Space

White and black NASA Mars rover with robotic arm parked on reddish rocky terrain under dusty pink sky

NASA Gives Perseverance Rover ‘GPS’ to Navigate Mars Without Waiting for Earth

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk February 25, 2026

NASA has given its Perseverance Mars rover a new navigation system that works like GPS, letting it pinpoint its location without waiting for instructions from Earth. The software matches the rover’s panoramic images to orbital terrain maps in about two minutes, ending its reliance on daily check-ins with human controllers millions of miles away. The upgrade allows much longer drives and more science.

Why China’s Shenlong Mission Is Sparking Space Security Concerns

Sanjukta Praharaj February 25, 2026

China’s mysterious reusable space plane has returned to orbit, igniting fresh debate over its purpose and long-term ambitions in space.

Artemis II Launch Delayed: Is NASA Facing Apollo-Era Déjà Vu?

Sanjukta Praharaj February 23, 2026

NASA has officially ruled out its March 6 launch window for the much-anticipated Artemis II mission. This decision followed engineers’

White Boeing Starliner capsule against black space background approaching the International Space Station with Earth visible below

US NASA Says Boeing Starliner Astronaut Flight Was ‘Type A Mishap’

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk February 22, 2026

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft approaches the International Space Station in June 2024 during a mission that NASA now classifies as its most serious “Type A mishap” due to thruster failures and leadership failures.

Who’s Watching Space? SpaceX Says It All

Sanjukta Praharaj February 21, 2026

SpaceX unveiled the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) system which leverages its vast Starlink satellite constellation to deliver near-real-time orbital tracking

Satellites for Satellites: Pentagon Seeks Spy Satellites to Track Satellites

Sanjukta Praharaj February 21, 2026

The US Department of Defense is turning to the commercial space sector for a new generation of surveillance spacecraft capable

Germany’s TUM Spots Rare Supernova to Measure Universe Expansion

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk February 20, 2026

German researchers at TUM, LMU, and Max Planck Institutes have captured a rare supernova that appears five times in the sky due to gravitational lensing. The discovery, nicknamed SN Winny, offers a new way to measure the universe’s expansion rate and could help resolve the long-standing Hubble tension between different measurement methods.

Countdown to Moon: NASA Sets Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Before Crewed Moon Flight

Sanjukta Praharaj February 20, 2026

NASA is preparing for a critical milestone in its return-to-the-Moon campaign, targeting February 19 as the next tanking day for

China’s Space Strategy: Why Civil and Military Must Merge

Sanjukta Praharaj February 19, 2026

Chinese military-linked researchers have called for deeper integration between the country’s commercial space technology and its defence systems. The scholars

University of Florida Finds Why Antarctica Has Weakest Gravity

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk February 19, 2026

University of Florida scientists have solved the mystery of Antarctica’s “gravity hole”—a region where gravity is weaker than anywhere else on Earth. Using earthquake waves and computer models, they traced its formation back 70 million years. The research shows a connection between deep underground rock movements and the growth of Antarctica’s massive ice sheets.