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NASA announces three new Moon missions as agency races to build permanent lunar base by end of 2026

Tue, 26 May 2026 17:04:25 -0400

NASA announced three new Moon missions Tuesday as part of an ambitious push to establish a permanent American presence on the lunar surface, with all three missions targeted for launch by the end of 2026.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during a news conference that the agency is moving quickly toward what officials are calling "Moon Base," a long-term lunar outpost designed to support sustained astronaut missions and future exploration of Mars.

"America is returning to the moon," Isaacman said, "and this time to stay."

The missions are intended to help NASA test commercial landers, autonomous vehicles and lunar surface operations before astronauts begin spending longer periods on the Moon under the Artemis program.

NASA RACES TO BUILD MOON BASE AS US CHALLENGES CHINA IN NEW SPACE RACE

Moon Base I will use Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander to deliver NASA science payloads to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge near the lunar south pole, a region NASA considers critical because of its potential water-ice reserves.

The mission is targeted to launch no earlier than fall 2026.

Moon Base II will send Astrobotic’s Griffin lander to the lunar surface carrying more than 500 kilograms of cargo, including Astrolab’s FLEX rover, which NASA hopes will help develop future astronaut mobility systems and autonomous operations.

PRIVATE LUNAR LANDER BLUE GHOST LANDS ON THE MOON WITH EQUIPMENT FOR NASA

Moon Base III will carry NASA’s Lunar Vertex science mission to study mysterious lunar swirls — bright formations scientists believe may be linked to magnetic fields beneath the lunar surface — along with payloads from the European Space Agency and the Korean Space Agency.

Both Moon Base II and Moon Base III are targeted to launch before the end of 2026.

NASA officials said the three missions are the first of more than a dozen Moon Base missions expected to be announced this year as the agency builds toward a sustained lunar presence.

NASA CHIEF DECLARES AMERICA 'ABSOLUTELY BACK' IN SPACE RACE, SAYS US WILL BEAT CHINA TO THE MOON

Carlos Garcia-Galan, NASA’s Moon Base program manager, said the first phase of the effort includes 25 launches, 21 lunar landings and roughly four metric tons of cargo delivered to the Moon.

NASA also announced new lunar terrain vehicle awards for Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, along with development of "Moonfall" drones designed to scout landing zones, map the lunar surface and search for subsurface water ice near the south pole.

Isaacman said NASA is intentionally taking an iterative approach similar to the agency’s Apollo-era strategy, using repeated missions and commercial partnerships to rapidly test technologies before attempting permanent habitation.

"We are leveraging the NASA playbook from the 1960s," Isaacman said. "Figuring out what works and what doesn’t."

NASA officials said the Moon remains an extremely hostile environment, with extreme temperatures, radiation exposure and constant micrometeorite impacts, making repeated robotic missions essential before astronauts can establish a sustained presence.

"We are really just getting started," Isaacman said.

AI robotic beehives installed in Florida community claim 70% reduction in colony collapse threatening crops

Thu, 21 May 2026 20:35:20 -0400

A Florida community has deployed AI-powered robotic beehives as declining bee populations continue raising concerns about the future of the US food supply, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.

The Angeline development in Land O’ Lakes recently became the first master-planned community to install Beewise’s automated BeeHome system, which uses robotics, sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor hive health and protect colonies from environmental threats.

The technology arrives as bee populations across the United States continue facing pressure from parasites, pesticides, disease and extreme weather conditions that experts say threaten agriculture nationwide.

"Bees pollinate roughly 75% of the crops we eat and about 80% of flowering plants around the word," Beewise Managing Director Steve Peck said. "So, without those bees, our food supply is in jeopardy."

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The community relies on bees to pollinate a 2.5-acre farm that helps supply produce used throughout the development.

The BeeHome system uses internal cameras, sensors and robotic components to inspect hives and identify problems that traditionally require manual beekeeper oversight.

"The robotics know where it is in the frame or where it is in the hive at any point," Peck said. "It can pick it up just like a beekeeper would, inspect it, and report that back to technicians around the world."

SOLAR-POWERED ROBOT ZAPS WEEDS WITHOUT CHEMICALS

The automated system monitors queen health, egg production and infestations from varroa mites, one of the leading causes of colony collapse among honeybee populations.

Peck said the technology can also respond automatically when hive threats are detected.

"We can treat them within the hive by moving them to a new part of the home that raises the temperature," Peck said. "It's enough to kill the mites, but not the bees. And there, we can prevent that colony collapse, and have shown, basically a 70% reduction to what we're seeing naturally around the world."

WHITE HOUSE GETS AN UNEXPECTED BUZZ AS THOUSANDS OF BEES SWARM THE EXECUTIVE MANSION'S NORTH LAWN

The technology is already operating across hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land nationwide.

Project officials emphasized that the system is designed to support — not replace — traditional beekeeping practices as environmental pressures continue threatening bee colonies.

"Every day, bees run the risk of being destroyed due to just the weather and elements and pesticides," Lisa Gibbings with Metro Development Group said.

Concern over declining bee populations has drawn increasing national attention in recent years, including expanded beekeeping efforts at the White House. Fox News Digital previously reported that first lady Melania Trump added new bee colonies to the White House grounds as part of an expanded pollinator and honey production program.

Bee populations have become a growing concern for farmers and agricultural experts in recent years because pollinators play a critical role in food production and ecosystem stability across the U.S.

Texas company hatches live chicks from artificial eggs in breakthrough that could revive the dodo: report

Tue, 19 May 2026 16:10:20 -0400

A Texas-based company has successfully hatched live chicks from artificial eggs for the first time, a breakthrough researchers believe could eventually help revive extinct birds like the dodo and giant moa.

Colossal Biosciences created a reusable titanium egg lined with a bioengineered membrane that mimics the oxygen transfer of a natural shell. Using the devices, scientists successfully hatched 26 healthy chickens while closely monitoring development from embryo to birth, according to The New York Post.

"We didn’t just copy nature," CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm told The New York Post. "We tried to re-engineer it."

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The chicks will remain at the company’s avian facility for the rest of their lives, Lamm said.

Researchers say the technology could improve hatch rates for endangered birds and support the company’s broader efforts to bring back extinct species, including the dodo and the moa, according to The New York Post.

The moa — a massive flightless bird that once roamed New Zealand — could weigh up to 500 pounds before it was hunted to extinction centuries ago.

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According to The New York Post, the artificial egg is compatible with standard incubators and could potentially support eggs as large as those laid by moa birds.

Before scaling the technology further, Colossal plans to conduct additional testing using emu and ostrich eggs, the outlet reported.

The company is pursuing its moa revival project in partnership with New Zealand’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and filmmaker Peter Jackson, who is also an investor in Colossal Biosciences.

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Lamm told The New York Post that the company believes the moa could return by the early 2030s, while the dodo could be revived within four or five years.

"The avian reproductive toolkit has lagged behind mammalian systems for decades because birds present unique developmental challenges," Dr. Beth Shapiro, chief science officer of Colossal, told the outlet. "The artificial egg changes that."

Eiffel Tower-sized asteroid Apophis to pass closer to Earth than many satellites in 2029, NASA says

Mon, 04 May 2026 17:13:03 -0400

A large asteroid about the size of the Eiffel Tower is expected to come unusually close to Earth in 2029, but there is no risk of impact, scientists said.

The asteroid, named Apophis, will pass around 20,000 miles from Earth's surface on April 13, 2029—closer than many satellites in orbit, according to NASA. Apophis is classified as "potentially hazardous" and is made of leftover "raw material" that was never part of a planet or moon.

"When it was discovered in 2004, it appeared Apophis might impact Earth in either 2029, 2036, or 2068," NASA said. "Since then, astronomers have closely watched Apophis using optical telescopes and ground-based radar, allowing its orbit to become better understood. Based on this data, NASA is now confident that there is no risk of Apophis impacting Earth for at least 100 years."

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Apophis was discovered on June 19, 2004, by astronomers Roy Tucker, David Tholen, and Fabrizio Bernardi at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona.

They could only see the asteroid for two days because of technical and weather problems. In December 2004, another team of astronomers in Australia was able to observe the asteroid, NASA said.

EARTH BIDS FAREWELL TO 'MINI MOON' ASTEROID SET FOR RETURN VISIT IN 2055

Observatories around the world and in space will observe Apophis’ historic close approach to better understand its physical properties. In anticipation of the event, NASA has redirected a spacecraft to rendezvous with Apophis shortly after its 2029 Earth close-approach. After successfully completing its mission to gather a sample of asteroid Bennu and bringing it to Earth in September 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx was sent to study Apophis.

The spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer (OSIRIS-APEX), and it’s on its way to meet up with its new target. The European Space Agency (ESA) is also sending a spacecraft to study the asteroid.

Apophis is expected to be visible to observers in the Eastern Hemisphere, weather permitting, without a telescope or binoculars.

"The most important thing happening in this event is that Apophis will be pulled, twisted, stretched, and squeezed by the gravity of Earth as it goes by, in a way that happens only during a very close encounter," NASA said. "The overall pull will change Apophis’s orbit around the Sun, making the orbit slightly larger and giving it a longer orbital period."

Artemis crew says they wanted to 'connect with humanity,' show what can be done when they put their mind to it

Fri, 01 May 2026 01:38:14 -0400

The Artemis II crew, following their return to Earth after a historic 10-day lunar flyby, spoke with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, describing the mission as a "glorious" experience.

The crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — returned to Earth on April 10, splashing down off the coast of San Diego after their journey around the moon during which they set a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in space, surpassing the mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

Waltz gifted the crew "MUNGA," or "Make the U.N. Great Again," hats, inspired by President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

The crew was asked by Waltz what they thought as they looked back at Earth from space.

ARTEMIS II PILOT VICTOR GLOVER PRAISES GOD AFTER RETURN, SAYS MISSION WAS 'TOO BIG TO BE IN ONE BODY'

"As a crew, we wanted to go for all and by all," Wiseman said at U.N. headquarters in New York. "And we wanted to set the stage for Artemis III. We wanted to get this space agency in this world ready for Artemis III and IV. But in the end, we really wanted to connect with humanity. We wanted humanity to just pause for a second and see that this world can still do something exceptionally well when they put their mind to it."

Artemis III is expected to launch next year, and Artemis IV is targeted for the following year.

"You asked how it felt, and it wasn't one feeling for the entire mission," Glover told Waltz. "What we saw out the window was changing, and that is one of the unique things … I always felt the urge to just be grateful for what we were seeing, and to be grateful for what we were eventually going back to. And the other thing was just how blessed we are to have this."

Koch said that when she looked back at Earth, the surrounding darkness made the planet feel "even more special than it's ever been."

"Instead of this absolute background that just exists everywhere for us, because that's all we've had, it makes the lines that we redraw on it seem big and important," she said. "You realize that actually, there's nothing absolute or guaranteed about this, and that actually, there is such thing as a global scale. And this is the first time I've said that at the U.N., but the truth is that the global scale is our world. And what we do with it is our choice."

Hansen described the experience of seeing the vastness of space and feeling both small as an individual and empowered by what humanity can accomplish together.

"It was like this weird thing where, like stars, some stars look closer in our galaxy than others. And it just kept catching my eye, and it just kept making me feel really tiny, really small as an individual. But then, at the same time, I was out there experiencing it, and it made me feel very powerful as a human race. What we can do together, the fact that we were out there and something that has been really heartwarming since we got back to Earth and started to see how many people stopped to watch the mission and resonate with it," he said.

Glover also recalled the many emotions tied to the mission, including the "glorious moment" of returning to Earth.

ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS FACE TOILET TROUBLE AS THEY HEAD TOWARD THE MOON

During the visit to the U.N., NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wanted to take a moment to appreciate how far they had come, noting that it was not long ago that Trump established the Artemis program that led to the Artemis II mission.

"In fact, in just 2020, President Trump established the Artemis Accords. Now, the initial framework was an agreement of principles between the United States and seven other like-minded countries on the responsible exploration of space," he said.

The crew's visit to the U.N. comes after they met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Trump had also spoken to the crew as they were orbiting the moon in early April.

Scientists revive ancient 24,000-year-old ‘zombie worm’ from Arctic ice — then it reproduced

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:42:08 -0400

Scientists have successfully revived a 24,000-year-old microscopic organism from Siberian permafrost, offering new insight into how life can endure extreme conditions over vast stretches of time.

According to a study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers identified the organism as a rotifer — a tiny, multicellular animal often found in freshwater environments and known for its unusual durability.

The specimen had been frozen deep within Siberian permafrost since the Late Pleistocene, a period that ended roughly 11,700 years ago. Scientists say the surrounding ice-rich soil, known as the Yedoma formation, helped preserve the organism in a stable, frozen state for tens of thousands of years.

After carefully thawing the rotifer under controlled laboratory conditions, researchers observed that it resumed normal biological functions. The organism not only became active again but was also able to reproduce asexually, suggesting that its cellular structures remained intact despite the passage of millennia.

STUDY FINDS EVIDENCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN BRAINS AND OTHER ORGANS

"Our report is the hardest proof as of today that multicellular animals could withstand tens of thousands of years in cryptobiosis, the state of almost completely arrested metabolism," lead researcher Stas Malavin said in an interview with the Indian Defence Review.

The process that allowed the rotifer to survive is known as cryptobiosis, a biological state in which metabolic activity slows to nearly zero. This enables certain organisms to withstand extreme environments, including freezing temperatures, dehydration and lack of oxygen.

While scientists have previously revived organisms from ice, those examples have typically involved single-celled life forms or simpler structures. The successful revival of a multicellular organism marks a significant step forward, as more complex bodies present greater challenges when it comes to surviving freezing and thawing without damage.

NEW STUDY REVEALS LEPROSY EXISTED IN THE AMERICAS BEFORE EUROPEAN EXPLORERS ARRIVED

Ancient microbes, including viruses, have also been preserved in permafrost and are typically easier to revive because of their simpler structure. In some experiments, scientists have reactivated viruses that remained capable of infecting host cells after thawing, though none have been linked to human illness.

Researchers say the findings underscore a separate concern: as rising global temperatures accelerate permafrost thaw, long-dormant microbes could be released outside controlled lab conditions, prompting new questions about potential environmental and health risks.

Rotifers, though microscopic, possess specialized systems such as digestive tracts and rudimentary nervous structures, making their long-term survival in a frozen state particularly notable.

Researchers say the findings could have broader implications for science, including studies on how cells resist damage from ice crystals and radiation over time. The discovery may also inform fields such as biotechnology and astrobiology, where scientists explore how life might persist in extreme or extraterrestrial environments.

Despite the breakthrough, experts caution that the findings do not suggest that larger organisms — such as mammals — could be revived after similar periods of freezing. The complexity of higher life forms makes them far more vulnerable to cellular damage during freezing and thawing processes.

Still, the study expands current understanding of the limits of life on Earth and raises new questions about how long organisms can remain viable under the right conditions, potentially reshaping scientific thinking about survival in extreme environments.

'Gigantic' ancient octopus used jaws to crush prey and hunted alongside the dinosaurs 100M years ago: study

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:28:28 -0400

Octopuses’ earliest relatives that lived 100 million years ago may have been "gigantic" predators that hunted alongside dinosaurs, according to new research.

Although scientists previously believed that the earliest finned octopuses lived around 15 million years ago, researchers with Hokkaido University found fossilized jaws inside Late Cretaceous rock samples, according to a study published in the journal Science Thursday.

Because octopuses are soft-bodied animals, they don’t fossilize well except for the jaw bones, making their evolutionary history difficult to trace, the researchers explained in a news release.

The researchers used high-resolution grinding tomography and an artificial intelligence model to find the fossils, which were located in rock samples that had been preserved in seafloor sediments found in Japan and Vancouver Island from 100 to 72 million years ago.

T.REX DIDN'T BECOME AN 8-TON GIANT OVERNIGHT: SCIENTISTS REVEAL HOW LONG THE APEX PREDATOR TOOK TO GROW

The Late Cretaceous was the final epoch of the Mesozoic Era, which was dominated by the dinosaurs, including tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops.

The fossils belonged to a group of extinct finned octopuses known as Cirrata that researchers believed crushed their prey with powerful jaws.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH CHILLING 16TH CENTURY GALLOWS WHERE REBELS WERE HANGED AND DISPLAYED

"Our findings suggest that the earliest octopuses were gigantic predators that occupied the top of the marine food chain in the Cretaceous," Professor Yasuhiro Iba of Hokkaido University said.

"Based on exceptionally well-preserved fossil jaws, we show that these animals reached total lengths of up to nearly 20 meters, which may have surpassed the size of large marine reptiles of the same age."

Iba added that the most surprising finding was the "extent of wear on the jaws," which showed extensive chipping, scratching and cracking.

"In well-grown specimens, up to 10% of the jaw tip relative to the total jaw length had been worn away, which is larger than that seen in modern cephalopods that feed on hard-shelled prey," he explained. "This indicates repeated, forceful interactions with their prey, revealing an unexpectedly aggressive feeding strategy."

These findings change the way scientists view predators during the Late Cretaceous period, which they previously believed was dominated by vertebrate predators, with invertebrates at the bottom of the food chain.

"This study provides the first direct evidence that invertebrates could evolve into giant, intelligent apex predators in ecosystems that have been dominated by vertebrates for about 400 million years," Iba added.

"Our findings show that powerful jaws and the loss of superficial skeletons, common characteristics of octopuses and marine vertebrates, were essential to becoming huge, intelligent marine predators."

Scientists uncover identity of mysterious 'golden orb' discovered miles underwater in 2023

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:43:48 -0400

A strange "golden orb" pulled from more than 2 miles beneath the Gulf of Alaska, once rumored to be everything from an alien egg to an unknown species, has finally been identified after a yearslong scientific investigation.

Researchers with NOAA and the Smithsonian announced the unusual object, first discovered in 2023 during a deep-sea expedition, is a remnant from a rarely seen giant deep-sea anemone called Relicanthus daphneae, specifically part of the organism that anchored it to the ocean floor.

The discovery was made using a remotely operated vehicle exploring about 3,250 meters (over 2 miles) deep, where it encountered an odd golden structure attached to a rock.

The strange, mound-shaped mass with a small opening stunned scientists, who admitted at the time they had no idea what they were looking at.

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"Was it an egg case? A dead sponge? Had something crawled into it … or out of it?" scientists asked.

The unusual find quickly captured public attention, fueling speculation online and within the scientific community. But determining its identity turned out to be anything but simple.

Dr. Allen Collins, a zoologist and director of NOAA Fisheries, said scientists needed to go beyond their routine processes and enlist the expertise of multiple people to solve it.

SHOCKING DISCOVERY IN FLORIDA WAREHOUSE LEAVES OFFICIALS SEARCHING FOR WHAT WENT WRONG

"This was a complex mystery that required morphological, genetic, deep-sea and bioinformatics expertise to solve," Collins said.

Scientists initially struggled because the object lacked recognizable animal features. But closer analysis revealed it was made of fibrous layers packed with stinging cells, pointing to a connection with cnidarians, the group that includes corals and anemones.

Capt. William Mowitt, acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration, said the "golden orb" was just one of many "captivating mysteries" hidden in the deep ocean.

"This is why we keep exploring — to unlock the secrets of the deep and better understand how the ocean and its resources can drive economic growth, strengthen our national security and sustain our planet," Mowitt said.

NASA shuts off Voyager 1 instrument to save power 15B miles from Earth

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:11:26 -0400

NASA shut down one of Voyager 1’s science instruments to conserve dwindling power and keep the nearly 49-year-old spacecraft operating as it continues its journey through interstellar space more than 15 billion miles from Earth.

Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California sent commands Friday to turn off Voyager 1’s Low-Energy Charged Particles (LECP) experiment, a long-running instrument that has operated almost continuously since the spacecraft launched in 1977.

The move comes as the nuclear-powered probe loses about 4 watts of power each year, and mission managers work to stretch its remaining lifespan.

"While shutting down a science instrument is not anybody’s preference, it is the best option available," Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager mission manager at JPL, said in a statement. "Voyager 1 still has two remaining operating science instruments — one that listens to plasma waves and one that measures magnetic fields. They are still working great, sending back data from a region of space no other human-made craft has ever explored."

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The shutdown underscores the increasingly delicate balancing act facing the Voyager team as both spacecraft age far beyond their original mission plans.

Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators that convert heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. After nearly five decades in space, engineers have had to steadily power down heaters and instruments while making sure the spacecraft do not get so cold that key systems, including fuel lines, are put at risk.

"The team remains focused on keeping both Voyagers going for as long as possible," Badaruddin added.

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The pressure to act intensified after Voyager 1 experienced an unexpected drop in power during a routine roll maneuver Feb. 27, according to NASA.

Engineers feared that any further decline could trigger the spacecraft’s undervoltage fault protection system, which is designed to automatically shut down components to protect the probe. Recovering from such a fault can be lengthy and carries added risk, prompting the team to move before the spacecraft did it on its own.

The two Voyager probes remain the only spacecraft far enough from Earth to collect data on "detecting pressure fronts and regions of varying particle density in the space beyond our heliosphere," according to NASA.

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"Engineers are confident that shutting down the LECP will give Voyager 1 about a year of breathing room," a NASA press release said. "They are using the time to finalize a more ambitious energy-saving fix for both Voyagers they call 'the Big Bang,' which is designed to further extend Voyager operations."

"The idea is to swap out a group of powered devices all at once — hence the nickname — turning some things off and replacing them with lower-power alternatives to keep the spacecraft warm enough to continue gathering science data," the release continued.

The decision to turn off LECP was not made suddenly. NASA said mission science and engineering teams had years ago agreed on the order in which spacecraft systems would be shut down as available power declined. Of the 10 original instrument sets carried by the twin probes, seven have now been switched off. Voyager 2’s LECP instrument was shut down in March 2025.

Because Voyager 1 is now more than 15 billion miles from Earth, commands take roughly 23 hours to arrive. The shutdown sequence itself takes more than three hours to complete. One part of the LECP system — a small motor that rotates the sensor so it can scan in all directions — will remain powered because it uses only about half a watt. Engineers hope that could leave open the possibility of restarting the instrument in the future if more power becomes available.

NASA's Artemis follow-up mission 'right around the corner' after successful lunar flight

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:02:39 -0400

The world may still be captivated by the breathtaking views, record-setting distance and emotional homecoming of Artemis II, but for NASA, the next chapter is already in motion.

Entry flight director Rick Henfling alluded to Artemis III being in the space agency’s sights after the Artemis II crew safely splashed down in the Pacific on Saturday.

"The next mission’s right around the corner," Henfling said.

In the next high-stakes mission set to launch next year, Artemis III astronauts will remain in Earth’s orbit and practice docking their Orion capsule with a commercial lunar lander, a critical step before any return to the moon.

ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS SPLASHDOWN AFTER FIRST MOON MISSION IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS

Elon Musk’s Starship and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Moon landers are both competing to prove their company’s lander will be ready first.

The billionaires are also vying for the opportunity to carry Artemis IV astronauts during the first planned moon landing of the program in 2028.

ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS SHOW OFF APOLLO 18 FLAG FROM SPACE

NASA has already positioned key hardware for the docking test at Kennedy Space Center, while SpaceX prepares another Starship test flight and Blue Origin pushes toward its own lunar landing demonstration later this year.

The long-term goal is far bigger than a single landing. NASA and its partners are targeting the moon’s south pole, believed to have vast reserves of ice that could provide water and fuel for a future base — a project expected to cost $20 billion to $30 billion.

NASA is expected to announce the Artemis III crew soon. The mission is designed to mirror Apollo-era testing, reducing risk before sending astronauts back to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Artemis II astronauts splash down after first moon mission in more than 50 years

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:10:04 -0400

The four Artemis II astronauts splashed down off the coast of San Diego Friday evening following a 10-day mission that marked the first manned moon mission in more than 50 years at 5:07 p.m. Pacific Time.

The crew launched from the Kennedy Space Center April 1 and traveled around the moon, 252,000 miles from Earth, flying farther from Earth than any previous mission.

After NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman landed on the USS John P. Murtha ahead of the splashdown, he shared a massage for those helping with the recovery of the astronauts.

"I have no doubt that you're all going to execute this flawlessly as we get these astronauts who will just complete an absolute historic mission, traveling further into space than any humans have gone before," he said.

ARTEMIS II NEARS END OF HISTORIC MISSION WITH SPLASHDOWN OFF CALIFORNIA COAST

"For the first time, we've gone into the lunar environment in more than half a century," he added. "We are back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon again."

Isaacman added that once Artemis III launches in 2028 for the first moon landing in decades, NASA plans to stay and build a moon base.

ARTEMIS II ASTRONAUTS SHOW OFF APOLLO 18 FLAG FROM SPACE

After being helped out of the Orion crew module, the four astronauts — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen were taken aboard the USS John P. Murtha for medical evaluation after the mission.

The Orion spacecraft reentered the Earth’s atmosphere Friday at around 25,000 mph, slowing to about 20 mph using an 11-parachute sequence before landing in the ocean about 60 miles off the coast at 5:07 p.m. local time.

During its reentry, the temperatures outside the spacecraft got as high as 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Astronauts last went to the moon in December 1972 for the Apollo 17 mission, three years after humans first landed on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

Nutella capitalizes on greatest free advertising moment in history on NASA Moon mission

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:55:16 -0400

Nutella is capitalizing on what internet users are calling the greatest free advertising moment in history.

A tub of the beloved chocolate-hazelnut spread has achieved liftoff — not just into space, but straight into viral fame.

The scene unfolded aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, where a tub of Nutella casually floated out of the spacecraft’s kitchen like it had a call time and a lighting crew. In zero gravity, the jar drifted, turned, and practically posed — label-forward, perfectly framed — delivering a product shot so pristine it looked storyboarded.

Within hours, the clip rocketed across social media, with users marveling at what many say no marketing team on Earth could ever replicate.

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"The greatest free advert in history," one user joked.

"Nutella may have just got the greatest ad… ALL FOR FREE!" another account quipped.

Another commented: "Nutella just got the most bada-- free ad in maybe human history."

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The clip caught the attention of Nutella’s marketing team. The brand shared video of the delicious advertising accident, writing: "Honored to have traveled further than any spread in history. Taking spreading smiles to new heights." It included spaceship and heart emojis in the post that’s been viewed nearly 200,000 times as of Monday evening.

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center got in on the fun, writing in a post on X: "Enjoying sweet treats while our Artemis crew takes sweet photos of the Moon!"

Michael Lindsey, the president and chief business officer of Nutella's parent company, Ferrero North America, told Fox News Digital the company is "over the moon that the world's best space explorers chose the world's best spread."

The jar of chocolate comfort’s primetime showcase happened about four minutes before the Artemis II crew made history Monday, surpassing Apollo 13’s 1970 distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth.

ARTEMIS II CREW DESCRIBES LIFE ABOARD ORION SPACECRAFT ON HISTORIC JOURNEY TO THE MOON AND BACK

The Artemis II crew safely regained contact with mission control after a planned 40-minute communications blackout as their Orion spacecraft passed behind the Moon’s far side on Monday.

During the blackout, the astronauts became the most isolated humans in history, while also making their closest approach to the Moon at roughly 4,057 miles above its surface.

After reestablishing contact around 7:25 p.m. ET, the mission continued with another historic moment: astronauts observed a rare solar eclipse from near the Moon, capturing images of the Sun’s corona and multiple planets during the flyby.

It will now take four days for the crew to return home to Earth. The capsule will aim for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10, nine days after its Florida launch.

The crew is made up of four astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.

Artemis astronauts enter eerie 40-minute communication blackout on Moon’s far side

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:13:02 -0400

The Artemis II crew officially entered a nerve-wracking communications blackout Monday evening as the spacecraft slipped behind the Moon’s far side.

NASA said the signal loss should last roughly 40 minutes, which began at roughly 6:44 p.m. ET.

During this unprecedented moment, the crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — became the most isolated humans in deep space history.

The blackout occurred after the spacecraft lost line of sight to Earth, with the Moon blocking satellite communications entirely.

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Contact is expected to return around 7:25 p.m. ET, when Earth reemerges on the other side of the Moon’s horizon in a moment known as "Earthrise."

Ground control has emphasized that NASA does not anticipate any specific dangers during the mission but is prepared for potential contingencies.

For example, the astronauts recently practiced performing essential tasks, such as drinking protein shakes or administering medication, while wearing their bulky orange launch and entry suits in case they must remain in the gear for an extended period.

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NASA also noted that if the spacecraft were punctured, Orion is equipped to continuously pump oxygen to maintain cabin pressure, giving the crew ample time to safely put on their pressurized suits.

The Artemis II crew will also reach several major milestones during the blackout, including becoming the first humans to witness never-before-seen views of the Moon’s far side.

At 7:05 p.m. ET, the spacecraft is expected to reach its farthest point from Earth at 252,760 miles, marking another key milestone and surpassing the Apollo 13 record by roughly 4,105 miles.

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At their nearest point, roughly 4,070 miles from the lunar surface, the Moon is expected to appear about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length, according to NASA.

While ground control and the science evaluation room will not be able to interact with the astronauts during this specific period, the crew will continue to execute their lunar targeting plan and conduct science observations throughout the blackout.

The astronauts are expected to track historic Apollo sites, scout future landing zones and photograph rare views of nearby planets, including Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn, while also observing a solar eclipse from Orion’s unique vantage point.

Earlier in the afternoon, the crew broke a record for distance traveled from Earth set by Apollo 13 in 1970, NASA announced.

NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Artemis II would not be possible 'if it wasn't for President Trump'

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:19:18 -0400

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the success of the historic Artemis II mission currently underway would not be possible "if it wasn't for President Trump," as the Orion spacecraft is set to pass beyond the far side of the moon in the next 24 hours.

Isaacman detailed the mission’s progress, how technology has assisted in the success of Artemis II so far, and the role that President Donald Trump has played in the Artemis program during an interview with Fox News Digital.

"I want to be incredibly clear, we would not be at this moment right now with Artemis II if it wasn't for President Trump," Isaacman told Fox. "And we certainly would not have an achievable path now to get back to the lunar surface and build that enduring presence."

"On my first day on the job during President Trump's second term, he gave us a national space policy, a mandate to go to the moon with frequency, build the moon base, and do the other things like nuclear power and propulsion so someday American astronauts can plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars," Isaacman added.

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The Artemis II mission successfully launched off Cape Canaveral, Florida, last week, a mission that will send humans the farthest distance from the Earth in history.

The goal of the launch is to circle the moon and return to Earth, landing in San Diego some time this week.

"In the next 24 hours or so, they're gonna pass behind the far side of the moon, these four astronauts will have traveled farther away from Earth than any humans ever before, about 250,000 miles away," Isaasman explained. "We are putting the spacecraft through all its paces, testing out its various systems, including manual controls."

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Isaacman said the spacecraft is "performing better than we would have expected" before launch, and that the astronauts will soon begin their journey back to Earth once they have passed over the far side of the moon.

The NASA administrator compared Artemis II to the success of the Apollo programs that saw mankind land on the moon in the 1960s and 1970s, and noted the vast improvement in technological capabilities that NASA has access to today.

"It is not even a close comparison," Isaacman said. "The operator consoles or flight controllers have multiple screens, lots of computing power that's available to them right now. I mean there is certainly an army here supporting NASA, or an army at NASA that's supporting this mission, but not the hundreds of thousands of people that you would have had during the Apollo era that had to bubble into that enormous endeavor."

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"That's why when we pick up where Apollo 17 left off with this mission," Isaacman added, "it is not to return to the moon to plant the flag and leave the footprints, but to build an enduring presence, to build a moon base where we will turn the south pole of the moon into a scientific and technological proving ground for the capabilities we will need to master."

"Someday we can send astronauts to Mars and they can come back home to tell us about it."

The 43-year-old billionaire was sworn in as NASA administrator last December. A longtime space enthusiast, Isaacman previously commanded the first-ever commercial spacewalk in September 2024.

When asked about what this mission means to him personally, Isaacman told Fox News Digital he credited the NASA workforce and the team behind him for the success the space agency has seen on this mission and those yet to come.

While Isaacman was quick to credit the team, he also said sights need to be set on the Artemis III mission, which is set for mid-2027 to test docking capabilities for what will ultimately be an attempt to return humanity to the surface of the moon in 2028.

"For everybody else, we got to start working on Artemis III," Isaacman explained. "You go back to the Apollo era, Apollo 10, as those astronauts were orbiting in lunar orbit, just miles above the surface, two months later, Apollo 11 launched where Neil and Buzz walked on the moon. That means we have to be able to do multiple world-changing missions in near parallel."

Astronauts arrive at ISS for 8-month mission after medical emergency forced early evacuation

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 17:27:14 -0500

Four new astronauts arrived at the International Space Station Saturday, bringing the lab back up to full capacity after several of their colleagues were forced to leave early last month due to a medical issue.

The U.S., French and Russian astronauts and cosmonaut launched from Cape Canaveral in a SpaceX rocket Friday for the approximately 34-hour journey.

"That was quite the ride," NASA Commander Jessica Meir said immediately after the launch, according to BBC News. "We have left the Earth, but the Earth has not left us."

The launch had previously been delayed twice due to weather concerns.

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Joining Meir for the next eight to nine months on the Space Station are NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev.

Meir, a marine biologist, and Fedyaev, a former military pilot, have both been to the ISS previously. Meir was also part of the first all-female spacewalk in 2019.

Adenot is a military helicopter pilot, and Hathaway is a captain in the U.S. Navy.

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Adenot is only the second French woman in space.

"The spacecraft will take about 34 hours to autonomously dock with the space station’s Harmony module at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, while traveling 17,000 mph in Earth orbit," NASA said after Friday’s launch.

"What an absolutely wonderful start to the day," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said following the launch. "This mission has shown in many ways what it means to be mission-focused at NASA."

"In the last couple of weeks, we brought Crew-11 home early, we pulled forward Crew-12 to the launch date today, all while simultaneously making preparations for the Artemis 2 mission, which its next window will open up in early March," he added.

"The flight is the 12th crew rotation with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Crew-12 will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as benefit people on Earth," according to NASA.

NASA said the capsule's hatch opened at 4:14 p.m. CT after it docked at the space station.

"We are so excited to be here and get to work," Meir said after the crew arrived on Saturday.

Adenot added, "The first time we looked at the Earth was mindblowing. … We saw no lines, no borders."

Before Saturday’s crew arrived, just one American and two Russians remained at the space station, keeping it running.

January’s medical evacuation was the first in 65 years after NASA said a crew member experienced a serious health issue. The space agency has not revealed the nature of the medical condition or the name of the astronaut, citing medical privacy.

The astronaut with the medical emergency and the three other crew members who had launched with them returned to Earth more than a month early after the decision was made to bring them home.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Researchers pinpoint source of black hole's 3,000-light-year-long jet stream using enhanced telescope network

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 05:00:42 -0500

Scientists have traced a 3,000-light-year-long cosmic jet streaming out from the first black hole ever imaged to its likely source point with the help of "significantly enhanced coverage" from the global Event Horizon Telescope, a new study published this week revealed.

The findings, published in the journal "Astronomy & Astrophysics" on Wednesday, could help pinpoint exactly from where and how black holes launch vast cosmic jets that travel at nearly the speed of light.

M87 is a supermassive black hole located in the Messier 87 Galaxy around 55 million light years from Earth, and is 6.5 billion times larger than the sun.

The first image of M87 was released to the public in 2019, after the data was collected by the Event Horizon Telescope in 2017.

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Not only is the black hole supermassive, "it's also active," Dr. Padi Boyd of NASA explained in a video about the discovery of the black hole. "Just a few percent are active at any given time. Are they turning on and then turning off? That's an idea… We know there's very high magnetic fields that you launch a jet. And so this image is observational evidence that what we've been seeing for a while is actually being launched by a jet connected to that supermassive black hole at the center of M87."

M87 both sucks in surrounding gas and dust and spews out powerful jets of charged particles from its poles that form the jet stream, according to Scientific American and Space.com.

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"This study represents an early step toward connecting theoretical ideas about jet launching with direct observations," Saurabh, team leader of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, said in a statement, according to Space.com.

He added, "Identifying where the jet may originate and how it connects to the black hole's shadow adds a key piece to the puzzle and points toward a better understanding of how the central engine operates."

The Event Horizon Telescope involves a global network of eight radio observatories that can detect radio waves from astronomical objects like galaxies and black holes that converge to create an Earth-sized telescope.

Event Horizon refers to the boundary of a black hole beyond which light can’t escape, according to the National Science Foundation.

The findings came after studying data from the Event Horizon Telescope from 2021, but the authors of the study added, "Although this result is robust under the assumptions and tests performed, definitive confirmation and more precise constraints will require future EHT observations with higher sensitivity and improved intermediate-baseline coverage via additional stations and expanded frequency range."

Dinosaur fossils unearthed during parking lot construction at national park

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:54:23 -0500

A routine parking lot project at Dinosaur National Monument has unearthed dinosaur fossils at the site for the first time in more than a century.

Workers uncovered the fossils near the Quarry Exhibit Hall after removing asphalt in mid-September, exposing dinosaur-bearing sandstone, the National Park Service said. Park staff identified the remains on Sept. 16 and immediately halted construction to allow paleontologists to assess the find.

The fossils are believed to belong to a large, long-necked dinosaur called the Diplodocus. The species is commonly found in the area’s historic bonebed.

Park officials said staff members, a Utah Conservation Corps crew, volunteers and construction workers helped excavate the remains.

MUSEUM DISCOVERS RARE 67-MILLION-YEAR-OLD DINOSAUR BONE UNDER ITS OWN PARKING LOT

Between mid-September and mid-October, crews removed roughly 3,000 pounds of fossils and surrounding rock. The material is now being cleaned and studied at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal, where visitors can watch the preparation process in the museum’s fossil lab.

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The site had not been excavated since 1924, when fossil removal efforts ended after a series of early 20th-century digs led by the Carnegie Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the University of Utah. Dinosaur National Monument was established in 1915.

Some of the newly uncovered fossils are already on display at the Quarry Exhibit Hall, often called the "Wall of Bones," as well as at the Utah Field House museum. The exhibit hall is the park’s most popular attraction and sits atop the original Carnegie quarry, where visitors can view about 1,500 dinosaur fossils still embedded in rock.

Following the excavation, crews completed the parking lot and road improvement project, which included new concrete and asphalt work and accessibility upgrades around the exhibit hall.

Virginia Tech study shows dogs can detect invasive lanternfly

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 23:05:06 -0400

Researchers at Virginia Tech say man’s best friend may also be one of nature’s best defenses against an invasive pest. For the first time, a study shows that pet dogs could help stop the rapid spread of the spotted lanternfly.

Spotted lanternflies feed on different plants and excrete a sugary substance called honeydew, which promotes mold growth. They are considered so destructive that some states have launched campaigns urging residents to stomp them on sight. Experts say the real solution is to wipe out their egg masses, but those can be hard to find because they often resemble dried mud and can blend in with their surroundings.

That's where the dogs can come in to help with their strong sense of smell.

"Dogs have one dominant sense. It's their nose. We use our eyes. Dogs use their nose like their eyes," said study participant, Katie Thomas.

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Thomas and her nine-year-old pitbull mix, Finch, participated in the study, hoping to put their years of recreational scent work to good use. They went through indoor and outdoor tests, sniffing out egg masses, and receiving an award when Finch was right on the money.

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"To be able to do things that we already do, that we are having a lot of fun with… Train our dogs to sniff stuff, being able to apply that to something like a real problem that affects our community is really fulfilling," said Thomas.

The spotted lanternfly is native to Asia and was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania over ten years ago. Since then, it has spread to 19 states, according to the USDA.

"They are everywhere, and we need to search out the eggs. The problem is it’s too late once we have the lanternfly," said study participant, Carolyn Shelburne.

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Carolyn and her 9-year-old border collie, Hermes, was one of the first five K9 and handler teams to pass their field tests. Ultimately, 182 volunteer teams across the U.S. took part in the study.

For indoor tests, dogs identified the lanternfly scent correctly more than 80% of the time. For more real-world outdoor tests, dogs identified the scent correctly more than 60% of the time. That’s still better than most human searches.

"Hopefully, more people will see that you can train any dog to do this, and it gives you something fun to do with your dog," said Shelburne.

Researchers are hoping this is just the beginning for dogs to protect local environments. Even in areas where spotted laternflies aren't a problem, dogs could be trained to sniff out other invasive species.

Harvard physicist says massive interstellar object could be alien probe on 'reconnaissance mission'

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 15:49:08 -0400

Astronomers recently discovered a rare interstellar object passing through our solar system, and a Harvard physicist is sounding the alarm that its strange characteristics might indicate it’s more than just a typical comet.

"Maybe the trajectory was designed," Dr. Avi Loeb, science professor at Harvard University, told Fox News Digital. "If it had an objective to sort of to be on a reconnaissance mission, to either send mini probes to those planets or monitor them… It seems quite anomalous."

The object — dubbed 3I/ATLAS — was first detected in early July by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope located in Chile. The discovery marked only the third time an interstellar object has been observed entering our solar system, according to NASA.

Although NASA has classified the object as a comet, Loeb noted that an image of the cosmic visitor indicated an unexpected glow appearing in front of the object, rather than trailing behind it — something he described as "quite surprising."

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"Usually with comets you have a tail, a cometary tail, where dust and gas are shining, reflecting sunlight, and that's the signature of a comet," Loeb told Fox News Digital. "Here, you see a glow in front of it, not behind it."

Measuring about 20 kilometers across, making it larger than Manhattan, 3I/ATLAS is also unusually bright for its distance. However, according to Loeb, its most unusual characteristic is its trajectory.

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"If you imagine objects entering the solar system from random directions, just one in 500 of them would be aligned so well with the orbits of the planets," he said.

The interstellar object, which comes from the center of the Milky Way galaxy, is also expected to pass near to Mars, Venus and Jupiter — something that is also highly improbable to happen at random, according to Loeb.

"It also comes close to each of them, with a probability of one in 20,000," he said.

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The 3I/ATLAS object will reach its closest point to our sun — about 130 million miles away — on October 30, according to NASA.

"If it turns out to be technological, it would obviously have a big impact on the future of humanity," Loeb said. "We have to decide how to respond to that."

In January, seven years after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk launched a Tesla Roadster into orbit, astronomers from the Minor Planet Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts confused it with an asteroid.

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A spokesperson for NASA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Astronauts splash down in Pacific after completing ISS mission that relieved stranded crew members

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 21:37:45 -0400

Four crew members who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this year to relieve two astronauts who were left stranded by a beleaguered space capsule returned to Earth on Saturday.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov, splashed down in the Pacific off the coast of Southern California on Saturday morning at 11:33 a.m. ET in a SpaceX capsule.

It was the first Pacific splashdown for NASA in 50 years, and the third for SpaceX with people on board.

NASA astronauts last splashed down in the Pacific in 1975, during the Apollo-Soyuz mission, the first crewed international space mission that involved Americans and Soviets.

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The crew launched in March, replacing Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were left stuck at the space station for nine months on what was meant to be a week-long mission after the Boeing Starliner they arrived in suffered thruster problems and helium leaks.

NASA concluded returning them to Earth in the capsule was too risky, so the Starliner flew back crewless, and Wilmore and Williams came home in a SpaceX capsule in March after their replacements arrived.

Wilmore announced his retirement after 25 years with NASA this week.

"We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together," McClain said before leaving the space station on Friday, mentioning "some tumultuous times on Earth."

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She said she was looking forward to "doing nothing for a couple of days" once back home, and her crewmates were excited about hot showers and burgers.

Earlier this year, SpaceX decided to switch their splashdowns from Florida to California to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas.

After exiting the spacecraft, the crew received medical checks before being flown via helicopter to meet up with a NASA aircraft bound for Houston.

"Overall, the mission went great, glad to have the crew back," Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said in a press conference after splashdown. "SpaceX did a great job of recovering the crew again on the West Coast."

Dina Contella, deputy manager for NASA's International Space Station program, added that she was "pretty happy to see the Crew 10 team back on Earth. They looked great, and they are doing great."

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She noted the crew had orbited the Earth 2,368 times and traveled more than 63 million miles during their 146 days at the space station.

New study reveals leprosy existed in the Americas before European explorers arrived

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 05:30:02 -0400

Scientists say a species of bacteria rewrites the history of when an infectious and potentially deadly disease first arrived in the Americas. And it was long before the arrival of European explorers.

Researchers from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, with help from a U.S. university, recently announced in a news release that a second species of bacteria is also responsible for the disease known as leprosy, or Hansen's disease, in the Americas.

In years past, many believed that the bacterium known as Mycobacterium leprae caused leprosy and that it was only spread in America by early European explorers and settlers.

However, the revelation of a second bacterium puts that theory of blaming the settlers on its head, as an existing strain was already on the continents calling the New World home.

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The bacterium Mycobacterium lepromatosis existed and infected humans for 1,000 years prior to Europeans arriving, researchers say.

Dr. Maria Lopopolo, the first author of the study and researcher at the Laboratory of Microbial Paleogenomics at the Institut Pasteur, said it changes everything about leprosy in the Americas.

"This discovery transforms our understanding of the history of leprosy in America. It shows that a form of the disease was already endemic among Indigenous populations well before the Europeans arrived," she said in the release.

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The study — led by scientists from the Laboratory of Microbial Paleogenomics at the Institut Pasteur, alongside the French National Center for Scientific Research, and the University of Colorado in the U.S. — began after Mycobacterium lepromatosis was found in a Mexican patient in 2008, and red squirrels in the British Isles in 2016.

Using advanced genetic techniques to reconstruct the genomes of Mycobacterium lepromatosis from ancient individuals from Argentina and Canada, scientists found that the two strains from the different regions were genetically close in the Mycobacterium genome family tree, meaning that the bacteria spread rapidly throughout the continent.

The release stated that the results confirmed that Mycobacterium lepromatosis had already spread throughout North and South America.

Researchers worked in collaboration with indigenous communities, various international institutions and archaeologists, according to the release, and were able to study over 800 DNA samples from ancient human remains and recent medical cases showing signs of leprosy.

Nicolás Rascovan, the lead author of the study at the Institut Pasteur, said that the research proves that human history can be changed.

"We are just beginning to uncover the diversity and global movements of this recently identified pathogen," he said. "This study allows us to hypothesize that there might be unknown animal reservoirs."

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says leprosy can affect the nerves, skin and eyes of patients, and is treated with antibiotics. Up to 225 people in the U.S., and 250,000 around the world, contract Hansen's disease, according to the CDC.

Researchers develop face 'e-tattoo' to track mental workload in high-stress jobs

Sat, 31 May 2025 17:15:23 -0400

Scientists say that they have formulated a way to help people in stressful and demanding work environments track their brainwaves and brain usage — an electronic tattoo device, or "e-tattoo," on the person's face.

In a study posted in the science journal Device, the team of researchers wrote that they found e-tattoos to be a more cost-effective and simpler way to track one’s mental workload.

Dr. Nanshu Lu, the senior author of the research from the University of Texas at Austin, wrote that mental workload is a critical factor in human-in-the-loop systems, directly influencing cognitive performance and decision-making.

Lu told Fox News Digital in an email that this device was motivated by high-demand, high-stake jobs such as pilots, air traffic controllers, doctors and emergency dispatchers.

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Lu also said ER doctors and robot/drone operators can also leverage this technology for training and performance enhancements.

One of the goals of this study was to find a way to measure cognitive fatigue in high leverage and mentally straining careers.

The e-tattoo is temporarily attached to the subject's forehead, and is smaller than current devices in use today.

According to the study, the device works by using electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG) to measure both brain waves and eye movements.

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While most EEG and EOG machines are bulky and expensive, the e-tattoo offers a compact and cost-effective solution.

Lu wrote that in this study, "we propose a wireless forehead EEG and EOG sensor designed to be as thin and conformable to the skin as a temporary tattoo sticker, which is referred to as a forehead e-tattoo."

Lu also added that "human mental workload is a crucial factor in the fields of human-machine interaction and ergonomics due to its direct impact on human cognitive performance."

The way the study was conducted was with six participants being shown a screen on which 20 letters flashed up, one at a time, at various locations.

Participants were asked to click a mouse if either the letter itself, or its location, matched one shown a given number of letters.

Each participant carried out the task multiple times, corresponding to four levels of difficulty.

The team found that as the tasks became harder, the different types of brainwaves detected showed shifts in activity that corresponded to a higher mental workload response.

The device consists of a battery pack and reusable chips with a disposable sensor.

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Lu said that the device is currently a lab prototype.

"Before it can be ready for commercialization, it will need more development, such as real-time, on-tattoo mental workload decoding and validation on more people and in more realistic environments," she said. "The prototype currently costs $200."

Potential discovery of new dwarf planet adds wrinkle to Planet Nine theory

Sat, 31 May 2025 05:00:32 -0400

A team of scientists at the Institute for Advanced Study School of Natural Sciences in Princeton, New Jersey, might have found a new dwarf planet, potentially leading to more evidence of a theoretical super-planet.

The scientists announced in a news release that they have found a trans-Neptune Object(TNO), code-named 2017OF201, located past the icy and desolate region of the Kuplier Belt.

The TNO, which are described as minor planets that orbit the sun at a greater distance than Neptune, were found on the edge of our solar system.

While there are plenty of other TNOs in the solar system, what makes 2017OF201 special is its large size and extreme orbit.

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One of the team leads, Sihao Cheng, along with Jiaxuan Li and Eritas Yang from Princeton University, made the discovery.

The team used advanced computational methods to identify the object’s distinctive trajectory pattern in the sky.

"The object’s aphelion — the farthest point on the orbit from the Sun — is more than 1600 times that of the Earth’s orbit," Cheng said in the release. "Meanwhile, its perihelion — the closest point on its orbit to the Sun — is 44.5 times that of the Earth’s orbit, similar to Pluto's orbit."

2017OF201 takes about 25,000 years to orbit the sun, making Yang suggest that "It must have experienced close encounters with a giant planet, causing it to be ejected to a wide orbit."

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Cheng also added that there may have been more than one step in its migration.

"It’s possible that this object was first ejected to the Oort cloud, the most distant region in our solar system, which is home to many comets, and then sent back," Cheng said.

This discovery has significant implications for the current understanding of the layout of our outer solar system.

According to NASA, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown in January 2016 announced research that provided evidence for a planet about 1.5 times the size of Earth in the outer solar system.

However, the existence of Planet X or Planet Nine is strictly theoretical as neither astronomer has actually observed such a planet.

The theory puts the planet at around the same size as Neptune, far past Pluto somewhere near the Kuiper Belt, where 2017OF201 was located.

If it exists, it is theorized to have a mass of up to 10 times as much as Earth’s with a distance of up to 30 times further than Neptune to the Sun.

It would take between 10,000 and 20,000 Earth years to make one full orbit around the Sun.

However, the area beyond the Kuiper Belt, where the object is located, had previously been thought to be essentially empty, but the team’s discovery suggests that this is not so.

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Cheng said in the release that 2017OF201 only has about 1% of its orbit visible to us.

"Even though advances in telescopes have enabled us to explore distant parts of the universe, there is still a great deal to discover about our own solar system," Cheng said.

NASA mentioned that if Planet Nine exists, it could help explain the unique orbits of some smaller objects in the distant Kuiper Belt.

As of now, Planet Nine remains all but a theory, but the existence of this far-off world rests on gravitational patterns in the outer solar system.

Earth's oceans are growing darker, threatening marine life worldwide: study

Thu, 29 May 2025 17:41:34 -0400

Oceans around the globe have become darker over the last two decades, leaving researchers fearful for their marine inhabitants, according to a new study.

Professor Thomas Davies of the University of Plymouth said in a study published in the Global Change Biology journal there is growing concern for the marine ecosystem.

Satellite data from NASA's Ocean Color Web data portal showed 21% of the planet’s oceans had darkened between 2003 and 2022.

According to Davies, the majority of marine life lives in the photic zones of the ocean, which is where sufficient light penetrates to stimulate photobiological processes.

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The photic zone, which is 200 meters deep, is where global nutrients and carbon budgets sustain the planetary fish markets.

This is the area where light reaches marine life that lives closer to the surface of the ocean.

These ocean inhabitants rely on both the moonlight and sunlight for hunting, mating, reproduction and other important milestones.

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The upper level of the ocean is where microscopic organisms and different types of plankton live.

With the oceans beginning to darken, it will cause creatures that rely on light to begin moving closer to the surface, potentially creating a cramped living space.

Using satellite data and an algorithm-derived measure of the attenuation of light in seawater, Davis was able to measure how deep each photic zone was around the world.

Among the darker oceans, 9% of their photic zones were 50 meters more shallow, and 3% of the oceans' photic zones were 100 meters more shallow.

The reasoning behind the darkening of oceans far offshore is less clear.

Global warming and changes in ocean currents are thought to be involved in this phenomenon, according to the study.

Despite an overall darkening, about 10% of oceans, or 37 million square kilometers, have become lighter over the past 20 years, the study found.

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It also found that most coastal areas have seen an increase in light. However, the study found that this does not translate into a net reduction in photic zone depth near shorelines.

Davies predicts the implications of ocean darkening could be severe for marine food webs, global fisheries and carbon and nutrient budgets.

Scientists predict underwater volcano eruption 300 miles off Oregon

Tue, 20 May 2025 20:58:01 -0400

An underwater volcano off the Oregon coast could erupt late this year, scientists say.

The volcano, known as Axial Seamount, is more than 4,900 feet beneath the Pacific Ocean and 300 miles off the Oregon coast, but it is showing signs it will soon erupt for the first time since 2015.

The volcano is formed by a hot spot, an area in the Earth’s mantle where hot plumes of molten material rise upward into the crust, the University of Washington's College of the Environment said in an April blog post. As the crust moves over the top of the mantle, the hot spot stays put, which results in long chains of volcanoes over time.

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"Over two-thirds of the Earth’s surface was formed by volcanic eruptions at these mid-ocean ridges," said Maya Tolstoy, a marine geophysicist and dean of the university's College of the Environment. "Axial Seamount is a direct result of these fundamental processes that continue to shape our planet today."

The eruption doesn't pose a danger, scientists said.

"Axial Seamount is much too deep and far from shore for people on land to even notice when it erupts. An eruption at Axial Seamount also has nothing to do with seismic activity on land, so Pacific Northwesterners don’t need to worry about this event triggering a major earthquake or tsunami," the blog post states.

The first sign of an eruption at the volcano will be a sharp increase in the number of earthquakes around it, the post states.

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"The volcano has already surpassed the inflation we observed in 2015, but the earthquake activity is still quite low," said Deborah Kelley, a professor at the UW School of Oceanography and director of the Regional Cabled Array. "We’re seeing 200 to 300 earthquakes per day, with some spikes around 1,000 per day due to the tides. If what we learned in 2015 is correct, I would expect to see more than 2,000 per day for a few months before the eruption."

The quakes will be caused by magma moving toward the surface, the post states.

"That period lasts about an hour, and then the magma reaches the surface," said William Wilcock, a professor at the UW School of Oceanography. "Lava flows spread across the caldera, and lava-filled fissures open up to the north or the south, reaching as far as 40 kilometers (about 25 miles).

"The seismic activity dies down pretty quickly over the next few days, but the eruption will continue slowly for about a month."