January 2021
Evolution of volatiles on the Moon
... oozed into these huge cratered regions, accompanied by the degassing of the molten rock, and formed a tenuous atmosphere of about 10 millibars pressure (about one percent of Earth’s). The strength of the lunar magnetosphere appears to have been...
April 2024
Terraformal dreaming
... as warm as an ordinary springtime in Alaska. But that’s just the temperature. Air is another matter entirely. Creating a breathable atmosphere on Mars would require far more than just heat; in fact, it would probably require the same mixture...
February 2019
European system for global weather forecasting and climate change detection
...be built of each type. EPS-SG will provide global/regional/local observations from which information on variables of the atmosphere and the ocean and land surfaces can be derived. To fulfil its mission, it is required to deploy sustained capabilities...
May 2021
In-situ propellant design for Mars ascent vehicles
... transportation which, theoretically, could use both air-breathing engines and rockets. However, because of the low atmospheric pressure, air-breathing engines are impractical as they would require infeasibly large inlets. Likewise, condensed phase...
23 December 2020
Harmful stellar flares might not prevent life on exoplanets after all, new study says
...helps block harmful levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the ground. If allowed to penetrate through our planet's atmosphere unheeded, it could have a damaging impact on surface life. But despite the damage these unpredictable and often...
November 2020
The alien hunter’s field manual
... us to determine whether life exists on exoplanets that we can characterise. So far, measurements have been mostly restricted to the atmosphere of about a dozen hot Jupiters. The next few decades will see multiple experiments that, when used...
