TBIRD technology could help image black holes’ photon rings
The Lincoln Laboratory-developed laser communications payload operates at the data rates required to image these never-before-seen thin halos of light.
Communications user terminal developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory prepares for historic moon flyby
Aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, the terminal will beam data over laser links during the first crewed lunar mission since 1972.
AXIS mission selected as NASA Astrophysics Probe competition finalist
MIT Kavli Institute scientists and collaborators will produce a concept study to launch a $1B experiment to investigate the X-ray universe.
Scientists discover molecules that store much of the carbon in space
The discovery of pyrene derivatives in a distant interstellar cloud may help to reveal how our own solar system formed.
Astronomers detect ancient lonely quasars with murky origins
The quasars appear to have few cosmic neighbors, raising questions about how they first emerged more than 13 billion years ago.
Q&A: How the Europa Clipper will set cameras on a distant icy moon
MIT Research Scientist Jason Soderblom describes how the NASA mission will study the geology and composition of the surface of Jupiter’s water-rich moon and assess its astrobiological potential.
Applying risk and reliability analysis across industries
After an illustrious career at Idaho National Laboratory spanning three decades, Curtis Smith is now sharing his expertise in risk analysis and management with future generations of engineers at MIT.
An interstellar instrument takes a final bow
The Plasma Science Experiment aboard NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft turns off after 47 years and 15 billion miles.
Study evaluates impacts of summer heat in U.S. prison environments
MIT researchers identify facility-level factors that could worsen heat impacts for incarcerated people.
Study: Early dark energy could resolve cosmology’s two biggest puzzles
In the universe’s first billion years, this brief and mysterious force could have produced more bright galaxies than theory predicts.
MIT students combat climate anxiety through extracurricular teams
The MIT Electric Vehicle Team, Sustainable Engine Team, Solar Electric Vehicle Team, Motorsports Team, First Nations Launch Team, and Arcturus are each doing their part to improve the health of our planet.
MIT team wins grand prize at NASA’s First Nations Launch High-Power Rocket Competition
Building a drone for the first time, the MIT First Nations Launch team excelled in designing a scientific payload to deploy from a rocket and landing it safely.
Study: Rocks from Mars’ Jezero Crater, which likely predate life on Earth, contain signs of water
The presence of organic matter is inconclusive, but the rocks could be scientists’ best chance at finding remnants of ancient Martian life.
Scientists pin down the origins of the moon’s tenuous atmosphere
The barely-there lunar atmosphere is likely the product of meteorite impacts over billions of years, a new study finds.
Roadmap details how to improve exoplanet exploration using the JWST
Scientists created the step-by-step guide to unlock the potential of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope for identifying habitable worlds in the universe.