Science & Research

Science

Breakthroughs from labs, observatories, and clinical trials worth your attention.

6 stories · Edition of 2026-08-16 · Curated by AI at Invalid Date

SCIENCE

Milky Way Over Yellowstone's Silex Spring

11d ago · Source: NASA

A 2014 16‑image panorama captures the Milky Way arching over Yellowstone National Park's Silex Spring, a hot spring roughly 10 meters in diameter. The spring is artificially illuminated, highlighting color variations produced by bacterial mats that grow in the heated water, while steam rises from the pool due to underground magma linked to the Yellowstone Hotspot.

The photograph shows the dense band of the Milky Way, a stretch of billions of stars, positioned high above the spring. The image was taken as part of NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day series and was credited to photographer Dave Lane.

Scientists note that the Yellowstone Hotspot, which triggered a supervolcanic eruption about 640,000 years ago, could affect much of North America if a similar event were to recur.

The picture was curated by NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day program, with editing by Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, and Keighley Rockcliffe.

SCIENCE

SpaceX Launches Back‑to‑Back Satellite Replenishment and Classified Payloads from Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg

11d ago · Source: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 missions in rapid succession on Aug. 15, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Vandenberg Space Force Base. The first mission placed eight Globalstar satellites into low Earth orbit, while the second delivered a classified payload for the United States Space Force under the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 task order. The Globalstar mission, known as Globalstar 2‑R Launch 1, lifted off at 9:12 p.m. EDT and its Falcon 9 booster B1090 landed at Landing Zone 40 about eight minutes after liftoff, marking the 52nd orbital launch from Florida’s Space Coast this year. The second mission, USSF‑366, launched at 6:50 p.m. PDT and its booster B1088 landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean, achieving the 650th Falcon booster landing to date. Globalstar announced the mission in the spring after delaying a previously scheduled May 17 launch to allow additional satellite preparation. The company’s chief executive, Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, said the launch represents an important step in sustaining the infrastructure customers rely on daily. Globalstar also noted that it will not hold further earnings calls or update its forward‑looking guidance while the pending acquisition by Amazon, expected to close in 2027, remains pending. The rapid 38.5‑minute turnaround between the two launches set a new record for consecutive SpaceX flights.

SCIENCE

Ukrainian Missiles Hit Russian Soyuz Rocket Factory in Samara

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian missiles struck a Russian Progress rocket manufacturing facility in Samara, damaging a clean‑room avionics area used f...

11d ago · Source: SpacePolicyOnline.com · 1 min read

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian missiles struck a Russian Progress rocket manufacturing facility in Samara, damaging a clean‑room avionics area used for Soyuz rocket assembly. He made the statement in a post on X, where he described the attack as a successful deep strike about 900 kilometers from the border. The Kyiv Post reported that the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces described the result as a direct hit that caused a fire. The newspaper noted that the Progress Center is a key enterprise in Russia’s rocket and space industry, producing Soyuz launch vehicles for military, reconnaissance and communications missions as well as earth observation satellites. Russian space analyst Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb.com said the Progress facility develops Soyuz rockets such as Soyuz‑2 and Soyuz‑5 and that orders exceed production capacity by up to 50 percent for planned launches from 2027 to 2030. Imagery analysis by the Ukrainian group CyberBoroshno indicated the missiles hit a clean‑room for avionics adjacent to a vehicle integration building. The Soyuz‑2.1a variant is used to launch crews and cargo to the International Space Station; a Soyuz MS‑29 crewed mission launched on July 14, 2026, carrying Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina and NASA astronaut Anil Menon on an eight‑month flight. Progress cargo spacecraft, including Progress MS‑34 launched April 26, support ISS resupply and orbital reboost. The effect on ISS operations has not been determined pending assessment of damage to Soyuz production.

SCIENCE

NASA to Award Three CLPS Lunar Missions, Including Orbiter to Replace LRO

11d ago · Source: SpaceNews

NASA plans to award three more CLPS task orders this year, including an orbiter imaging service to replace the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Executives from Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines said they expect the awards to be made by the end of the year.

Two of the awards will fund lander missions, which have comprised nearly all CLPS missions since 2019, while the third will provide orbital imaging.

NASA developed LRO in the 2000s for the Vision for Space Exploration; launched in 2009, it has operated under an extended mission through 2028 and continues to return data.

The spacecraft is aging, and a 2022 Lunar Exploration Analysis Group report noted that a next‑generation long‑lived orbiter with modern instruments is overdue.

NASA has not disclosed plans for a successor to LRO, and details of upcoming CLPS awards are not publicly released.

Firefly announced in 2025 its intention to offer a commercial lunar imaging service called Ocula, using cameras mounted on its Elytra spacecraft that will fly with Blue Ghost lander missions.

Intuitive Machines manages the high‑resolution camera on LRO and the ShadowCam instrument on South Korea’s Danuri orbiter.

Both companies have backlogs of four CLPS lander missions each, including the CS‑8 task order awarded in June that carries a standardized instrument suite for two landers operated by Astrobotic.

Firefly’s chief executive said the CS‑8 mission aims to demonstrate rapid, repeatable access to the lunar surface, executing the flight in half the time of its first landing, and to use a near‑build‑to‑print lander design.

Intuitive Machines’ chief executive noted a proposal for the CS‑8 task order includes a 26‑month schedule to produce a standardized lander and that the company is considering building two Nova‑D landers in parallel to prepare for a potential second award in 2029.

Altemus said his company has added 75,000 square feet of production space in Houston to construct landers and a constellation of five lunar data relay satellites.

Kim said Firefly has more than quadrupled its cleanroom capacity, giving it extra capacity to take on additional CLPS missions.

The companies are preparing for a new CLPS 2.0 contract with a maximum value of $10 billion over ten years, with an optional five‑year extension that could raise the total to $15 billion; proposals are due at the end of June.

Both firms are developing larger landers, with Intuitive Machines working on a three‑engine configuration for its Nova‑D that could deliver up to one metric ton to the surface, and Firefly planning modular landers capable of carrying several metric tons.

The upcoming awards and the planned replacement of LRO reflect NASA’s effort to transition from bespoke missions to a scalable infrastructure supporting a sustained lunar presence.

SCIENCE

Blue Origin Proposes Dual Launch Pad Operations at Cape Canaveral

11d ago · Source: NASASpaceflight

Blue Origin has submitted a proposal to operate two launch pads at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, targeting increased launch frequency for its New Glenn rocket.

The plan outlines modifications to existing infrastructure or the construction of new facilities to enable simultaneous operations, allowing multiple launches per year.

The proposal was detailed in a filing with the Federal Aviation Administration and reported by NASASpaceflight. The company says the dual‑pad configuration would reduce turnaround time between missions and support its goal of frequent orbital launches. The FAA will review the plan, and if approved, the dual‑pad capability could begin supporting launches as early as 2027.

SCIENCE

High Earners Need Nearly £100,000 Discretionary Income to Save on Food after GLP‑1 Costs

11d ago · Source: guardian

An analysis by the consultancy Baringa found that individuals need almost £100,000 in discretionary income per year to realize savings on grocery bills after spending £1,200 annually on GLP‑1 weight‑loss medication.

The high price of GLP‑1 drugs means the outlay exceeds any reduction in food expenses for most consumers, creating a disproportionate financial impact.

The study examined household spending patterns and concluded that only the highest earners achieve overall savings, while the majority see no net benefit.

Further research is required to determine how widespread use of the medication will affect household budgets and long‑term economic outcomes.