In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts saw mysterious flashes with their eyes closed. Scientists later found the causeDuring the Apollo missions, astronauts noted peculiar flashes of light occurring inside their spacecraft. These experiences were later attr...
13 Aug, 2026, 12.03 AM IST
In 1961, a UCLA graduate student at JPL discovered how spacecraft could borrow speed from planetary gravity. Decades later, his gravity-assist technique produced a fuel-saving breakthrough that transformed deep-space explorationIn 1961, UCLA graduate student Michael Minovitch found a smarter way to move spacecraft through space. At JPL, he studied planetary gravity...
12 Aug, 2026, 06.19 PM IST
In 2016, NASA deliberately set fire to an empty spacecraft after it left the ISS, creating the largest controlled fire experiment in spaceIn 2016, NASA executed a groundbreaking fire experiment in the unique environment of microgravity aboard an uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft. Thi...
11 Aug, 2026, 06.06 PM IST
In 1998, NASA sent a miniature rose into orbit; microgravity changed the flower’s scent, and perfumers later bottled the otherworldly aromaIn 1998, a miniature rose known as Overnight Scentsation embarked on a journey aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. This extraordinary experimen...
11 Aug, 2026, 06.03 PM IST
During Apollo, NASA fired grenades and crashed abandoned spacecraft into the Moon, measuring the tremors to investigate its hidden interiorDuring the Apollo missions, NASA cleverly detonated explosives on the Moon to investigate its seismic activity and inner structure. Seismom...
11 Aug, 2026, 06.01 PM IST
In 2006, NASA grew Salmonella in space; the bacteria returned more virulent than genetically identical germs cultivated on EarthIn a striking discovery, researchers found that Salmonella bacteria cultivated in space exhibited a heightened level of aggression, proving...
11 Aug, 2026, 05.53 PM IST
NASA invites ISRO to join Moon Base programme as India, US deepen space cooperationIndia has been invited to join NASA's Moon Base program. Discussions focused on expanding civil and commercial space cooperation. Both nati...
11 Aug, 2026, 02.16 PM IST
In 1967, US satellites searching for nuclear tests detected mysterious flashes from space. Decades later, scientists uncovered secrets of gamma-ray bursts, which can release more energy in 10 seconds than Sun will emit over its entire 10-billion-year lifetimeGamma-ray bursts, first detected accidentally in 1967, have long puzzled astronomers. Recent observations of their afterglows are now chall...
09 Aug, 2026, 06.30 PM IST
In 2025, scientists tracked 12 people through 10 months of Antarctic isolation. The findings could reshape how future Mars astronauts are trained for the psychological challenges of deep-space missionsTen months of Antarctic isolation revealed a hard truth about deep space. Twelve people trapped at Concordia Station faced rising conflict,...
08 Aug, 2026, 06.11 PM IST
Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon embarks on maiden 6.5-hour ISS spacewalkIndian-origin astronaut Anil Menon embarks on his first spacewalk today. He will join Jessica Meir to strengthen the orbiting laboratory's ...
06 Aug, 2026, 06.02 PM IST
Why SpaceX's accidental Moon crash is worrying scientists ahead of Artemis missionsA spent SpaceX rocket stage has impacted the Moon after a year in space. Astronomers confirm the four-tonne Falcon 9 upper stage hit the lu...
05 Aug, 2026, 10.14 PM IST
In 2003, NASA sent tiny worms aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. After the disaster, scientists discovered that an aluminium container had helped them survive the deadly impactWhen Space Shuttle Columbiabroke apart on February 1, 2003, all seven astronauts lost their lives. Yet one NASA experiment survived. Tiny C...
05 Aug, 2026, 07.52 PM IST
SpaceX rocket crashes on the Moon — joins a surprising list of objects humans have left on the lunar surfaceA SpaceX rocket has crashed on the Moon's surface. This event adds to the growing collection of human-made debris on the lunar landscape. D...
05 Aug, 2026, 05.01 PM IST
4-ton, school-bus-size SpaceX rocket stage crashes into the Moon at 5,400 mph after drifting through space for months. Here’s what scientists hope to learnA 4-ton SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage drifting through space since 2025 was expected to crash into the Moon at 5,400 mph, raising fresh ques...
05 Aug, 2026, 04.51 PM IST
In 2003, scientists found Chile's Atacama desert so dry it had no detectable DNA. Now it's helping prepare for Mars missionsChile's Atacama Desert serves as Earth's closest Mars analogue due to its extreme dryness. This arid environment, with minimal rainfall and...
02 Aug, 2026, 04.55 PM IST
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover sends images of cracked wheel, shows signs of ageing after 14 years on the Red PlanetNASA's Curiosity rover's wheels show extensive wear after years of exploration. Sharp rocks and uneven terrain have caused significant dama...
28 Jul, 2026, 02.42 PM IST
In 2005, scientists thawed 32,000-year-old organisms frozen since the Ice Age, and they started swimming almost immediately, challenging everything we knew about life's limitsNASA scientists made a groundbreaking discovery deep inside Alaskan permafrost. They defrosted 32,000-year-old bacteria frozen since the an...
27 Jul, 2026, 08.01 PM IST