24 January 2020
New study suggests Enceladus' oceans more habitable than previously thought
... occur as sedimentary rocks such as limestone on Earth. Glein and colleagues say that chemical reactions with iron deep in Enceladus’ core is creating molecular hydrogen (H2). Then hydrothermal activity bursting through quartz-bearing carbonated...
29 July 2020
Puzzling new gas signatures found on Mars
... sign that life could be present. However, methane can also be produced abiotically, for example, by the oxidation of iron, similar to what occurs in terrestrial hot springs, or in active volcanoes. Consequently, for a planet beyond our own, the...
14 September 2020
Possible signs of microbial life found in Venus' atmosphere
... show that phosphine gas could be produced by aqueous or acid corrosion from phosphorus-containing impurities in iron. “The concentration of phosphine liberated by aqueous corrosion was of the same order of magnitude (ng/kg) as those detected...
21 April 2021
Russia announces the first module of its new space station will be launched in 2025
... endanger the life of [the astronauts]. The situation, which today is associated with the ageing of the structure, iron, can lead to irreversible consequences - before a catastrophe. This must not be allowed," Borisov said, referring to the need...
28 April 2021
First piece of China's space station expected to launch this week
... year and its expected lifetime is around 15 years, the programme’s planners have said. Striking while the iron is hot, speaking at a space conference, held in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province on Saturday, the chief designer of the...
17 May 2021
European startup to produce oxygen from lunar soil for ESA 2025 mission
... proposed as a technique for producing water on the Moon, the process involves separating ilmenite – a compound which contains iron, titanium and oxygen (FeTiO3) – from lunar soil, crushing it to a fine powder and then heating it in an enclosed...
