Off approximately 1000 operating satellites in earth orbit many are dedicated to tracking critical aspects of Earth"s climate. The goals and technologies of the most recent satellites to join this armada are described.
It may not be a spectacular as the Apollo landings but robotic exploration of the moon has surged in recent years. The achievements of these unmanned probes are recounted. And permanent manned moon bases are back in future plans of several national and private space programs.
Exploration of Sol's closest planets has been limited by Mercury's proximity to the sun and Venus's harsh climate. But these challenges also make the planets intriguing to scientists seeking to understand why they differ so dramatically from the earth.
Mars appears to be the only planet likely to host human civilization in the future. It's relatively benign environment makes it a favorite target for exploration by increasingly complex probes and plans for manned missions.
The left over detritus of planet formation gets little coverage in the popular press until an errant chunk whizzes close to the earth. But as of 2015 no less that the 6 comets and 14 asteroids described here have been visited by over 15 probes including impactors, orbiters and landers. Even sample return missions are underway.
There era of mere flybys of the outer solar planets is ending. Orbiters of Jupiter and Saturn are now on station. Orbiters of Uranus and Neptune have been proposed though unlikely to receive funding in the near future. But a probe dedicated to exploring the Kuiper belt has already taken a closer look at Pluto.
Enough has been learned about the moons of the outer planets in early flybys of the planets to keep scientists so intrigued that dedicated missions to the most promising for harboring life are in the development stage. Described here is what is know about these enigmatic moons and why they merit extended visits.
As scientists and astronomers peer more closely and with evermore fidelity at nearby stars, they are discovering countless exo planets. How many Earth-like planets are out there? Could one of them hold life not so different from our own?
The night sky is a time machine. The further we look out into the universe, the further back in time we reach. Most of what we see is actually dark matter and dark energy, but its nature eludes us... for the moment.
