Grains from asteroid Itokawa returned to Earth by Hayabusa have provided evidence for a new source for the Earth's water. Our researchers take a look at what this could mean for the habitability of planets.
On Christmas day 2021, NASA launched its newest flagship observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope. ISAS International Top Young Fellow (ITYF), Dr Ryan Lau, is leading one of the first observation projects with the Webb Telescope. He takes us through his hopes for one of the most eagerly anticipated instruments in astronomy.
In November, the National Academies in the United States released the "Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s" decadal survey, colloquially known as Astro2020. Our researchers discuss the international significance of this report.
The threat of an asteroid colliding with the Earth is a hot topic, both in terms of recent headlines and the destructively high temperatures that would result in such a disaster. Our researchers discuss their work to prevent a celestial impact in the field of Planetary Defence.
ISAS fellow Dr James O’Donoghue has been awarded the 2021 Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement! O’Donoghue describes his work in bringing scientific ideas to life in animation, and how the US Government shutdown kick-started his interest.
A little over twenty extrasolar planets have now been discovered that orbit entirely within the habitable zone of their star with a size similar to that of the Earth. But does this mean these worlds are indeed similar to our home planet?
This month, the NASA Perseverance rover successfully drilled into the surface of Mars, and retrieved and stored the cores of rock. Our MMX mission members discuss this new era in Mars exploration!
"Marsquakes" detected by NASA's Insight Mission have revealed the internal structure of the red planet. Our researchers talk about this result, and plans for discovering the deep interior on other worlds.
Do you have an idea hotter than Venus for a space mission? In our previous post, Dr Lori Glaze, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, discussed the selection of two new missions to Venus by NASA. But what are a few of the criteria in the selection process that allows a concept to blossom from paper pad to launch pad?
"It was a big and happy surprise, to both me and the whole planetary science community,” describes Dr Lori Glaze, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA. “I think many in our field recognised it was well past time for NASA to return to Venus, but to see both the Venus Discovery concepts selected together was pretty amazing.”
