Week Wraps with New Crew Adjustments and Human Research Studies - NASA

• Researchers have uncovered new details regarding the asteroid impact that occurred 66 million years ago, leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs. • The findings emphasize the extreme misfortune of the dinosaurs, though scientists continue to investigate the precise mechanisms that wiped out life on Earth.

• A New Jersey couple discovered a rare asteroid after it crashed through their bedroom roof, leading to a detailed recovery of the space debris. • The homeowners meticulously itemized and preserved the fragments, allowing researchers to identify the rock as a CM chondrite.

• A roughly 2-pound meteorite that crashed through a home in Hillsborough, New Jersey, in 2024 has been identified as a rare CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite. • Researchers publishing in Science Advances noted the sample is exceptionally pristine because the homeowner immediately preserved the fragments in glass jars using gloves and foil.

• Scientists have discovered the first confirmed atmosphere surrounding a rocky exoplanet located within its star's habitable zone. • This discovery marks the first time researchers have directly identified a specific atmospheric species on any rocky planet outside our solar system.

• Astronomers have discovered a rocky exoplanet located 18,000 light-years away that may possess an Earth-like atmosphere capable of regulating climate. • Published in the journal Science, the study marks a significant breakthrough as researchers have previously only observed airless worlds or faint atmospheric remnants.

• The Planetary Society has warned that a new Trump administration proposal to place political appointees in charge of grant funding could cause "concrete harm" to space science. • The move is part of a broader effort to combat "woke science," potentially shifting the criteria for how research funding is allocated and awarded.

• Astronomers have discovered an atmosphere on a nearby Earthlike planet, marking the first time a potentially habitable world has been found to possess one. • An atmosphere is critical for life as it regulates climate, protects the surface from space radiation, and allows a planet to retain liquid water.

• The FCC has approved a test demonstration for Reflect Orbital, a company developing satellites designed to reflect sunlight to Earth after sunset. • The project aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels during peak electricity demand spikes that typically occur around sundown.

• Astronomers have confirmed the presence of an atmosphere on LHS 1140 b, a rocky exoplanet located 48 light-years from Earth. • The planet is situated within its star's habitable zone, making it a primary candidate for studying the potential for liquid water and life.

• A report from the National Academies confirms the rapid advancement of climate change attribution science, which identifies the specific role of global warming in severe weather events. • Experts like Davide Faranda of France’s National Center for Scientific Research emphasize that evaluating "loss and damage" is now the primary objective for the field.

• Scientists have detected sugar in interstellar space for the first time, marking a significant breakthrough in astronomical chemistry. • The discovery was made using broadband spectroscopic surveys from the 40-meter Yebes radio telescope and the 30-meter IRAM telescope.