Approach: How We'll Land Large Payloads on the Red Planet

Nov 18, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

Back in 2007, I talked with Rob Manning, engineer extraordinaire at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and he told me something shocking. Even though he had successfully led the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) teams for three Mars rover missions, he said the prospect of landing a human mission on the Red Planet might be impossible. But now, after nearly 20 years of work and research — as well as more successful Mars rover landings — Manning says the outlook has vastly improved.
Three More "Galactic Monster" Ultra-Massive Galaxies Found

Nov 18, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

One of the surprise findings with the James Webb Space Telescope is the discovery of massive galaxies in the early Universe. The expectations were that only young, small, baby galaxies would exist within the first billion years after the Big Bang. But some of the newly found galaxies appear to be as large and as mature as galaxies that we see today. Three more of these “monster” galaxies have now been found, and they have a similar mass to our own Milky Way.
Our Breathtaking Cosmos: New Zealand Astrophotography Winners Announced

Nov 14, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

The New Zealand Astrophotography Competition showcases and recognizes some of the most stunning images of the southern hemisphere’s night sky. This year, photographers from across New Zealand have captured some incredibly breathtaking skyscapes such as amazing auroras, stunning images of our Solar System, and deep-sky marvels. Universe Today was proud to be part of this year’s competition, as our own Fraser Cain was one of the judges.
A Trash Compactor is Going to the Space Station

Nov 9, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

Astronauts on the International Space Station generate their share of garbage, filling up cargo ships that then deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere. Now Sierra Space has won a contract to build a trash compactor for the space station. The device will compact space trash by 75% in volume and allow water and other gases to be extracted for reclamation. The resulting garbage blocks are easily stored and could even be used as radiation shielding on long missions.
NASA Wants to Move Heavy Cargo on the Moon

Oct 31, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

While new rockets and human missions to the Moon are in the press, NASA is quietly thinking through the nuts and bolts of a long-term presence on the Moon. They have already released two white papers about the lunar logistics they’ll require in the future and are now requesting proposals from companies to supply some serious cargo transportation.
Astronomer Calculates When van Gogh Painted This

Oct 31, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson
NASA Turns Off One of Voyager 2's Science Instruments

Oct 2, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

The two Voyager spacecraft have been speeding through space since 1977, powered by decaying chunks of plutonium that produce less and less energy every year. With less electricity available, NASA has decided to shut down one experiment on Voyager 2, the plasma science instrument. This device measures the quantity and direction of ionized particles passing the spacecraft.
Shape-Shifting Robots Mimic Muscle Movements

Sep 24, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

Researchers have developed a set of hexagon-shaped robotic components that can be snapped together into larger and larger structures. Each one of the component hexagons is made of rigid plates that serve as its exoskeleton. Driven by electricity, the plates can change their shape, shifting from long and narrow to wide and flat at high speed.
NASA Watches a Peanut-Shaped Asteroid Drift Past Earth

Sep 18, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

Peanuts! Get your peanuts here! The Solar System has been passing out peanuts lately in the form of two different oddly shaped asteroids that recently passed by Earth, and both look like over-sized peanuts. The latest peanut-shaped asteroid pass was on September 16, 2024, when the near-Earth asteroid 2024 ON came within 1 million kilometers (62,000 miles) of Earth (2.6 times the Earth-Moon distance).
And the Winner is.... Astronomy Photographers of the Year 2024 Announced

Sep 12, 2024 | universetoday.com | Nancy Atkinson

Every year, the “Astronomy Photographer of the Year” competition provides incredible images of our night sky — whether they are stunning views of distant galaxies or dramatic photos of aurorae or other views from our home planet. This year is no different, and the awards were just announced at a special presentation at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich (ROG), England for the incredible 16th year of the competition.