Earth and Space Science

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has started transmitting data to Earth ahead of the start of its regular science observations. The agency tested whether ground stations could handle the incoming data stream once the telescope begins full operations. The trials involved ground stations operated by three agencies, including Japan's JAXA. The telescope's early data transmissions mark a key step toward the start of its planned survey mission.

A new study published in AGU's journal Earth and Space Science suggests that oxygen-depleted underwater zones, often called 'dead zones', may not be biologically barren. Researchers argue these low-oxygen environments could instead resemble conditions on the early Earth, offering clues about how life existed and evolved before oxygen became abundant in the oceans.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 has wrapped up its science mission aboard the International Space Station and is heading back to Earth. The crew spent its time aboard the orbiting laboratory carrying out research experiments before departing, with NASA announcing the conclusion of the mission. The return closes out another rotation dedicated to station science.

The SMILE satellite has ended an 18-year gap in observations of the northern lights, and researchers say new views of Earth's x-ray magnetic shield are just weeks away. The mission is expected to provide fresh insight into how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field, producing auroras. Space science outlets are highlighting the milestone and the images anticipated in the coming weeks.

Astronomers have reported detecting a radio signal from Beta Pictoris b, a giant exoplanet orbiting the young star Beta Pictoris about 63 light-years from Earth. The observation, covered by science outlets, is drawing attention because radio emissions from a planet beyond the solar system could offer a new way to study exoplanets' magnetic fields and atmospheres.

NASA reports that the James Webb Space Telescope has provided new insights into colossal planet-destroying collisions, capturing observations of debris and aftermath from impacts between planetary bodies. The findings give scientists a rare look at the violent processes that shape planetary systems, echoing the kind of giant impact thought to have formed Earth's Moon.

NASA has announced the award of a contract for Orbital Safety Analysis Support Services, covering work to assess and help prevent hazards from objects and debris in orbit around Earth. The announcement was released through NASA's official newsroom, and reaction so far has been limited to modest sharing of the release within space and science communities. Details on the contractor, contract value and duration are not specified in the available information.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission brought samples of asteroid Bennu back to Earth, and analyses show the space rock contains material from both the inner and outer reaches of the Solar System. Researchers describe Bennu as a kind of 'Frankenstein' asteroid, assembled from fragments with very different origins, offering new clues about how the Solar System formed.

A BBC News science and environment story about space has prompted discussion about working conditions beyond Earth. Commenters are urging people to organise into unions now, before an expanded space economy takes hold, joking that without collective bargaining workers risk being exploited like the 'Belters' in the science fiction series The Expanse.

Scientific American reports that a new NASA directive could increase the odds of Earth-based microbes contaminating Mars. The piece raises concerns that relaxed planetary protection rules might compromise the search for Martian life and scientific integrity.

The Miraikan, Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo, is closing for renovation. A visitor noted the museum clearly needed the work but said they were glad to have seen its signature exhibit beforehand: the Geo-Cosmos, a large LED globe that displays the Earth shining in space with high pixel resolution.