NASA News

The Growing Crescent of Mars as NASA’s Psyche Mission Approaches

Description This composite of images taken by NASA’s Psyche mission shows the crescent of Mars grow as the spacecraft approached the planet for a gravity assist from May 2 to May 15, 2026. The series begins with the smallest crescent at the center of the of the image as Mars is farthest from the spacecraft, and progressively […]

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

Establishing a VTE Risk Score for Astronauts Algorithm

In April 2026, NASA’s Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) initiated a working group to review updated VTE case information, additional data gathered revealing altered blood flow status within a cohort of astronauts, and discuss progress of research and clinical activities intended to mitigate the risk of VTE during spaceflight with new […]

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

NASA Awards Facilities Support Services Contract for Ames Research Center 

CONTRACT RELEASE NASA has selected Chugach Intelligence Solutions LLC to provide comprehensive operations, maintenance, and repair services for NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.  The Ames Facilities Support Services II contract ensures that the center’s historic and specialized facilities are properly maintained, fully operational, and capable of supporting the agency’s missions and tenant partners in the NASA Resea

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s Chandra and IXPE Study Pulsar in Lighthouse Nebula

This composite image, released on July 9, 2026, shows the region around a pulsar – a neutron star with a strong magnetic field that spins incredibly fast – within the Lighthouse nebula. The image contains X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in purple, X-rays from NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) in blue, and […]

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

La NASA invita a los medios de comunicación al lanzamiento del telescopio espacial Roman

Read this release in English here. Ya está abierto el plazo de acreditación de los medios de comunicación para el lanzamiento de la misión del telescopio espacial Nancy Grace Roman de la NASA. El lanzamiento del telescopio Roman está programado para no antes de las 7:20 a.m. (hora del este) del domingo 30 de agosto, […]

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

NASA Invites Media to Roman Space Telescope, Crew-13 Launches

Media accreditation now is open for the launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the agency’s SpaceX Crew-13 missions, both targeting launch in the coming months. The Roman telescope is slated to launch no earlier than 7:20 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at […]

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

NASA’s Psyche Mission Images Details of Martian Surface During Flyby

Description Captured by the multispectral imager instrument on NASA’s Psyche mission, this is an enhanced-color mosaic created from four individual images acquired on May 15, 2026, during the spacecraft’s flyby of Mars.  Psyche was traveling from right to left (northeast to southwest on Mars) during the six minutes that it took to acquire the images for […]

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

NASA Welcomes Mauritius as 70th Artemis Accords Signatory  

The Republic of Mauritius has officially joined the global coalition committed to responsible space exploration, becoming the newest signatory and seventh African country to join the Artemis Accords. NASA’s Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson contributed video remarks for a signing ceremony on Friday, in the island nation’s city of Ébène. “We are honored to welcome Mauritius […]

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

Terraforming Mars may be more realistic than scientists once thought

Scientists say new technologies have reopened the debate over whether Mars could someday be terraformed, turning a once impossible idea into a serious research topic. Before anyone tries to reshape the Red Planet, though, researchers say we must understand the risks, including what might be lost if Mars already harbors its own forms of life.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

“Silly sprinklers” help scientists finally solve Feynman’s famous sprinkler mystery

A team of mathematicians used whimsical "silly sprinklers" to solve a physics mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades. Their experiments showed that the rotation of both normal and reverse sprinklers is driven by the momentum of flowing water, not by the outside water flow or other long-standing theories. The results finally provide a clear answer to Feynman’s famous sprinkler problem. They could also help engineers design more efficient fluid-powered machines.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

Tiny plastics in drinking water may be making dangerous bacteria stronger

Tiny plastic particles in drinking water may be doing more than contaminating the environment. New research suggests nanoplastics can actually help harmful bacteria survive by strengthening the slimy biofilms they form inside water systems. These tougher biofilms become more resistant to disinfectants, making them harder to remove and potentially increasing public health risks.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

Your fingers may hold a secret of human brain evolution

A study of 225 newborns suggests prenatal estrogen may have played a role in the evolution of larger human brains. Boys with finger-length patterns linked to higher estrogen exposure before birth tended to have larger head circumferences, which are strongly associated with brain size. The same connection was not seen in girls.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

Koalas nearly went extinct before humans arrived, DNA study reveals

A major DNA study has rewritten the koala's evolutionary story, revealing that the species suffered a dramatic population collapse about 100,000 years ago, long before humans arrived in Australia. By calculating the koala's mutation rate for the first time and analyzing hundreds of genomes, researchers discovered that every living koala traces back to a small group that survived extreme climate shifts and later repopulated eastern Australia.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists tested 39 sweeteners and found unexpected gut effects

A large laboratory study found that many commonly used sweeteners can directly change the growth of gut bacteria. Researchers identified more than 100 cases in which sweeteners behaved differently when combined with medications, caffeine, or flavorings. The combination of isosteviol and the antidepressant duloxetine was especially disruptive, reducing beneficial bacteria and overall microbial diversity.

science  Jul 17, 2026

The Guardian Science

Robert Laidlow: Reality Eaters album review

BBC Philharmonic/Havlat/Kaziboni/Piatti Quartet(NMC)Einstein’s field equations, Newton’s universal law and artificial intelligence are among the subjects of Laidlow’s ambitious orchestral worksRobert Laidlow is as at home in the realms of science and technology as he is in the world of classical music. As this NMC debut album demonstrates, his intricate, wildly imaginative work is eminently approachable, even if the core concepts are highly complex.Warp, a terse, 12-minute piano concerto, propos

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

Scientists built a camera that can track invisible particles in 3D

A new particle detector called PLATON could replace millions of tiny detector components with a single block of light-producing material. Using a light-field camera, highly sensitive photon sensors, and AI, it reconstructs particle paths in fast, detailed 3D. Simulations suggest it could match or surpass today’s best detectors while being far easier to scale. The technology may also lead to sharper PET medical scans.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

New Alzheimer's drug repairs DNA damage and reduces brain inflammation

A drug originally developed for spinal cord injury may offer a fresh approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease. In mouse studies, KCL-286 repaired dangerous DNA damage, reduced inflammation, and targeted multiple disease-related pathways instead of focusing on just amyloid or tau. Since it has already cleared an initial human safety trial, researchers believe it could move more quickly into Alzheimer’s clinical testing.

science  Jul 17, 2026

NASA News

A Tide-Fueled Trove of Biodiversity in Guinea-Bissau

The expansive mudflats, sandy beaches, and mangrove forests of the Bijagós archipelago support an array of migratory shorebirds and large numbers of sea turtles.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

New “living plastic” self-destructs in just 6 days without leaving microplastics

Researchers have created self-destructing living plastic that uses engineered bacteria to completely break itself down when activated. The material degrades in just six days without creating microplastics, offering a potential new solution for single-use plastic waste.

science  Jul 17, 2026

Science Daily

This sugar-coated therapy boosted survival against deadly brain cancer by 50% in mice

A new experimental treatment may have found a way to outsmart glioblastoma’s toughest defense: the blood-brain barrier. Researchers used sugar-coated nanoparticles to ferry genetic instructions that restore a key tumor-suppressing protein directly into brain cancer cells. In mouse studies, the therapy increased median survival by 50% while shrinking tumors without noticeable damage to other organs.

science  Jul 17, 2026