Science Snapshots: September 27, 2026 - The Hindu

• NASA announced on Wednesday the selection of the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) as the first telescope in a new Probe Explorers mission class. • The mission follows a recommendation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2020 Decadal Survey to establish this specific category of exploration.

• NASA is developing the PRIMA mission to build a high-capability space telescope more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional flagship projects. • The agency plans to reduce expenses by utilizing spare parts from the James Webb Space Telescope.

• Stanford scientists developed a treatment that blocks an aging-related protein to regrow lost cartilage and reverse arthritis in old mice. • The researchers used a 15-PGDH inhibitor, a type of drug that has already proven safe and active in Phase 1 clinical trials for muscle weakness.

• NASA has progressed the PRIMA mission into Phase B, focusing on creating essential technologies and designs for a new space telescope. • The PRIMA mission has a budget of $1.2 billion and aims to perform detailed far-infrared surveys of the universe, allowing scientists to study cosmic phenomena.

• NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 22, 2026, features a rare triple alignment of a plane, the Space Station, and the Sun. • The image captures a brief moment when the plane, the Space Station, and the Sun aligned in the sky, creating a unique visual effect.

• India's Mangalyaan orbiter successfully entered into orbit around Mars on September 24, 2014, marking the country's first interplanetary mission. • The mission was achieved at a fraction of the cost of a NASA Mars mission, making it a notable achievement in space engineering.

• Scientists used a 13-ion quantum simulator to recreate a particle-forming process linked to the extreme physics of the early universe, allowing them to simulate matter "popping into existence". • The breakthrough, published September 23 in Nature Physics, demonstrates the potential of trapped ion quantum computers to explore fundamental physics questions, such as how matter formed and evolved after the Big Bang.

• Physics World released its free-to-read Big Science Briefing 2026 focusing on how large-scale scientific research addresses the climate crisis. • Sustainability will be a primary theme at the Big Science Business Forum taking place in Maastricht from October 27 to 30.

• Scientists analyzed the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS to determine if it contains evidence of extraterrestrial life. • This object is only the third interstellar visitor ever discovered by researchers.

• SpaceX rescheduled the Crew-13 astronaut launch to the International Space Station for Oct. 1. • The mission was delayed from its original Sept. 12 target date due to a leak discovered on the Dragon spacecraft.

• Wolf Cukier, a 17-year-old New York student, discovered a planet circling two stars 1,300 light-years away on the third day of his NASA Goddard internship in 2019. • The planet, called TOI 1338, is about 6.9 times the size of Earth and orbits its two stars every 95 days, with one star being about 10 percent more massive than our sun and the other being cooler and dimmer.