Nasa

Scientists think they are looking at chemical building blocks of life preserved for 3.5bn yearsNasa’s Curiosity rover has detected organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life of Earth.Five of the seven molecules identified in a dried lakebed near the equator had never previously been observed on the red planet. The analysis, performed by the robotic rover, cannot establish whether the organic compounds are linked to potential ancient life on Mars or were delivered by meteorites or formed through geological processes. However, they imply that if microbial life once thrived on Mars, chemical fingerprints should remain there today. Continue reading...

• Texas A&M researchers developed a nasal spray therapy that reverses brain aging by healing inflammation and restoring memory function. • The treatment targets age-related cognitive decline, turning 'brain fog to brain focus' in preclinical models. • Announced on April 14, 2026, it reshapes future therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

Even as a triumphant moon flyby primes agency for a 2028 landing, Trump’s proposed budget cuts cast pall on US space programThe astronauts on board Artemis II were “almost poets”, Nasa’s administrator, Jared Isaacman, declared on Friday, referring to their inspiring words as they swung above the lunar surface.They were, he said, “ambassadors for humanity” as they became the first humans to travel to the moon and return safely to Earth since 1972, on a mission that broke a distance record. Continue reading...

Astronauts prepare for re-entry several miles off coast of southern California after 10-day lunar fly-by missionThe crew of Artemis II is set to return to earth on Friday following its historic 10-day lunar flyby mission, and Nasa leaders have described the precise logistics needed to get them home.The return will see the Orion capsule traveling at nearly 24,000mph before making a final splashdown several miles off the coast of San Diego. The operation requires multiple teams and careful coordination to safely extract the crew from the spacecraft. Continue reading...

• FDA approved Haleon's Narcan 4mg nasal spray for non-prescription sale on April 7, 2026, building on 2023 authorization. • Reversal success rate 98% in trials with 150 US overdose simulations; priced at $29.95 for two-pack. • Addresses 110,000 annual US opioid deaths; 'Lifeline for bystanders,' says FDA Commissioner.

Astronauts had a call with the US president from space after setting record for the farthest-traveled humans from EarthThe crew of Artemis II phoned home from the moon on Monday night after their record-breaking day, to find Donald Trump musing about how he had saved the US space agency Nasa from closing down and telling the astronauts how much they deserved the honor of the president seeking their autographs.The intermittently uncomfortable 12-minute Earth to space call, facilitated by Nasa administrator and Trump acolyte Jared Isaacman, featured a lengthy period of silence, several references by the president about his friendship with the retired Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky, and how “America is the hottest country in the world right now”. Continue reading...

NSW follows Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia in offering free treatments for kids four and under, saving up to $70Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHundreds of thousands of children will be able to access a painless, needle-free flu vaccination for free as governments attempt to curb falling vaccine rates.New South Wales has become the latest state to offer a nasal spray flu vaccine to children for free, following Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Continue reading...

Jared Isaacman says odds of evidence we are not alone are ‘pretty high’ four days after Artemis II rocket lifted offNasa’s Orion spaceship four days into Artemis II mission: in picturesThe top official at Nasa says that the chance of alien existence is a factor in how the US space agency plans its missions.Speaking on Sunday, Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman told CNN’s Meet the Press that investigating the existence of alien life “goes to the heart of many things that we do at Nasa”, adding: “Our job here is to go out and try and unlock the secrets of the universe.” Continue reading...

• NASA's Artemis II mission has reached a critical point of no return, with the Orion spacecraft performing its trans-lunar injection burn and now headed toward the Moon. • The mission represents a major milestone in NASA's efforts to return humans to lunar exploration after decades since the Apollo program. • Artemis II serves as a crucial test flight for the Space Launch System and Orion capsule before planned crewed lunar landings.

• Express Scripts added CARDAMYST (etripamil) nasal spray to its commercial national formularies effective March 27, 2026, expanding access for commercially insured patients. • The FDA-approved self-administered spray converts acute paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) episodes to sinus rhythm in adults. • This coverage decision makes the first-in-class treatment broadly affordable across the U.S., improving cardiovascular care options.

• NASA's most powerful rocket, Artemis II, faces its critical pre-launch test essential for future crewed missions. • The test evaluates structural integrity and systems for the high-stakes lunar program. • Success is vital for U.S. leadership in space exploration and timeline adherence.

• NASA revealed a $20 billion fast-tracked initiative to establish a permanent moon base, with the rocket for astronaut lunar missions launching Wednesday. • The plan accelerates U.S. space exploration goals amid competition, building on Artemis program advancements for sustainable lunar presence. • This development matters for enabling long-term human spaceflight, resource utilization, and preparation for Mars missions.

Follow latest updates, including how to watch the launch, as four astronauts prepare to set off on a 685,000-mile journey with millions watchingA two-hour launch window for Artemis II opens at 6.24pm EST (11.24pm BST) after an almost four-hour fueling process. Nasa’s final weather briefing on Tuesday reported an 80% chance of favorable conditions for launch.Mission managers will be watching closely data from launchpad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, as well as real-time and forecast weather information. Any last-minute technical issue or weather violation can cause a scrubbed launch attempt, or a delay, right up to T-0 (the moment the countdown clock reaches zero). Continue reading...

The discovery of a medieval Scottish ferry with a roll-on, roll-off feature for carts also provided some much-needed levityThe media ecosystem may have changed since the BBC’s spaghetti harvest report in 1957 or the Guardian’s 1977 travel supplement about the island of San Serriffe, but April fool stories are still with us.Indeed, if you picked up Wednesday’s edition of the Guardian, you may have been taken in by our report that evidence had been found of coffee being consumed in England a couple of centuries before the first known examples, thanks in part to an expert called Macky Arto. Continue reading...

Fully crewed rocket will head to moon from Florida – first time since 1972 that humans will have left lower Earth orbitA little more than an hour before sunset on Florida’s space coast, up to 400,000 people packed on beaches and causeways will look to the heavens on Wednesday to witness a fiery spectacle not seen in almost 54 years: a fully crewed Nasa rocket heading back to the moon.The launch of Artemis II, scheduled for 6.24pm ET if weather and any late technical gremlins grant their consent, marks the first time since the Apollo 17 mission of December 1972 that humans will have left lower Earth orbit. Continue reading...

• NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, has cleared its final hurdle and remains on track for launch no earlier than April 1, 2026. • The mission will send four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Christina Koch—on a 10-day orbital test around the Moon, validating systems for future lunar landings. • This milestone follows rigorous technical reviews, ensuring crew safety and vehicle performance after lessons from uncrewed Artemis I in 2022.

• NASA announced revisions to its lunar exploration plans, delaying the first crewed Artemis IV landing to early 2028 while pausing the Gateway lunar station to prioritize a surface base. • The International Space Station's retirement is postponed to the mid-2030s, with plans to add detachable modules for a future standalone station, facing pushback from private space firms. • NASA will launch Space Reactor-1 Freedom, a nuclear engine demonstration to Mars, scheduled for December 2028 to test advanced propulsion.

• NASA announced nuclear rocket development as part of this week's major science news, signaling advancement in propulsion technology for future space missions. • The announcement was featured in Live Science's weekly roundup of the latest scientific developments, alongside research on space reproduction challenges and insights into cannabis effects on appetite. • Nuclear propulsion systems represent a significant technological leap that could enable faster deep-space exploration and reduce mission duration for long-distance space travel.

• NASA is launching multiple technology and science demonstrations to low Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, March 30, 2026, as part of the Transporter-16 commercial rideshare mission. • The payload includes the AEPEX CubeSat for studying high-energy particle effects on the upper atmosphere, magnetic field measurement CubeSats, the R5-S10 CubeSat for proximity operations and formation flying, a power processing system from CisLunar Industries, and a heat shield experiment from Varda Space Industries. • The experiments aim to test thermal protection systems, advance in-space communications, and deepen understanding of Earth's atmosphere to support NASA's exploration and research goals.

• Asteroid 2026 FA3, approximately 53 feet wide or house-sized, will safely pass Earth on March 27, 2026, at 1.78 million miles away—seven times lunar distance. • NASA’s planetary defense systems monitor the near-Earth object (NEO) using telescopes and radar for precise orbit, trajectory, and speed calculations. • Followed by two more safe flybys the next day; increased detections due to advanced global tracking highlight vigilant space situational awareness.

• NASA announced a $20 billion moonbase initiative on March 25, 2026, as part of expanded lunar exploration plans. • Simultaneously, unprecedented wildfires ravaged Colorado, Great Plains, and Nebraska, with one fire scorching over 600,000 acres (240,000 hectares) in days. • The blazes highlight escalating climate-driven fire risks in the US West and Midwest.

• Back-to-back subtropical Kona storms in March 2026 triggered destructive flash flooding across several Hawaiian Islands, including Oʻahu. • NASA Earth Observatory published images and analysis of the flooding event on March 25, 2026, highlighting the cyclones' impact. • These storms underscore intensifying weather patterns linked to climate variability in the Pacific region.

• NASA announced an accelerated timeline for America's return to the lunar surface, with Artemis 4 lunar landing attempts beginning in 2028. • The National Space Policy implementation includes preparations for establishing a moon base and increased mission cadence under NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's leadership. • This ambitious plan reflects commitment to sustained lunar exploration and positions the United States to never relinquish moon dominance while advancing toward Mars missions.

New Nasa chief, Jared Isaacman, has outlined several changes to flagship moon programme ArtemisNasa is cancelling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use its components to construct a $20bn base on the moon’s surface over the next seven years, its new chief, Jared Isaacman, said on Tuesday.Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December, made the announcement at the opening of a day-long event at Nasa’s Washington headquarters at which he outlinedchanges he is making to the agency’s flagship moon programme Artemis. Continue reading...

• NASA released initiatives on March 24, 2026, to advance America's National Space Policy, including an RFI for payloads supporting 2027-2028 lunar flights and the Rosalind Franklin Rover launch to Mars in 2028 with a mass spectrometer for organic matter analysis. • A new Earth science mission launching next year will measure convective storm dynamics to predict extreme weather up to six hours in advance; near-term lunar payloads include VIPER rover and LuSEE-Night, with up to 30 robotic landings from 2027. • These efforts ensure U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, expedite lunar science via commercial partnerships, and release new Saturn images from James Webb and Hubble telescopes, underpinning future Moon and Mars exploration.

• NASA's X-59 Quesst low-boom supersonic demonstrator had its second flight on March 20, 2026, cut short after just 9 minutes due to a cockpit warning light. • The aircraft returned to base immediately, marking another delay for the already behind-schedule program. • NASA plans a speedy return to flight testing to advance quiet supersonic technology over land.

• NASA holds a public event at Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington on March 24, 2026, at 9:00 am to detail accelerated preparations for America's return to the Moon's surface by 2028. • The 'Ignition: NASA’s Plan for the Moon' coverage focuses on agency strategies for lunar missions under the Artemis program. • This announcement underscores NASA's commitment to rapid progress in space exploration amid U.S. leadership in returning humans to the Moon after over 50 years.

• NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis 2 mission began rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on March 20, 2026, targeting first motion at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT). • The four Artemis 2 astronauts entered quarantine at Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 18 at 6 p.m. EDT, limiting exposure before heading to Kennedy Space Center five days prior to launch. • Rollout addresses a helium flow issue in the rocket's upper stage, with teams planning to install access platforms, replace batteries in the flight termination system, and retest components upon return to the VAB if needed.