Incoming

It may sound like the plot of a Hollywood thriller, but an asteroid could be on course to collide with Earth in December 2032. If it hits, there could be catastrophic consequences.

Don’t panic!

On 27 December last year, astronomers using the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile discovered a small asteroid moving away from Earth. Follow up observations have revealed that the asteroid, 2024 YR4, is on a path that might lead to a collision with our planet on 22 December 2032.

Space precinct

Nation states must revitalise existing measures and consider them in international space policy debates to solve the ongoing difficulties in framing new rules for space governance.

Sea from space

Curtin University has joined forces with NASA, University of Miami, San José State University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology on a new-generation satellite mission to study the colour of the ocean from space, providing vital information about ocean health and its role in climate regulation.

Detecting drought from space

Combining a number of observation techniques, including orbital observation, can help detect signs of drought in threatened habitats such as Brazil’s once verdant Amazon basin.

The Starship revolution

SpaceX took a big step towards full reusability of space launchers on 13 October, a step towards a transformation in accessing space far more cheaply and frequently with substantial payloads.

Under the ice

Dusty ice exposed at the surface of Mars could provide the conditions necessary for the presence of photosynthetic life, according to a new modelling study

The rise of cube-sats

The swift progress and substantial investments already made in CubeSat missions could help make humans a multiplanetary species. But that journey will be a long one – and depends on the next generation of scientists to develop this dream.

The race back to the Moon

The booming space industry is fixed on the Moon as a destination and major nations cannot afford to miss this boat as the space sector can boost whole economies.

Plenty of space for cubesats

New Curtin University research could change how space missions are conducted and lead to improvements in industries as diverse as environmental management, agriculture, disaster management and infrastructure inspection.

I’m not saying it’s aliens…

A team of astronomers have poured through recent astronomical survey data to identify seven candidates for alien megastructures, known as Dyson spheres, “deserving of further analysis”.

From Sydney to the stars

According to a recent survey, the Australian public lacks awareness of global space activities and domestic space endeavours, so, what is Australia is up to in space?