A space telescope launch + Alvin submersible check-up
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is slated for launch in August. Plus, routine maintenance for the Alvin deep-sea submersible is no joke.
What will our reaction be when we discover aliens?
The sci-fi movie “Disclosure Day” predicts that our reaction to intelligent alien life will be chaotic. But what does the science say?
Reconnecting with the night sky and reining in light pollution
Writer Craig Childs biked from the brightest sky to the darkest in our Book Club pick “The Wild Dark.” Plus, the latest on light pollution.
Learning to trust the night sky, one star at a time
In “The Wild Dark,” a young Craig Childs finds himself alone in a dark wilderness. As the Milky Way comes into focus, fear turns to wonder.
Growing lunar potatoes + Dealing with razor-sharp moon dust
As NASA prepares for long-term moon bases, scientists are working on how to grow food in lunar soil and deal with razor-sharp moon dust.
Blue Origin explosion hits NASA timeline + Artemis III crew
The Blue Origin rocket explosion is forcing NASA to reconsider its Artemis timeline. Plus, who’s on the Artemis III crew?
Exploring the night sky with author Craig Childs
Join SciFri Book Club on July 31 for a livestream Q&A with the author of “The Wild Dark.”
Looking for life in the clouds of Venus
Despite the scorching, toxic conditions on the planet Venus, some scientists want to look there for life—in the clouds.
Bizarre exoplanet clouds + Counting insects with weather radar
Astronomers have spotted clouds of vaporized sand on an exoplanet. And, weather radar data reveal insects in U.S. skies—100 trillion of them.
‘Go for toilet’: Artemis II’s out-of-this-world plumbing problem
Investigate the engineering behind space toilets and discover how Artemis II’s crew solved a surprising plumbing problem in microgravity.