Space news from mongabay.com

Could space technology save our planet?

2010-01-06T18:03:00Z

A new book, Paradise Regained: the Regreening of Earth argues that the solutions to the world’s current environmental crises—including climate change—could be lying far beyond our planet.

Titan may have a hidden ocean

2008-03-20T14:30:39Z

An ocean may lie under the surface of Saturn's moon Titan, according to research published this week in the journal Science.

Experts: sun not linked to current global warming

2007-07-11T14:30:39Z

Changes in the sun's output is not linked to recently observed global warming, reports a study published in Royal Society's journal Proceedings A.

Plants in outer space may be black

2007-06-20T14:30:39Z

Plants in outer space could be black if they is mechanisms other than chlorophyll to harness the energy of the sun, reports a new study published in Astrobiology.

Mars had oceans

2007-06-13T14:30:39Z

Up to one third of Mars was once covered by oceans, reports a study published in this week's issue of the journal Nature. While observers have long noted what looks like a dry ocean basin on the surface of Mars, images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor suggested otherwise, showing a shoreline that varied in elevation by several kilometers. On Earth, shoreline elevations are typically constant relative to sea levels.

Bush seeks funding cuts for Earth monitoring satellites

2007-05-02T14:30:39Z

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) warned that environmental satellites responsible for monitoring Earth are endangered due to budget cuts and shifts in spending towards military and human space flight programs.

Venus, Mars reveal climate change examples

2007-04-26T14:30:39Z

Earth sits between two worlds that have been devastated by climate catastrophes. In the effort to combat global warming, our neighbours can provide valuable insights into the way climate catastrophes affect planets.

To find life on Mars scientists will need to dig deep

2007-01-29T14:30:39Z

Probes seeking life on Mars must dig deeply into young craters, gullies, or recently exposed ice to have a chance of finding any living cells that were not annihilated by radiation, researchers report in a new study. One promising place to look for them is within the ice at Elysium, site of a recently discovered frozen sea, they say.

Photos of water suggest possibility of life on Mars

2006-12-06T18:00:39Z

New NASA photos suggest the existence of water on Mars. The finding could suggest the possibility of life of the planet. "These observations give the strongest evidence to date that water still flows occasionally on the surface of Mars," said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program in Washington.

To avoid extinction humans must colonize space says Hawking

2006-11-30T21:30:39Z

As he was awarded the most prestigious prize in science, British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said that humans need to colonize outer space in order avoid extinction. Hawking, who was presented Thursday with the Copley medal from Britain's Royal Society, told BBC Radio that humanity faces extinction if it confines itself to Earth.

Mars face photo dashes hope for existence of Martians

2006-09-25T02:29:39Z

New images from the European Space Agency (ESA) show that the Red Planet's famous "Face on Mars" is nothing but a eroded hill.

$230B for moon return but only $30M for deep ocean research?

2006-09-19T20:29:39Z

Unless you're a space buff, you probably missed the latest news from Mars. The Rover mission has now determined that a promontory scientists call "McCool Hill" is 85 feet taller than nearby "Husband Hill." Stop the presses! Exploring new frontiers in the quest for knowledge has inspired humans for centuries, and today's extraterrestrial search for alien life forms and clues to our origin, captures the public's imagination like few others.

NASA no longer seeks to 'understand and protect' Earth

2006-07-22T15:19:39Z

The New York Times reports that NASA no longer seeks to 'understand and protect' Earth according to its mission statement. The Times found that the American space agency modified its mission statement in early February 2006, deleting the phrase 'to understand and protect our home planet'.

NASA Discovers Life's Building Blocks Are Common In Space

2005-10-11T15:19:39Z

A team of NASA exobiology researchers revealed today organic chemicals that play a crucial role in the chemistry of life are common in space.